Judg 13:3 | KingComments | STEP | The first one to hear of God’s purpose is not Manoah, but his wife. God turns to her to indicate how weak the condition of the people is. The woman is in the Bible in general a picture of weakness. This weakness is further underlined by the statement that she is barren. An extra emphasis is placed on this by adding that she has borne no children. So God also addresses Himself to us if He wants to make vessels of blessing of us. It must penetrate us well: if God wants to make use of us, He does not do so on the basis of who we are by nature. By nature we are not able to bear fruit. He says this to Manoah’s wife not as a reproach, but with love. It seems that her barrenness has thrown her on the LORD. She will have often made known to Him her needs and desires. As a right-minded Israeli woman, she wishes offspring. Maybe she even prayed, like Hannah ( ), for a son who could be used by God. In the lives of Sarah, Rebekah and Hannah, also God-fearing, barren women, their barrenness has also caused exercises in the soul. God’s time has come for the wife of Manoah. He promises her a son and gives her some instructions, both for her and for her son.

‏ Judges 13:3

Barren

The first one to hear of God’s purpose is not Manoah, but his wife. God turns to her to indicate how weak the condition of the people is. The woman is in the Bible in general a picture of weakness. This weakness is further underlined by the statement that she is barren. An extra emphasis is placed on this by adding that she has borne no children.

So God also addresses Himself to us if He wants to make vessels of blessing of us. It must penetrate us well: if God wants to make use of us, He does not do so on the basis of who we are by nature. By nature we are not able to bear fruit. He says this to Manoah’s wife not as a reproach, but with love.

It seems that her barrenness has thrown her on the LORD. She will have often made known to Him her needs and desires. As a right-minded Israeli woman, she wishes offspring. Maybe she even prayed, like Hannah (1Sam 1:11), for a son who could be used by God. In the lives of Sarah, Rebekah and Hannah, also God-fearing, barren women, their barrenness has also caused exercises in the soul.

God’s time has come for the wife of Manoah. He promises her a son and gives her some instructions, both for her and for her son.