W. Robert Godfrey

along with a huge surprise.

And then comes further words to the mother that are tremendously important for our whole consideration of this story and why I think the Bible gives so much attention to the parents before Samson comes on the scene.

The angel says, therefore, be careful and drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean.

For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son.

No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.

So the word judge is not used here.

But the notion of deliverer is used here.

And so from this first word of the angel, it's very clear that the son to be born will be a judge, will be a deliverer, will be a savior to the people of Israel.

He won't be the last savior.

He won't be the complete savior.

He's only going to begin to save Israel from her enemies.

But that's his commission.

That's his task.

And so there's this sort of double promise, this double blessing, this double joy that has to have come into the heart of Samson's mother.

She'll have a child, a son, and he'll be a judge.

So in the midst of this depressed resignation and hopelessness comes a double promise of encouragement.

But there comes also a very specific instruction, isn't there?

An instruction both for mother and for child.

There's a very specific instruction that his mother is not to drink and his hair is not to be cut.

And these are not just random directions from the Lord.