Judges 13:8-14 –Collaborating with God

Manoah, Samson’s father believed his wife when she narrated to him about her encounter with the angel of the LORD. He, however, did not know that the person who spoke to his wife was an angel of the LORD. In his mind, he thought that he was a prophet whom God had sent. His response to what his wife told him suggests that he believed what his wife had said. He wanted to be sure to do the right thing for the boy whom the angel foretold would be born to him and his wife. So, he prayed to God saying, “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.” His prayer revealed what kind of a man he was. He was one who wanted to do what’s right. That’s a great attitude to have. We must always ensure that the plan God has given us is rightly executed. And there’s no better way than to seek to know it from the Lord Himself.

Here in Judges 13:8-14, we can also see that Manoah was a cautious man. He was probably one of the few who still held his faith in Jehovah God. In the context of a decaying society where most people were running after the native gods of the land, he had to be sure to do the right thing. He probably wanted to confirm for himself that what his wife had experienced was truly from God. This is what a husband must do. A husband must trust his wife but he must also take steps to affirm that both he and his wife would be working in sync in the plan of God.  

Verse 9 says God listened to the voice of Manoah. In other words, God heard his prayer. That speaks a lot. God wants to hear our prayer. We can be sure that when our heart is in the right place and our attitude’s right, He will hasten to hear our voice. So, in answer to his prayer, the same angel of the LORD came again to his wife while she was sitting alone in the field. She then quickly left and fetch Manoah who dropped everything and hurried with his wife to meet the angel. Notice that Manoah first verified that the angel was the same person who had appeared to his wife and told her of the son that she would soon bear. He wanted to know how the boy should live and what would be his role in God’s plan. The angel of the LORD’s response was that his wife must do all that was revealed to her earlier. She must begin to ensure that she herself should not take any wine or strong drink or to eat any unclean thing and to observe all that was told her. If God’s work is to be accomplished, obedience is critical. It is one thing to know what God wants to be done, but quite another to see it through. God wants to use us in His work. We need to know the part we must fit in. And once we know the role expected of us, we must stay true to the task to see it through. Remember, knowing God’s plan is just one part of the equation, seeing it through is just as important. So, be sure to see through a task. Do it wholeheartedly and obeying all the instructions.