Finally we arrive at a story almost everyone knows, Samson, who was called to be a judge by God. We begin his story in Judges 13 as an angel appears to mother, the wife of Manoah. Much like Sarah and, later, Hannah, she is barren, yet the angel proclaims that she will have a son. She is warned to follow Nazirite guidelines of Numbers 6, and that Samson should as well for God has chosen him to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
Of great question in this story is whether Samson realized that he is a nazirite, since when Manoah is summoned to hear the message from God, there is no provisions mentioned as to how Samson was to live. In the interaction between Manoah and the angel we again see the reality that the connection between Israel and God has faded tremendously. Manoah desires to know how to raise the boy, he is not sure who the angel is or where it came from, signs that the teaches of Moses and Joshua have eroded and perhaps hold little traction in the community.
The question of whether Samson understood himself to be a nazirite really takes shape in Judges 14. While there are no provisions for whether a nazirite can marry outside of Israel, it is still rather shocking that Samson would take a Philistine for a wife; this is a clear sign that Israel has again forgotten not to live like the nations of the land but instead are becoming like the nations of the land. The editor seems to try and clean this up by saying that God uses this wedding as a pretext to destroy the Philistines but that seems kind of flimsy, not sure God needs a pretext and/or I am pretty sure one already existed in that the Philistines were oppressing Israel.
Samson's strength, a gift of the Spirit, is demonstrated as he kills a lion. Of course, he then later eats honey out of the cavity of the lion, which would make him unclean since he is touching the dead. This was a big no no for a Nazarite, so again what did Samson know of who he was?
For his wedding feast, Samson throws a large party at which he challenges guest to a riddle. Evidently the riddle is the pretext that God needs to bring judgment against the Philistines, or so some commentators would say. Since it is his own wife that betrays Samson and gives the answer to the companions, Samson is forced to pay up, to the tune of thirty festal garments attained by killing 30 Philistines.
Samson is a very strange judge, who seems to have very little understanding of being a judge. God's use of Samson is also very interesting and seems to reflect the fact that perhaps not much remains of Israel in terms of finding a worthy judge.
Mark 4
The chapter opens with the Parable of the Sower or the Good Soil as some call it now. This parable seems to be offered as an explanation of why some believe and others do not. It is the seed in the good soil that prospers, not just one year but successive years as well. Not sure what to make of the disciples since they do not understand the parable and need it to be explained to them. This is a running theme within Mark, the disciples frequently do not understand who or what Jesus is and what he is trying to teach them.
Jesus then uses the example of a lamp to show that he is seeking to shine light into the world, that God's Word cannot be hidden but it must be seen and understood. The disciples are challenged to listen, for they will be given more responsibility.
Two parables of seeds are used to demonstrate that the Kingdom is near and growing, yet to be realized but very present still.
To reinforce the point about the disciples, the chapter closes with a storm coming upon the boat in which they traveled. A frustrated Jesus quells the storm and then questions the faith of those with him. The challenge for the disciples and for us, who is Jesus and how much do we trust in him?
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