Samson’s Mom
Judges 13:1-7 – Victory Fellowship
May 31, 2026 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
Samson was one of the last judges to appear in Israel, judging after Abdon. But before we get to Samson next week, we need to talk about his mom.
Who can tell me who Samson’s mother was? She is simply referred to as, “Manoah’s wife.”
She was a special person from whom we can learn several valuable lessons. She was, without a doubt, a spiritually strong women who stood ready and well equipped to serve God.
Likewise, she was a very obedient women who carried out God’s will without doubt, questions, nor criticism. She certainly has godly characteristics which we all should model.
Manoah’s wife is one of the few people in the Old Testament to be visited by The Angel of the Lord. She was one of only two women. (Hagar in Genesis 16)
I believe it’s Samson’s mother who was the more level headed and perhaps strongest, spiritually in the family. It is from her that I hope we can gain some important lessons:
I. Be Ready To Serve – Verse 3
Notice that the angel didn’t appear to Manoah, rather to his wife directly. Why? I believe Manoah’s wife was stronger spiritually than Manoah himself. In fact, after telling her husband of her angelic encounter he asks for the angel to come back and give them further instructions (vs. 8).
Honoring Manoah’s request, the angel is sent back, but to whom does it appear? The wife (vs. 9)!
What’s the point? I believe these brief Biblical facts teach us something of Manoah’s wife’s spiritual character. I believe she was a Godly, obedient, spiritual women who stood ready to serve God when ever the call came.
a. She was strong spiritually!
b. She put God first
c. She was well equipped! Manoah’s wife was equipped with the spiritual knowledge she needed to carry out her task.
What do I mean by that? Notice vs. 5: "the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb." The particular’s regarding this vow are outlined in Numbers 6:1-21. It’s important to note that this vow started from the womb, meaning that she had to live by it herself!
II. Be Obedient to God’s Will – Verses 6-7
After reading vs. 6-7, I read no sense of disbelief on Manoah’s wife’s part. She didn’t seem to object in any way, rather appears to stand ready to obey. It was Manoah who needs further instruction (vs. 8).
Based upon the fact that the Lord blessed Samson after birth, we must assume that his mom did her part regarding the Nazirite vow.
There are many people in religious circles who want to question, criticize, and even change God’s Word. God’s teaching regarding acts of worship have been changed to suit man. God’s plan of salvation has been altered for man’s ease. What should we learn here from Manoah’s wife? Regardless of how trivial, silly, or un-important we might think of God’s Word, we should stand ready to obey it to the letter!
Conclusion
We shall see over the next couple weeks that while gifted with extraordinary physical strength, Samson was morally and spiritually weak.
In our Sunday school understanding we see Samson as a sort of real life Hercules or Superman – when in reality he was more like Deadpool.
His fight with the Philistines, who dominated the Israelites in his lifetime, was rooted in personal animosity rather than a passion to free his people. While Samson killed many Philistines during his lifetime, he never won freedom from oppression for his people.
You’ve heard the saying, “I blame the parents,” but it is clear from the story in Judges that Samson’s flaws were his own and cannot be traced back to worldly and godless living on his parent’s part. Both parents are portrayed as God-fearing and good people who did their best to respond to God and give their son guidance.
Perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from Samson’s mom relates to the disappointing choices our children sometimes make. The Bible is full of sons and daughters of godly men and women who made poor choices. The world we live in today is equally full of children raised by good Christian parents yet they make poor choices.
Should we blame ourselves? Not necessarily. Should we give up on them? By no means!
We shall see that in the end Samson made his mother proud. He humbled himself, and made one final request to God, one that God granted. In the New Testament, Samson is viewed as a hero of the faith, not an unruly child or sinful adult. (Hebrews 11:32)
There is hope for us all in Christ Jesus. Not only for wayward children, but I know many godly children who are thriving in spite of wicked and ungodly parents. There is hope for those parents as well.
We all need Jesus.
PRAYER
SONG: God Is In This Story
Judges 13:1-7 NLT
back.” Again the Israelites did evil in the LORD’s sight, so the LORD handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years. 2 In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children. 3 The angel of the LORD appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4 So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. 5 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.” 6 The woman ran and told her husband, “A man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God’s angels, terrifying to see. I didn’t ask where he was from, and he didn’t tell me his name.
7 But he told me, ‘You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. For your son will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from the moment of his birth until the day of his death.’”
