Promise for Di Field: Samson Birth

One woman dey alone for field when one stranger appear. Im face dey make person fear and respect reach say she no dare ask where e come from. And wetin e talk go change her life, and di story of her whole nation.

Dis na di days of di judges, one dark and confused time for Israel history. Again and again di people turn away from God, and again and again trouble follow. Dis time di trouble get name: di Philistines. For forty years dem don rule over Israel. For di hill town of Zorah, wey face di Philistine country, one man wey dem dey call Manoah dey live, from di tribe of Dan. Im and im wife no get children. Di Bible no even tell us her name. But na she heaven first come meet.

Di angel of Di Lord appear to her. You never fit get children, e talk, but you go get son. Then instructions follow. While she dey carry belle, she no go drink wine or strong drink, and she no go chop anything wey no clean. And once dem born di boy, razor must never touch im head. Di child go be Nazirite to God from inside im mama womb, di angel talk, and e go begin save Israel from di Philistines. Begin. No be finish. Remember dat word. She run go tell her husband. One man of God come meet me. E look like angel of God, e dey make person fear well well. I no ask am where e come from, and e no tell me im name.

Manoah do one fine thing. E pray. Lord, abeg, make di man of God wey you send come back meet us again, come teach us wetin we go do for di boy wey dem go born. And God hear am. Di angel come again, and again na to di woman, wey sit alone for di field. She run go call her husband, and Manoah hurry follow her. Na you be di man wey talk to my wife? Na me. Manoah get questions. How di boy go take live? Wetin im work go be? Di angel just repeat wetin e don talk before. Make she keep everything wey I tell her.

Manoah want host am well. Abeg stay, make we prepare one young goat for you. Di angel talk say e no go chop, but if Manoah wan make burnt offering, make e offer am to Di Lord. Manoah still no know who e dey talk to. Wetin be your name, e ask, so dat we go fit honour you when your words come true? Why you dey ask my name? E wonderful. Some Bible versions talk: secret. E pass wetin person fit understand. So Manoah put di young goat and grain offering for top one rock. Di fire blaze go up to di sky. And as Manoah and im wife dey watch, di angel of Di Lord go up inside di flame. Dem fall face down for ground.

Now Manoah understand, and fear catch am well well. We go die, e tell im wife. We don see God! And here, im wife show say she don dey pay attention well well.

If Di Lord mean to kill us, e no go accept our burnt offering and our grain offering. E no go show us all dis things, or tell us all dis one.

She dey right. When time reach, she born one son, and she call am Samson. Di boy grow, and Di Lord bless am. And one day, for one camp between Zorah and Eshtaol, di Spirit of Di Lord begin move am. Di deliverer don come. Im story go wild, and sometimes e go trouble person mind. But e start here, for one quiet field, with one promise wey God keep.

So wetin be Nazirite? Di rules dey for di book of Numbers, chapter six. Any Israelite man or woman fit make dis special vow to dey set apart for God. As long as di vow last, dem no go drink wine or chop anything from grape vine, dem go stay far from dead body, and dem go leave dia hair to grow without cutting. Normally na person own choice, and e dey last for fixed time. Samson own different. God choose am for am before dem born am, and e suppose last im whole life. Im long hair go mark am, every single day, as person wey belong to God.

Di birth of Samson. You go find am for Judges, chapter thirteen. One couple wey no get children and no get hope to get any. One promise, wey God give two times. And one woman wey her quiet good sense calm her husband wey fear dey catch. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin God don already show you about how e care for you, wey you fit hold when fear dey catch you?