Welcome to the Susquehanna Valley Baptist Pulpit, preaching a life worth living, abundant life in Christ. And now the message. We're here in a very unusual passage. In fact, as near as I can tell in my Bible study and preaching, I've never preached out of Judges chapter 13. Equally, this is a peculiar place in which you would look to go in order to have some encouragement on the home. There's a lot we don't know in Judges chapter number 13. For instance, we have no idea in this passage what the name of the wife is. We know the name of the husband, Manoah. We have no idea what the name of the wife is. Furthermore, to be honest with you, why did the Lord insert it in the context of Scripture in the first place? Really, chapter 13 really doesn't set a lot of background for chapter 14 on. Chapter 14 deals with the burgeoning ministry of Samson. This is the story about his parents. This is what led up to it. In fact, we don't know how much time occurred between the moment that the angel appears and conveys that mom's going to have a child to the time in which verse 24 occurs when Samson's born. Really there's only about three or four verses in all of chapter 13 that really give us any real consideration that are necessary, if you will, for the ministry of Samson. That's verse number 1 and 2 and verse number 24 and 25. 1 and 2 talks about the trouble the nation's in. You need that in order to have a judge. That was always a cyclical occurrence in the book of Judges. They'd be in trouble, they sinned, they were in trouble, they prayed, God sent a deliverer, they were delivered. And so in verse one and two, you have the announcement they have a trouble and that they need a judge. And verse number 24, you have the birth of the judge and the fact that the spirit of the Lord moved upon him. And the rest from there is the ministry of Samson. In fact, outside of chapter 14, you have no other references whatsoever of either of Samson's parents to my understanding. So then again, I ask sometimes in your mind, why did God seem so important on this passage to put 22 verses about two people that have no real bearing on the ministry of the 13th judge of Israel, Samson? I mean, they were mom and dad, but keep in mind, you know very little about the first judge's parents. You know very little about Ehud's parents. You know very little about the previous judge here in verse number 12, Abdons. You know very little about his background. Some of the judges are only given a little half a sentence to a half a verse of information. Why was it that God thought so important on the scripture to give us practically a whole chapter that had less to do with Samson and more to do with his parents? And that's what I wanna look at this morning. Notice, if you will, I wanna point out some background history to you that's important in understanding some things. I want you to notice, first of all, as we read through that, part of the reason the angel appears is there was gonna be a specific vow that would be upon Samson. You'll find of this in these passages that he's gonna be at Nazarite, verse number five. The angel conveys unto her, And later she's going to convey to her husband, but in verse number five, for love thou shalt conceive and bear a son and no razor shall come on his head for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. There's a couple of things about that. Nazarite is not the same thing as Nazarene. Nazareth, from which a Nazarene would be from, was the region in which Jesus Christ was reared in those formative years. Once Joseph and Mary, after Bethlehem, after that they flee to Egypt for a space of time. It was during that time that there was the great Herodian infanticide against those young ones. In fact, Jeremiah would prophesy of this and say that Rachel would soar lamenting. And then being warned of an angel that Herod had died, he's going to go back into his area, but seeing that his son or brother ruled in his stead, he'd go all the way back and he'd settle in Nazareth. And then the gospel account, when I believe it was Peter heard about Jesus the Christ and Andrew's beckoning him and saying, hey, no man told me like unto this man. He says, is there any good thing that can come out of Nazareth and Nazarene are not the same thing. Nazarite has the idea from Numbers chapter six and it was a specific vow that was taken. And really any of the Hebrew children could be a Nazarite. A Nazarite really was not a reference to a geographical orientation. A Nazarite was an idea of someone that was seriously doing business of God for a season of time. And outside of Samson, it is just alluded that there perhaps are other people that took something of a Nazarite vow for the balance of their life. Samson is given a Nazarite vow. In so much the case, it would be a lifetime placement. And in fact, it would be one upon which his mother would be engaged in. Hence is why in verse number four, she is commanded not to drink, not wine, nor strong drink, nor any unclean thing. The idea in preparation for your son to be lifelong dedicated unto me, you're to change some of the things in your life. In regards to this Nazarite vow, it's a vow of separation. Numbers chapter six, important place. Let me just read you, I've been in the margin Bible, just a couple of things. Instead of turning there and preaching through it, I'm gonna give you just a few things to consider about this Nazarite, just as part of background. Number one, there's the emphasis of no wine. of no wine. And there's a distinction drawn, not just wine, in a sense of what we would use today as some type of alcoholic. The idea is nothing that came from a vine. In fact, later in the text, a Nazirite was not allowed to eat anything that came from a vine in any way whatsoever. And he even speaks in Numbers chapter six, he could not even eat green grapes, not the color of the skin, but the idea that they were not dehydrated into raisins. if there was anything at all within those grapes or fruit, if you will, if it was not dehydrated and vacated of practically all liquid, the Nazirite could not eat of it during the subsequent vowel time that they had. In addition to that which came from the vine, even in liquid form, there was also the matter there could be no strong drinks. There could be no grapes that were not unpreserved. There was to be nothing at all, chapter 6 and verse 4, from any vine whatsoever. He goes on, he could have no razor come upon his head. That's chapter 6 and verse 5. In chapter 6 and verse 6, we're told that he could not be contaminated with dead bodies. And the scripture is very explicit. It says, not even that of his parents nor his brother and sister. What's that mean? It means that if during the time, and the Nazirite vow could be a period of time, it didn't have to be a lifetime, it could be three months, but if you had taken that vow in a three month period of time, and your father passed away, you gotta stay away. That's what it meant. Or you breached your vow unto God. This is a holy, dedicated, consecrated kind of viewpoint. And then in chapter six in verse 18, when the vow was finished, this is very remarkable to the context of what we know in chapter 13 and 14 and 15. When the vow was finished, The person that took the vow was to shorn their hair. You know what that means? They're gonna cut it off. They were to take the hair and they were to sacrifice it unto God. That was the mark of that vow. The strength that Samson had was not in his hair. But that hair was something of a mark to everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, that he was under a certain vow to God. It was seen as a shame unto him. And when he would pull this, at the end of his life, it should have went and been dedicated to God. But of course, we know the essence of Samson's timeframe. He did very little, very little compared to what he could have done with his life. But going back to chapter 13, this is that Nazirite background. Look at the trouble that exists here with Manoah and dear Mrs. Mother of Samson. I'll give her the name Sharon this morning. I don't know what her name was. Listen to the trouble. God often works in times of trouble. I think sometimes we feel that Our marriages or relationships are going good because we're not in trouble. I would submit to you that I would not consider myself to have any wise of any strength in my marriage if I had not had gone through some trouble in my marriage and relationship. We look at it sometimes as thinking that the absence of trouble is success. Where you find truest success of your life, regardless of where your status is, is how you navigate the trouble that will come your way. Here's Manoah and this dear lady, they have married. And there's trouble in the land. Let me point you out a few things. Notice verse number one. And the children of Israel did what? This is the idea of a national sin. This isn't just the idea of regionally. across the borders of all of Israel, they most likely have been engaged in idolatrous worship. They have previously been delivered, but that judge has died, and now without any leadership except for that as it might come from the priesthood that is established, every man is supposed to be dedicated and wholly consecrated to God, but it doesn't take them time before they start building up the groves and worshiping the pagan gods and falling in line like all of the other of that land. And God looked at all of Israel and all of Israel as a general rule is in sin. Now what does that mean? Well, any time there is sin in the life of a believer there will always be a consequence. Look at the end of verse number 2, And the LORD, this is an awkward turn of the phrase, not awkward but an interesting turn of the phrase, The LORD delivered them to into the hand of the Philistines. Isn't that interesting? Previously, with regard to the previous some 12 judges, God had delivered them from. But yes, part of the consequence was that the convening area of the Jewish state at that time was being ruled by princes that made up the five cities of Philistines. God delivered them there. So not only has it a terrible time because all the nation has been engrossed or the generality of the populace has been engrossed in idolatrous worship, but now you have another problem. Because of that, judgment is placed upon the country. They're not a free country anymore. You have to worry about things. You have tribute that has to be paid. You'll read later on in the following chapters of Samson's life that not only is their tribute had to be paid, but it would involve even to what you had to do with the harvest of your crops. that there's now a tax that has to be paid to the Philistines. There's things that make life more difficult because it's such a terrible time to live in. And I'll give you a third plight that they have. The tribe of Dan, and if you'll read in verse number two, there's a certain man of Zorah of the family of the Danites, it's the tribe of Dan. Let's circle Dan for a moment. Dan's an interesting tribe. For of all the tribes of Israel that would inhabit the land, it strikes in my mind how often Dan is associated with godliness, or I'm sorry, godlessness. In fact, in chapter 18, just after the death of Samson, it is Dan that is wholly aggrossed into idolatrous worship. Now you think of Manoah, and you think of his dear wife, and you think of the coming little boy, Samson. You're starting out the whole context in about as dark a place as you possibly can be. The nation's in evil. The entire society is enslaved. And now, in fact, you've got the overwhelming number of Danites that in a few years will be so apostatized from the things of God, you won't have many Manoahs. I don't know if there's more of a terrible time for which God could work than he would work here, but none of that answers the reason to the question, or gives reason to the question that I asked early, why would it that God in His good mind would set in context for us these passages? I don't fully know if I can answer that. But I want to tell you this, as you read through Judges chapter 13, you get a picture of a sure relationship despite terrible times. There are positive things to be said about Manoah and his wife and how they interact with one another, even though on the outskirts, if you could pull away from a little bit, there's no reason for it to be that way. If ever there was a couple that should have never given birth to a judge, and in many regards, one of the most well-known judges, it shouldn't have been this couple. After all, she's barren. If ever there was a couple that shouldn't have given birth to a judge, it shouldn't have been this couple. Why? Because they're Danites. Historically, that tribe's linked with idolatry. If ever there was going to be a couple that God should not have used, it should have been this couple. They're the closest tribe to the five cities of Philistia. Judah is more isolated. Ephraim is more isolated. But Dan is abutted up on two sides right next to the most powerful cities under the influence of listings. If ever there was a reason to not bring a judge from, if ever there was a reason not to use a couple, it is their close proximity to the judgment of God being poured out. And yet God in His good heart chose the meager tribe in the worst time and the two people that would perhaps be less likely into which he used them and their marriage in a mighty and powerful way. This text is interesting because as you think, as you think about the scriptures, you think of the number of times that God foretold of a couple that would have a child and by which would be announced. That is a small group of individuals. And their response is so often interesting as well. Isaac, for instance, when Sarah's told that Isaac would be born, do you remember what she did? She laughed at begging upon the Lord in the 16th chapter of Genesis to say, why'd you laugh? Is anything too hard for God? You might think about John the Baptist. His was announced. And do you remember how his daddy responded? I'll never name him John. You can think about the Lord Jesus Christ. And do you remember how his stepfather responded? Surely it can't be a God, I'll put her away privately. But here's an interesting couple. God tells them of how he wants to use them, and there's never a question in their mind that God is going to use them. The dear lady finds first. She goes and tells her husband, and I'll submit to you as we'll get to this in a moment, there's never a time he fails to believe her as it pertains to the spiritual truth. He goes and worships God, and you'll note she's standing right there with him. I find these remarkable because it addresses so many of the hurdles and difficulties that relationships often face. And sometimes those that are looking towards marriage think there can never ever be some godly person for me to marry. Why? Because it would seem that everyone is doing evil. Yet Manoah found his wife and the wife found Manoah. It would seem that a family would say, I don't know if we could ever do right and please God because after all, look how difficult things are. Look how uncertain things are in life. Yet here's a couple that please the Lord. You see, what I'm submitting in any relationship at all, under the bonds of biblical truth, it can be a sure relationship despite it being a difficult or terrible time. Notice, if you will, the wife's great faith. I know not why this dear lady is not in Hebrews 11, her son is, but listen to her great faith. She's here, notice, if you will, And the passages says, And there was an angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren and barest not, but thou shalt conceive and bear a son. And therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine or strong drink or any unclean thing. For lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall come on his head. For the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from his womb, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. Then, verse 6, the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me. His countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God. Very terrible. It has the idea of bringing about the fear of God in your heart. And I asked him not whence he was, neither told me his name. But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, bear a son, not drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death. I read that length. Notice her faith. Did she believe the message? Did she? Absolutely. Manoah is not there, but when she reaches him in these verses that I've just read, she basically repeats the entire message to him. Now that is a little bit of Hebrew poetry. It's going to be repeated again in a minute, but the idea that I'm conveying is this is a woman to which no timeline was given. She was not told in nine months or 10 months. She was not told in a year or two years. There's no timeline at all given to the text on when it would occur that it would bring about the birth of a son. I would submit to you she did not question the message. Previous ones had. Do you remember what Sarah said? I'm past this in my lifetime. I moved beyond this. There's no question to it. She believed God. Let me tell you something. You want a successful relationship despite a terrible time? It's going to start with a simple question of whether or not you're going to believe the promises and commands of scriptures. It's always that simple. I can believe my heart. Let me ask you, what would have happened if this woman would have believed her heart? Her heart that was telling her it's never going to happen? Your heart will always question the commands of God. That's why Jeremiah said of our heart, it is deceitful above all things and what? My heart is naturally meant to question the things of God. There is an internalized battle that exists between my heart and the mind that conceives or rather embraces the true word of God. My heart and my mind fight one against each other. My heart does not want to receive the truth of the cross, though my heart is emotional, my heart desires to question, but my mind considers the truth of the word of God. A choice must be made. She's a woman of great faith. There's no timeline that is given, there's no secret that she keeps, and there's no error that she made. This is a woman of genuine, steadfast faith in the truth of God. I praise the Lord she didn't have to go and rediscover her faith. I would submit something else to you. Every time that I have found in scripture where God went and where there was a miraculous conception or a angelically announced conception, I struggle to find one where God ever sent an angel to appear before some carnally minded evil person and promised them of blessings to occur. I can't find it. Sarah questioned God, but Sarah was a woman of faith and true belief in the things of God. Mary perhaps pondered a lot of things and she had a lot of questions to know how in the world she was going to conceive a side of things that she has not known a man but she found favor in the eyes of God. The same could be true of Elizabeth. You could go to 2 Kings 4 and Elisha is present and there's the Shunammite woman that has prepared for him a little chamber to rest in. And due to her faithful diligence and her obedience to God, she and her husband bear a child as a direct result. But you'll not find in Scripture a time where God talks about being born a son or a daughter or a child or a special blessing given to someone that lived their life in direct opposition to the Word of God. I know not this lady's name, but I can tell you a lot about her character. She was settled in the matter of obedience to the things of God. The evils of the time did not dissuade her. I submit to you if the Lord had told me, if I might have been in her shoes, and if he's going to be a judge, and he's going to deliver his people, and God's going to use him all his life, maybe that's not what I want my son to be. We get a lot of preconceived notions. We sometimes want to forget that God has an individual will for every individual's life, and that includes our individual children. And sometimes God's will for my children may not be the choices I would make. She was obedient. She was faithful. That's the baseline of any sure relationship despite terrible times. Now I want you to take for a moment and I want you to notice verse number eight. Then Manoah. Manoah, that's an interesting Hebrew name. It has the idea of homebody, quiet, at rest. It is interesting how she's going to him, but she's always out in the field. He does not seem to always be there. Now, I'm not ridiculing him. It just seems there's a different personality, temperament, whatever associated with him. But I want you to notice a few things about this. Verse number eight, Then Manoah entreated the Lord and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst sin once again unto us come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born." Let's point out a few things about Manoah. He lives in the same time she lives. He's got some of the same troubles she's got. The child's going to be born to the both of them. He's got some of the same questions she's got. Let me just point out this. He never ridicules her, not once. He never questions this faithful wife, this dedicated wife, this godly wife. He never questioned it, not once. He had questions, but he didn't question her. Tell me what the first thing Manoah does. If you look at the scriptures, you can cheat. He entreats the Lord. That idea of treat is to earnestly ask. His first initial response is to pray to the God of heaven. But it didn't stop there. First is prayers. We've mentioned there's no ridicule, but note a third thing. He asked for God's presence. That man, let him come again. And then number three or four, if you will, he has the humility to be taught. What a powerful thing. You want a short relationship in a terrible time? Man, we need some humility. You know, we live in a society where, I don't know, I think back in the day it used to be this macho kind of tough thing, and now you've got to be in touch with this, that, and the other thing. But we do live in a life where there's such a lack of humility. It's okay to admit to the Almighty God you need some help. We have to learn. Just when you think you've arrived at the place of life that you've learned everything, if you're an honest man, you're about to learn some lessons. Surely the scripture says, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. Manoah has some questions. How's my wife got to live now? What's this he's going to be? How am I gonna be responsible for this? and he turns in diligent prayer to the almighty God. You wanna assure foundation husbands, it's important for you and I to be men of God, to be faithful and diligent in our prayers, to be faithful and diligent in obedience of the scripture, to be waiting on the presence of God in our life, to be ready to lead from the truths of the word of God. Manoah is such a man. You say, how do you say that? Look at the next verse. It is amazing. Can I, I wanna say something else too here. I can tell you something else about this relationship here. They're both walking with God. God's not in the habit of answering carnal-minded believers' prayers. In fact, in 1 Peter 3, specifically to husbands, he said, to dwell with them according to knowledge that your prayers be not. Here's a man praying about a problem in his life and his wife's life, and what's the first opening words of the very next verse? What is it? And God hearkened. Let me ask you a question. Think about this. How many times did Gabriel appear unto Mary? Let me ask you another question. Did God need to send this angel again? but Manoah wanted him to. Here's a man that prayed and God miraculously answered that prayer. Look at that phrase again. God hearkened. Isn't that interesting? God didn't need to. It's proven in the scriptural text they got the message the first time. Be it further instruction, be it reassurance, Be it fear that needed to be quelched, Manoah prayed and God hearkened. What a man of true faith. Well, God hearkens into the voice of Manoah, draw your eyes down. And God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah, her husband, was not with her. I think that's interesting. Some might withdraw that this means that Manoah was really the less godly of the two because he was never where his wife was. But I think about the level of faith that's required in Manoah. I think sometimes God works with us in the weak areas of our lives to conform him to his knowledge. And so you'll see in verse 10, the woman made haste. The angel waits around, you know, and she ran. She's got an urgency about the things of God. And she shoot her husband. An idea of shooting the husband doesn't mean shoo, shoo, shoo. It has the idea to tell with fervor. Said behold, this same guy, he's appeared unto me, you know? And here's verse 11. Every time she's come to him with this spiritual matter, note his response. What is it? He moves. He moves. The first time, he entreats God. But he had asked God for something. God's hearkened unto him. And now when the wife has come and she said, he's here again, and she has showed him all these things, how does he respond? I'll tell you this, he's got more faith than Thomas. Do you remember Thomas? I won't believe unless I put my hand in his side and touch his hands. I won't believe. He's got more faith than that. The man arose. I don't know where he rose from. Is he in the bed? I doubt it. But he arose from a sitting position. He arose from whatever toil he had in life. He arose from something that was important to him. And he got up because it was something of greater importance to his relationship, to his wife. And he moved. He went after his wife. He came to the man. Art thou a man that spake this to the woman? And the angel said, I am. Verse number 12 is an interesting phrase. As we continue to sit in Manoah, he's going to be dialoguing with this angel. He said, let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child? He's going to ask a similar question. How shall we do unto him? That idea of the ordering the child, he's talking about what parameters do we set? So we have no penalties. The idea of how shall we do it? You're gonna have to teach us how to do this, rather good or bad. Give us some instruction is really what he's looking for. The angel of the Lord answers his question, tells her again. He said, I command thee in verse number 14, let her observe the idea of all of these things. He reissues the command yet again. And I want you to notice something else about Manoah in verse 15. Manoah is a man of worship. He's a man that believed. He's a man that had concern. How do we order this child? Verse 20, he's a man that worships. He said, I have made ready a kid for thee. It's interesting here, the angel of the Lord, he said, if you tame me, I won't eat of thy bread. What he was asking in origination, Manoah is let me fix something for you. I'm gonna go get a kid and I'll kill that, not one of his other children, that's not what this was, but an animal of the herd. and I'll kill it, and I'll bake it, and we'll commune, we'll eat." That's why the angel responded, I won't eat of thy bread. Notice what the angel says to him. And if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer unto the Lord. This phrase essentially, Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord. Now here's a problem. Here's a grandiose problem. What tribe is Manoah from? Dan. The priesthoodly order is in place. He's not qualified to offer a burnt offering. He's not a Levite. A few books down the road, you're going to meet a man that was a king of Benjamin. He was a king of Israel, but he's from Benjamin. And he's going to offer a burnt offering. Remember what happens with him? What happens? God rents a kingdom from him. So I have a question for you. Why does Manoah get to do something Saul couldn't do? It's because Manoah just prepared a lamb, a kid. Notice what he does. Look what he does. Manoah does not break the commands of Scripture. It was the angel's idea for this burnt offering. Look at the verse 16. He said, I'll not leave it, but if that offer burnt off, we must offer it to the Lord. But Noah knew not his angel of the Lord. Verse 17, he asked what his name was. It was my honor and the idea of name him after you. The angel said, my name's a secret. The idea of that Hebrew phrase secret there, wonderful, is the idea. He comes into verse 18. Verse 19, and Noah took the kid with a meat offering. and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord. You know what he did? He took that kid and he laid it on a rock. There's no fire. There's no wood. That's what makes it an altar. This is a rock. The idea of God wants it, God'll take it. He didn't build an altar. He didn't bring the fire into it. He just took and gave God freely of his heart. He offered it there. Notice what happens here in verse 19. And the angel did, what's the word, wondrously. And Menorah and his wife looked on. It came to pass when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. The angel is tied with it being an altar. The context, I think, of what's being conveyed here He's put this kid, the meat in the mill offering, which were to be combined together, Numbers chapter 15, he's placed it on a rock in this field. He's offering unto the Lord. That's all he did. That's completely acceptable. If he builds his altar, if he stokes the altar, and he performs the Levitical priesthood right, then he's wrong. He's laid it there. And that phrase, the angel did wondrously. Fire came out of the rock. The angel goes up in this great flame before God. Manoah gave freely of himself. God brought the sacrifice and that very token gives you the idea of what happens at verse 21. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. You know why? Because he had experienced a miracle. What was the miracle? When was the last time you saw fire come out of a rock? When was the last time you saw fire come out of a rock and ascend to heaven? And when was the last time you saw fire come out of a rock and ascend to heaven and an angel went up in it? He recognized this wasn't a mere man, but he had just experienced a divine presence. He worshiped God. But then he's going to do what most men do. He's going to reflect on his task. Look in verse 21. I'm sorry, verse 22. Do you remember that's what came in the commands of Noah? If any man sees God face to face, he'd die. That's what he's thinking about. He's reflected on the solemnity of his task. He's reflected on these things that have just occurred. He's reflected on the fact that he was dialoguing with what he thought was a man. He went to give it a meat offering, and that man said, well, you give a burnt offering if you want. I won't eat the meat offering, but you can get a burnt offering. You lay it out there, and it'll be God's to take. And Noah did it, and all of a sudden, it was all consumed. And he recognizes what has occurred, and he reflects, and he fears. God's going to kill me. Now can I go back for the wife for a moment? Look at verse 23. But his wife, I don't know her name, she said unto him, if the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received the burnt offering and a meat offering in our hands. By emphasis of the Lord went to kill us, he would not have shoot us all these things. Number three, it's like she's preparing an outline for him. Number three, if the Lord was going to kill us, dear honey, Manoah, he wouldn't have even told us these things. And the idea of the context, that settled his heart. I want to point out one more thing here. Samson. You remember that verse way back over here? Verse 17, what is thy name? So when all these sayings come to pass, we'll honor thee. The angel didn't give the name. The idea of the secret is wonderful. That's the secret. But reflecting on that experience of the fire coming out of that rock ascending to heaven and angel going through it, they named their son, what's his name? Brightness. Sunlight. They never forgot how God met with them and fulfilled the promises that he had made to them. You look through these passages, you'll find there's never a time that they treat each other as an enemy. There's never a time that their communication is dishonest. There's never a time anywhere in these texts that their communication to each other is not careful. There's never a time that they're not motivated to behold the wonderings of God. There's never a time that they do not desire to obey God. There's never a time that they fail to worship God. And there's never a time that they do not fail to encourage one another in truth. Here's a sure relationship in a troubled time. At each interaction with each other, they fulfilled biblical principles. Perhaps this is why God used them to bring Samson into the world. So often in the times of trouble, we forget that they can also be times of victory. Instead of recognizing that they can be times of victory, we often allow them to be times of suffering where we secretly begin to blame one another. Sometimes becoming so frustrated that we stop ministering and all the difficulties of life supersede our individual and marital responsibility. It's almost as these individuals had read the promises of James chapter four, a response of every believer in difficult times to let us draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. And in proper time, he will lift you up. Here's two individuals that are by name never mentioned, I believe, outside this chapter. And yet God thought so highly of the interaction that he had with them, thought so highly of them that he interacted with them, thought so highly of that reaction that he put it here. And friend, 4,000 years later or so, we're reading about it. I don't know what the trouble is in your life. I know there's trouble outside. We have a common trouble. We have common difficulties. I don't know what the personal trouble is in your life. But you can have victory. But it always starts with your obedience to the truths of the Word of God without faith. Faith, indeed, is the victory. Let's stand with the Father. Thank you for listening. If you would like to contact us, please write us at P.O. Box 126-541-Harrisburg, PA 17112 and visit our website at www.svbcpa.org. Until next time!