The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

—Judges 13:3-5

Hopefully today’s scripture feels a little familiar! The Christmas story we know well centers on a miraculous birth. A childless couple had a son. But, it is also a recurring scene throughout the Scriptures. Examples include: Sarah and Abraham with Isaac, Rebekah with Jacob and Esau, Hannah with Samuel, and Zechariah and Elizabeth with John the Baptist. These scenes prefigure the nativity story we know. They lead us to the miraculous birth of our Saviour, Jesus.

The birth of Samson to Manoah and his barren wife is no exception. The time of the Judges is one of great trouble for Israel. They are likely at their most disobedient and sinful. They keep turning away from God and their shared covenant. The consequence of Israel’s unfaithfulness was constant oppression at the hands of their enemies. Judges 13:1 says, “again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.” At the peak of Israel’s disobedience, God would raise a judge, a strong leader, to deliver Israel.

Already we can begin to see how Jesus fits into this picture. Like the Israelites of Samson’s day, we needed a Saviour. We needed someone to save us from the hand of the enemy. The miraculous promise of a saviour is good news to our ears! But, if we read on, we see a troubling pattern. It emerges in Samson’s story and those of the judges before him. Despite God’s faithfulness to deliver Israel, they keep sinning. They return to their old ways and disobey Him again. Their salvation is only momentary before they are delivered back into the hands of the enemy.

The judges grow increasingly corrupt. They represent Israel’s spiralling condition. Samson is a great example of this. The passage describes the Nazirite vow. It is a standard to measure Samson’s life against. Samson continually ignores the three rules: no contact with alcohol, no contact with corpses, and no cutting of the hair. He participates in lavish feasts, finds himself in vineyards, tears a lion in half, regularly comes into contact with corpses, and most famously has his hair cut. Samson was a broken saviour. His salvation was only momentary. Soon after his deliverance, Israel fell into civil war and foreign oppression again.

But we can take joy in the perfect Saviour and judge. His salvation lasts forever. Samson’s birth story foreshadows the announcement of Jesus’ birth. But, Jesus succeeds where Samson was destined to fail. Only the Son of God, fully man and fully God, could accomplish the eternal deliverance and salvation of His own people. The glimmers of hope throughout the Scriptures, just like the announcement of Samson’s birth, find their full completion in Jesus.

So what can this passage say to us today? One thing that stands out to me is God’s faithfulness to always finish what He starts. The story of salvation that begins on the very first page of the Bible is accomplished in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ many pages later, despite the countless obstacles in the chapters in between. God is faithful to His promises and never fails to deliver! Perhaps you are waiting for promises of deliverance in your life. Or, you may doubt if God will provide. Remember: God cares about us. He sent His only Son to die in our place. This restored our relationship with Him forever! Our God is a God who always comes through, and whose promises never fail!

Take time today to submit again to God’s plan. Have confidence and trust that He will finish what He started.

Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You that You always finish what You start. Remind us today that Your plan is perfect, and that Your deliverance and salvation are forever! Where we have doubts, where we are impatient in the waiting, where we are struggling to hold onto Your promises, help us, Lord, to trust You in complete dependence. Amen.