Judg 13:11-21 | KingComments | STEP | “God listened to the voice of Manoah.” What an encouragement for anyone who desires to raise children according to God’s plan. The way in which prayer is heard is consistent with the earlier visit of the Angel of God. Again God passes by the man to make it clear that nothing of the man’s power can have a place in deliverance. He goes again to the woman when she is alone. She immediately recognizes Him and quickly goes to get her husband. There is no doubt with her, while Manoah has his questions. He must first be sure that he is indeed dealing with the Person of the first visit. He receives the confirmation. Then he repeats the question he asked in his prayer in . However, there is a difference between and . In , he asks how they, as parents, should treat the child. In the question refers more to the child itself. He asks about the mode of life and the vocation of the boy. Asking such questions is important. Parents who do this are aware that they will not have children for themselves, but that they may raise them up for God so that He may be glorified in the lives of those children. In fact, it is about the question for which we raise our children: for a high position in this world or a high position in the kingdom of God? A high position in the kingdom of God requires taking a humble place. In order to enter the kingdom of God, a child must first be “born again” ( ). Then the development of the Christian character must take place. This is done by growing in the things of God. A child thus formed will later prove to be of great use to the church and in the service of God. It is important to pay close attention to the child’s mode of life. Parents must ensure that children make time for the Lord’s things, even when they are busy with homework and the like. It is important that their children learn to have a personal relationship with the Lord and to involve Him in everything they do. Children may get to know in the Lord Someone with Whom they may have a confidential relationship. It is also good to pay attention to the nature of the work they may do for the Lord. Each child has different abilities, is differently equipped by the Lord. Good parents will encourage their children to use their natural abilities for the Lord. They may also teach their children that God likes it when they do what they can. They don’t have to be more than they are. This awareness of being accepted by God depends to a large extent on the feeling parents give their child that it is accepted by them as it is. Accepting things that are wrong is, of course, excluded. The answer Manoah gets is the same as the answer his wife has heard before. This answer does not refer to the boy but to the mother. It is remarkable that the Angel does not tell the father these things. We can learn from this that the atmosphere in the house is most determined by the mother and that especially her influence on the formation of the child is great. When the Angel repeats His answer He gave to the woman earlier, He gives a small extension of the things she must refrain from: “She should not eat anything that comes from the vine.” This indicates that raising a child requires a lot from the parents. Abandoning one’s own interests and giving up all kinds of pleasures is fundamental for achieving the set goal. This certainly does not mean that there is no more fun to be had or that parents should always be afraid to do something wrong. It’s about what parents are willing to do to really enjoy their children. Such parents will wholeheartedly agree with the word of the apostle John: “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” ( ). In the world, and unfortunately it also occurs among Christians, people do not want (for a while) to have children because they are seen as an impediment to experiencing “the fun things of life”. Children cause too many obligations. Whoever sees the real purpose of the child blessing will want to work hard to know that real joy.

‏ Judges 13:11-21

Answers to Prayer

“God listened to the voice of Manoah.” What an encouragement for anyone who desires to raise children according to God’s plan. The way in which prayer is heard is consistent with the earlier visit of the Angel of God. Again God passes by the man to make it clear that nothing of the man’s power can have a place in deliverance. He goes again to the woman when she is alone. She immediately recognizes Him and quickly goes to get her husband. There is no doubt with her, while Manoah has his questions.

He must first be sure that he is indeed dealing with the Person of the first visit. He receives the confirmation. Then he repeats the question he asked in his prayer in Jdg 13:8. However, there is a difference between Jdg 13:8 and Jdg 13:12. In Jdg 13:8, he asks how they, as parents, should treat the child. In Jdg 13:12 the question refers more to the child itself. He asks about the mode of life and the vocation of the boy.

Asking such questions is important. Parents who do this are aware that they will not have children for themselves, but that they may raise them up for God so that He may be glorified in the lives of those children. In fact, it is about the question for which we raise our children: for a high position in this world or a high position in the kingdom of God? A high position in the kingdom of God requires taking a humble place.

In order to enter the kingdom of God, a child must first be “born again” (Jn 3:3 ; 5). Then the development of the Christian character must take place. This is done by growing in the things of God. A child thus formed will later prove to be of great use to the church and in the service of God.

It is important to pay close attention to the child’s mode of life. Parents must ensure that children make time for the Lord’s things, even when they are busy with homework and the like. It is important that their children learn to have a personal relationship with the Lord and to involve Him in everything they do. Children may get to know in the Lord Someone with Whom they may have a confidential relationship.

It is also good to pay attention to the nature of the work they may do for the Lord. Each child has different abilities, is differently equipped by the Lord. Good parents will encourage their children to use their natural abilities for the Lord. They may also teach their children that God likes it when they do what they can. They don’t have to be more than they are.

This awareness of being accepted by God depends to a large extent on the feeling parents give their child that it is accepted by them as it is. Accepting things that are wrong is, of course, excluded.

The answer Manoah gets is the same as the answer his wife has heard before. This answer does not refer to the boy but to the mother. It is remarkable that the Angel does not tell the father these things. We can learn from this that the atmosphere in the house is most determined by the mother and that especially her influence on the formation of the child is great.

When the Angel repeats His answer He gave to the woman earlier, He gives a small extension of the things she must refrain from: “She should not eat anything that comes from the vine.” This indicates that raising a child requires a lot from the parents.

Abandoning one’s own interests and giving up all kinds of pleasures is fundamental for achieving the set goal. This certainly does not mean that there is no more fun to be had or that parents should always be afraid to do something wrong. It’s about what parents are willing to do to really enjoy their children. Such parents will wholeheartedly agree with the word of the apostle John: “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3Jn 1:4).

In the world, and unfortunately it also occurs among Christians, people do not want (for a while) to have children because they are seen as an impediment to experiencing “the fun things of life”. Children cause too many obligations. Whoever sees the real purpose of the child blessing will want to work hard to know that real joy.

The Offering of Manoah

From everything Manoach has heard and experienced, it has become clear to him that a special Guest is visiting him. He must have had the impression that he is dealing with a Divine Person. This is evident from the fact that he wants to offer his Guest an offering, something that can only be done to God. The offering he wants to bring is the same as the offering Gideon brought to his heavenly Guest (Jdg 6:19). Yet Manoah doesn’t know Who he really has before him. Only in Jdg 13:21 does he come to the acknowledgment he stood face to face with the Angel of the LORD.

That Manoah knows not yet Whom he has before him, also becomes clear from what the Angel of the LORD says to him in Jdg 13:16, that he must bring his offering to the LORD, and not to Someone Who is unknown unto him. This shows us that God wants to be honored by people who know Him and have a relationship with Him through faith. He cannot accept an offering that comes from vague feelings about Him. It is like with the rich young man, who calls the Lord Jesus “good Teacher”, even without realizing to Whom he speaks (Mk 10:17-18).

Only if Manoah acknowledges Him as the LORD, as God, He will accept the offering, or courtesy, but then the bringing of it must be done according to the directions He gives. This brings Manoah to the question his wife did not ask. He asks for His Name. He would like to know more about Him. The name, which we have seen before, often indicates what kind of person we are dealing with. The Name of God expresses His Being.

The name by which He reveals Himself to Manoah is “Wonderful”. This name is also found in Isaiah 9. There it is clearly about the Lord Jesus. It says of Him: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; … And His name will be called Wonderful (Isa 9:5). The name “Wonderful” indicates the Being of the Lord Jesus. He is truly God and truly Man and yet one Person. That wonder is too great for the comprehension of the human mind. Hence the name “Wonderful”.

When Manoah then brings his offering, something wonderful happens. His Visitor goes to heaven in the flame that ascends from the altar. This is a picture of what happened to the Lord Jesus on the cross. When He suffered there and died under the fire of God’s judgment on sin, at the same time a pleasant scent ascended from the cross to God. God was glorified by the work of His Son. On this basis God has given Him the place of glory in heaven at His right hand.

We may now know there is a glorified Man in heaven. The church is inextricably connected with the glorified Man in heaven. God shows this “wonderful action” precisely in a time when decay is on the increase to encourage those who wish to serve Him faithfully as a Nazirite. This will direct the eye upward. To look upward “where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1) is the necessary attitude to stand firm as a Nazirite.

After it has been indicated what does not belong in the house where the Nazirite is born and raised (wine and impurity), the positive is now coming forward. The house is as it were filled with the scent of the offering, in which the glory of Christ is represented. The Gospel according to Mark, in which the Lord Jesus is presented as the true Servant of God, ends with a look into heaven: “The Lord Jesus … was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mk 16:19). This look into heaven is an encouragement to anyone who wants to serve as a Nazirite to the Lord.