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Weekly Devotion
Judges 13:2-5
2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, 5 for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”
The Samson Cycle is the last account of the various deliverers presented in the Book of Judges. His story is unique in that it is the only one with a birth narrative. The angel of the Lord appeared to Samson's mother, when she was barren, and announced the good news: she will conceive and have a son. In addition, the divine messenger also told her the reason for this miraculous conception: "he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines" (Judg. 13:5)
The word “begin” is notable because it indicates that Samson’s role would only be the start of Israel's salvation and not the fulfillment of it. In other words, his actions, as dramatic and powerful as they'll be, will not result in the full liberation of Israel from Philistine oppression. In fact, the Philistine threat will continue beyond his death, and it is not until the time of Samuel, Saul, and ultimately David that Israel experiences a more complete deliverance.
The word “begin” emphasizes human insufficiency. No human deliverer, whether a judge or a king or whoever else, can fully save God's people. Even King David, who significantly reduced the power and influence that the Philistines had over Israel, was not able to eliminate them completely. All of this teaches us about the quality of Jesus' salvation. Only Christ, the true and final Deliverer, brings complete and lasting redemption. This is what we cling to as believers. This is what we stake our life on: that Jesus is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him.