AFTER Joshua was dead, the Children of Israel began to be very slack in
serving God; and worse than all, they set up other gods, and worshipped
them, as the heathen did around them.
God was very longsuffering, and He raised up Judge after Judge who
delivered them from their enemies; but soon the people fell into
idolatry again.
At length, God was so grieved at their evil ways that He delivered them
into the hands of the Philistines for twenty years. And then He raised
them up another Judge.
There was a man who served God, whose name was Manoah; and he had a
godly wife, but they had no children.
One day, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah's wife, and he told
her that she would have the joy of having a little son, who, when he
was grown, should deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.
But the angel gave Manoah's wife very strict instructions. Neither she,
nor her child, were to take any wine or strong drink, and the boy was
not to have a razor come on his head from the day of his birth to the
day of his death! He was to be what was called "A Nazarite unto God."
And Manoah prayed earnestly that God would send the angel to them again
to tell them how to bring up the child who was to come to them.
And God listened to Manoah's prayer; and as the woman was in the field,
the Angel came again to her; and she ran hastily to Manoah, and told
him.
Then Manoah begged the man to let him dress a kid and offer him
food-but the man said he would take no food, but they could offer a
sacrifice to God, if they wished it.
And when the sacrifice was offered, and the smoke arose from the Altar,
the Angel of the Lord went up toward heaven, and ascended in the flame
from off the Altar.