Parenting Contrasts

Every child must make his own choice to follow God, but in most cases parents are the strongest influence over their children's choices. Certainly, parents have the greatest potential to impact their children toward or away from God. While there are no perfect parents, the Bible does provide examples of both exemplary and pitiful parenting moments.

Samson's parents had some exemplary moments. They lived during a time of oppression by the Philistines; this oppression lasted forty years. Samson served as a judge for twenty years, and the victory at his death brought the end of the oppression. Since Samson probably needed to grow close to adulthood before he began judging, his birth probably happened near the beginning of the Philistine oppression.

This means that Manoah and his wife faced two major problems in their life and marriage. First, they lived through the transition into Philistine bondage. Quite possibly this happened after they were married. They had experienced freedom. Their married life probably started in freedom. They had every expectation of a good life and of normal prosperity. The Philistine oppression changed all that. If the habitual record of Judges is any indication, they probably became poor and their livelihood became uncertain.

The second problem was barrenness. We don't know how long the couple had been married, but it was long enough to declare that "his wife was barren and had borne no children" (Judges 13:2). This was a personal heartbreak and a social shame. This couple was bearing heavy burdens and could have turned away from God, as many around them were doing. (Outside oppression happened because of Israel's spiritual rebellion.)

Manoah and his wife did not turn from God. They were faithful enough to be entrusted with a special task and to receive special communication from God. God chose them as the parents of the next judge. God sent an angel to the woman to reveal her special task. The angel gave special instructions regarding herself and the child, instructions that God entrusted to her with the expectation that she was devoted enough to Him to follow His instructions.

When the wife told Manoah of her angelic visit, she reported the details with every indication that she intended to do what was asked of her. She made no protests about not wanting to obey God or follow His plan. Manoah's response also indicated his intention to obey. In fact, Manoah wanted more instructions! He prayed and asked for the angel to come back and give them guidance as to how to follow God's plan. "Then Manoah entreated the LORD and said, 'O Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again that he may teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born'" (13:8).

When the angel returned to clarify the instructions, Manoah and his wife welcomed him. They asked for guidance. They listened. They honored him with a meal, which became an offering to God. They fell on their faces in worship. Although they did not hear from the angel again, they realized God's pleasure with them (13:23) and they followed God's instructions. These parents took seriously the charge given to them by God.

Immediately after the conclusion of Samson's story, the Bible talks of another young man named Micah and his mother. Micah's tribe, Ephraim, was just east of Samson's tribe, Dan, so both had probably been under the same Philistine oppression, but that oppression was now over. Every indication is that Micah's family existed during a time of freedom from oppression. The mom even owned 1,100 pieces of silver. They had every reason to follow God. But they didn't.

Micah stole the 1,100 pieces of silver from his mom. He later confessed and returned the money. Both his confession and his mother's response are interesting. "He said to his mother, 'The eleven hundred pieces of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it'" (17:2). The mom can't be blamed for her son's theft, but the story makes it apparent that she was not a godly mother trying to raise a godly son. She had cursed when her money was discovered missing.

When the money was returned, her response was shocking and insightful. "And his mother said, 'Blessed be my son by the LORD'" (17:2). She showed no concern that her son had stolen. In fact, she blessed her son! Apparently, her only concern was that she got her money back. What difference did the character and choices of her son make? She had her money!

The mom was so happy to have her money back that she did what sounds somewhat spiritual, (but was really far from it). "His mother said, 'I wholly dedicate the silver from my hand to the LORD'" (17:3). Then she promptly revealed that she was lying when she gave only two hundred pieces of the silver. She also promptly revealed that she wasn't really giving it to the LORD, because she had the coins made into idols.

As if this were not bad enough, the mom continued to lead her son astray by placing the idols in his home. Sure enough, Micah followed his mom's lead into idolatry. He created a shrine for the idols. He made more idols. He made apparel for idol worship and set one of his own sons as priest. He later replaced his son with a young Levite whom he recruited and paid to be his own personal priest in his idol worship, because he thought a Levite would be more advantageous to him (17:13).

Did these parents impact their children? Without doubt. Samson had godly parents who wanted to do the right thing. Samson himself had both victories and deep struggles, but he ended up returning to God. Micah had a wicked mother whom he followed in doing evil. Samson served God (imperfectly), but Micah rejected God (completely).