Judges 13: Samson: The Last Judge in Judges

The Rev. Nabil Nour, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hartford, SD and fourth vice president of the LCMS, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Judges 13.

This chapter tells the story of a childless couple from the tribe of Dan who received a visit from the angel of YHWH. The angel announced that they would have a son who would be set apart for God’s service from the womb. The couple was astonished and fearful, but they obeyed God and prepared for their son’s arrival. They named him Samson, which means “sunshine” or “little sun” and God filled him with His Spirit to rescue the people from the Philistines.

The Book of Judges tells the story of Israel's descent into chaos and idolatry, and the subsequent rise of a series of judges, or redeemers, who deliver them from their enemies. The judges are flawed heroes, but they are also instruments of God's deliverance. The book ends with the Israelites in a state of moral and spiritual decay, but it also offers hope for a better future.