Judges 13:1-25


God is a God of promises and He graciously makes promises to His people in order to give them hope in the midst of difficult circumstances.  Israel has once again strayed from the will of the Lord and has begun to be oppressed by the Philistines.  Despite the fact that they have been through this cycle over and over again, they find themselves in difficult times due to their own sinfulness.  God, once again, steps in and brings them hope by announcing the birth of a prophet whom He plans to use to set Israel free.  God has continually revealed promises to us so that we can have hope in the midst of the difficult circumstances in which we live.  God begins to prepare the life of Sampson through his parents and He reveals to them part of God’s plan for them and their son.
MANOAH’S WIFE RECEIVES NEW INFORMATION: This couple was barren and seems to be older in years to the point that they had lost hope of being able to have children.  God always seems to use people who are in situations like this in a special way.  When God wants to do something special He will often do so in the midst of the most difficult circumstances imaginable.  I believe it is because He wants us to be dependent upon Him.  The Angel of the Lord appears to Manoah’s wife and reveals to her that she is going to have a special son who will be greatly used by God.  He also warns her to follow the law as it applied to being a Nazirite because this child was to be a Nazirite from the womb.  God is clearly planning to do something special in this situation and graciously reveals this to this couple.
MANOAH REQUESTS CLEAR INSTRUCTION: When Manoah hears about this revelation from his wife the first thing he does is requests more instructions so that they can be sure to keep the will of the Lord.  He is excited about becoming a father and does not want to mess things up in any way.  He prays that the Lord will return and give him the clear instructions that he needs to be able to fulfill the will of the Lord.  If only all of us as parents had this as our main concern in raising our children.  Our greatest desire as parents should be to raise our children in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and according to the will of the Lord. We have the Word of God and should faithfully study this revelation from God so that we can raise our children in the way that the Lord would have us to do.
MANOAH REVERES WITH INSPIRATION: The Angel of the Lord returns per Manoah’s request and gives them the instruction they need.  Manoah is so grateful that he offers to prepare a meal for this Messenger from the Lord, but He refused and so Manoah takes the meal was about to prepare and offers it as a burnt sacrifice and he Angel of the Lord is pleased with this sacrifice and literally “goes up in the smoke.”  Manoah then realizes that he has seen the Angel of the Lord and is overcome by great fear.  There are so many today who speak of being in the presence of God in such flippant ways.  There is such a lack of reverence in so many of our hearts.  The presence of God should inspire us in amazing ways but must always be revered.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than a...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:3-7

I thank God   whom I serve, as did my ancestors,   with a clear conscience, as I remember you   constantly in my prayers night and day.    As I remember your tears,   I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.    I am reminded of   your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and   your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.    For this reason I remind you   to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us   a spirit not of fear but   of power and love and self-control. It is easy for us to forget many important things especially in the face of difficulty or danger.  Paul is in prison and Timothy is facing difficult times in ministry so there are important reminders that Paul wants to make sure that Timothy understands.  God has given us everything we need to face the difficulties He allows i...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:8-14

Therefore   do not be ashamed of   the testimony about our Lord, nor of   me his prisoner, but   share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,   who saved us and   called us to a holy calling,   not because of our works but because of   his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus   before the ages began, and which now has   been manifested through   the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,   who abolished death and   brought life and   immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But   I am not ashamed, for   I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until   that day   what has been entrusted to me.  Follow   the pattern of   the sound words   that you have heard from me, in   the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ...
Read more