Judges 13:2-7,24-25 & Lk. 1:5-25
The birth of Samson, like John the Baptist’s, was announced by an angel.
Zechariah and Elizabeth knew the sorrow of being childless. In the society in which they lived, children were regarded as a blessing and a sign of God’s favour. Failure to produce children was seen as a curse. This belief was wrong. Why should God curse such devout people as Zechariah and Elizabeth? Zechariah was a priest who served in the temple and both he and his wife lived holy lives.