As we come to Judges 13 we’re going to see God’s determined grace.
The book of Judges describes a broken world of pain and confusion. A messed-up world like our own, rejecting God.
But this is something you see a lot throughout the Bible: People’s hard-hearted unbelief is often met with God’s determined grace. Spiritually speaking, people don’t know what’s good for them. They go their own way, do their own thing. Go wrong. But God does know what’s best for you, so he has to act in determined, irresistible grace towards people who don’t know better!
But he often does it in unexpected ways, and works through weak and obscure people. Which is good, really, because that’s who we are.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church in June 2026. You can find more in the series in our sermon index.
Receive God’s grace (1-5)
Grace is God’s undeserved favour, and at the time of the book of Judges the nation of Israel certainly did nothing to deserve anyone’s favour. In the first half of the book we saw a repeating cycle of activity: The people would abandon God, so he’d abandon them to their enemies. They’d have years of oppression. Then they’d cry out for help, so God sent rescuers. These rescuers were called ‘judges’ – rulers who would save Israel and put things right in the land.
But what we saw in those chapters is that things didn’t work in a series of repeating cycles: It was a continuous downward spiral. Each time Israel came out of a cycle, they were worse off than they’d been before.
So read Judges 13:1. All normal stuff for Judges. Except the people weren’t crying out to God any more.
That’s spiritually catastrophic. They were content with their false gods (Baal in particular), and their oppression from the Philistines had become the norm. “It is what it is.” “Don’t rock the boat.”
Not crying out in the face of idolatry and oppression is a disaster. It means you’re no longer even aware of the godlessness around you. You’re blind to your spiritual predicament – like standing blindfolded on the edge of a cliff; in danger, but unaware.
Many people lament the state of the world. Even our gas engineer was asking what I thought about it. But the world’s a mess because of human sin. Creation itself groans in pain, waiting for better days.
But God knows the problem, and the dangers for us, and the answer. You need saving, whether you know it or not! God’s determined grace breaks into the world even when people don’t want it or welcome it. While we were yet sinners, God worked salvation for us. He works God’s grace into human hopelessness.
Don’t settle for a sinful world, or a life crushed by sin – whether yours or someone else’s. Don’t get used to a world of sin. Cry out to the Lord! If he’s ready to break his grace into a sin-hardened world, he’ll certainly hear you when you call out to him from it.
And, of course, as a church we need to be clear to take a stand in the world: We’re to be counter-cultural, refusing to take part in society’s downward spiral. Our job is to proclaim Christ’s truth to the world, not have the world dictate its values into the church.
Back in Judges 13, the angel of the LORD promised this woman a child. He was to be a “Nazirite”.
- You can read about that in Numbers 6.
- The word “Nazirite” comes from the word to separate or consecrate to God.
- It’s a way someone could devote themselves to God’s service for a period of time.
- It was usually short-term, and usually voluntary.
- This baby is to be unique in being appointed as a Nazirite by God himself from the womb (lit. in v5).
The boy was to be a saviour to Israel. Set apart from God from birth, he’d be on mission for God into a world that didn’t know it needed saving – and wouldn’t welcome God’s saviour.
That might ring a bell from Jesus’ high priestly prayer from last week: He prayed that his people would be set apart for God, on mission to the world. You’re nobody’s saviour, but you know a man who is.
Samson was to be a saviour: Read Judges 13:5. In the Bible, there are several significant birth stories:
- Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel – all at hugely important moments in God’s dealings with his people.
- All pointing forward to the ones to come: John the Baptist, and finally Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God.
- The one who came but was rejected – and still is.
- God’s ultimate rescuer. Samson’s no good to you, but Jesus is God’s determined grace to a world in sin. To you.
- Receive that determined grace of God; receive his saviour, Jesus. Turn from your sin, seek his forgiveness. Live.
Trust God’s word (6-14)
How much that woman grasped initially isn’t entirely clear, but she went and told her husband Manoah in Judges 13:6-7.
Now, the news was pretty remarkable. Hard to believe, even. So what does Manoah do? He prays. And what does God do? He answers!
The LORD’s plans never fail, even though he works them through weak people. So when weak people pray for help over something, it’s not a surprise to see God answering. In fact, when you cry out to God in your weakness, you glorify him as the one who can do everything he wills. And the glorious Lord of all Creation hears. Read Judges 13:9.
The funny thing is that the angel of the LORD goes to the wife, not to Manoah! It’s arrogant to expect the LORD to answer your prayers in exactly the way you think he should!
So what did Manoah ask of the angel of the LORD? Read Judges 13:11-13.
The first question is just checking: His wife had described “the awe-inspiring angel of God” in 6, but Manoah seemed to think the “man” in front of him might just be someone else..? The second question is more what’s on his mind.
When God has spoken – when we read something in the Bible – we always want more info! “Where did Satan come from? Why?” “What about the dinosaurs?” “Why is there pain?” “How can you be sure about the Bible?”
These are good questions, but you need to be honest with yourself. What do you think you want to know? What will be enough before you’ll believe and commit to Christ? Maybe you know all that you need to know for eternal life, but you’re just making excuses because you don’t want to admit you’re a sinner, or even not a Christian. But God has spoken; it’s been written down for you.
It’s not a complete revelation of all there is to know, but it is a perfect and sufficient revelation of all you need to know. Remember that God is wiser than you and knows what is good for you. He acts for you in grace, not to trick you or trip you up. God doesn’t promise salvation with strings attached. You can trust what you know of him; you can trust him.
Look at the answer Manoah receives: Read Judges 13:13-14.
There’s no new info there. If you could go face to face with God today and ask him for something to convince you of his goodness and grace, he’d hand you a Bible. He’d tell you to read about Jesus, and trust what you read. There’s nothing to add.
Like Manoah, you’re not given more than you need, but you’re not given less either. As you seek to live for God, you’ll find that the Bible includes “very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire” (2 Peter 1:4). You don’t have more than you need. And if you want to live for God you can’t get by on less that he has given. The Bible isn’t a pick ‘n’ mix.
Now again, you might have noticed how the angel of the LORD focuses on the wife, rather than Manoah. Why is that?
- Firstly, it emphasises how God works through weak and obscure people – we don’t even know her name.
- Second, her godliness shines through in the passage, making her a good carer to bring this boy up in line with his Nazirite status and in the fear of the LORD.
- And lastly, she’s actually a great contrast to the later women in Samson’s life who ultimately became his downfall.
And that’s a clue there to what this whole account of Samson is about: He’s a picture of Israel itself (explored in future weeks).
Know God’s presence (15-25)
Manoah doesn’t actually realise who he’s speaking to. Read Judges 13:15-16. The offer of a meal was hospitable and lovely. But equally, it’s the kind of thing someone might do for someone socially equal to them.
So who was the “angel of the LORD”?
- He appears in several places in the Old Testament.
- Some people take the view that he’s the pre-incarnate Jesus, an appearance of the Son of God before he became human. Maybe.
- Certainly, to have the angel of the LORD present is equivalent to having the Lord GOD present with you.
- He’s like an Ambassador – a perfect representative of a head of state, as if the head of state were present.
So Manoah’s invitation is like asking God to come for tea.
Manoah tries something different: Read Judges 13:17-18. The phrase “beyond understanding” translates the word “wonderful” – meaning supernatural, heavenly.
Manoah is out of his depth, and he’s about to discover it. Read Judges 13:19-20.
“Something miraculous” is “something wonderful”. The Hebrew is a bit difficult, but the meaning is clear: Manoah and his wife realised that this was the angel of the LORD. Like almost everyone aware of God’s presence in the Bible, they hit the dirt. God is holy; you’re not. If you think you’ll enter heaven on your own merits you’ve not realised just how holy God is, and how sinful you are.
So the couple go through a spell of fear and logic – and it’s the wife who shines through again: Read Judges 13:21-23.
God graciously comes to sinful people. He did it then, and he does it now. The Holy Spirit of God convicts your heart of your sinfulness before God.
And equally, he points you to the saviour God has provided. Manoah’s wife realised it: God has provided a saviour, not a destroyer. He calls you to life, not to death. And he’s provided you with a better saviour: Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God who is God with us; and he himself is the sacrifice for your sin, so that God can punish your sin (on himself) and forgive you freely.
Your sin would destroy you, and prevent you ever from coming to God – no heaven, or peace, or rest. But God has come to you, as a saviour, to bring you life. Not cowering in fear, like Manoah. But realising God’s grace and presence, like his wife.
So Samson was born: Read Judges 13:24-25.
And when you come to faith in Christ, this God is present to you permanently: He dwells in you as God the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus. The same Spirit who would be in Samson. The God whose name is beyond understanding dwells in you for your good, your strength, your peace and rest.
What did Manoah and his wife do then? They cared for the baby. They worked the land. Taxes got paid and food was bought. They got on with life. And all the while, God was at work in their home. The Spirit rested on that child, preparing him for his work of salvation from the Philistines. What is God doing in your home? Expect great things.
In summary
- You’re to receive God’s grace. Don’t accept the sin in your heart or in the world around you. Be set apart in holiness and mission for Christ.
- And you’re to trust God’s word. It’s ok to have questions, but don’t use them as an excuse to reject what God has told you: He’s told you enough to know him, so come to him and live by his word every day.
- Then know God’s presence. Not in an ignorant or fearful way like Manoah; rejoice at his grace in Christ, and experience his presence and power in you by the Spirit.
- Christ is the glorious Saviour to humanity today. Come to him, come to life, and live in his strength.