Judges 13:1-25
Q.1. Why was Israel oppressed by the Philistines? Why was Manoah’s family chosen to provide a judge? How would Samson be unique? How did Manoah and his wife respond? – (Jdgs.13:1-8)
When Israel strayed from God, God gave them over to be oppressed by the Philistines for forty years (Jdgs.13:1). During this experience of barrenness, God prepared Manoah and his wife, from the tribe of Dan, to raise a deliverer. (Jdgs.13:2-3). Manoah’s wife was told to refrain from drinking wine or from eating anything unclean (Jdgs.13:4, 7,13-14). She would conceive a special son – For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines (Jdgs.13:5 c.f. Num.6:2-5). Samson would be the most famous of the -Nazarites to God from the womb to the day of his death (Jdgs.13:7). Manoah’s immediate response to his wife’s testimony, was to ask for his own encounter from the man of God, so – that he teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born (Jdgs.13:8). He believed his wife, and the promise that they would at long last have a son.
Q.2. Why did the angel appear to Manoah’s wife a second time? What information did Manoah want? What did Manoah and his wife learn about the angel? What did they do? (Jdgs.13:9-20)
God answered Manoah’s prayer. The man of God appeared once more to his wife, who immediately recognised him and called Manoah (Jdgs.13:9-10). Manoah took his calling seriously, and was eager to know – … when your words come to pass, what shall be the boy’s mode of life and his vocation? (Jdgs.13:12). After being instructed, Manoah asked if the messenger would wait for him to prepare and offer a burnt offering (Jdgs.13:14-15). The angel of the Lord directed him to make the offering to God (Jdgs.13:16). Manoah asked the messenger for his name and was told – … Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful? (Jdgs.13:18). This suggests that the Angel of the Lord was an appearance of Christ in the Old Testament (a Christophany), since this is one of the names given to Jesus in Isaiah (Isa.9:6). The description ‘Wonderful’ should be understood as ‘Incomprehensible’, since even in eternity we will never encompass all the wonder and glory of God. When Manoah and his wife presented their sacrifice to the Lord – He performed wonders … then the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar (Jdgs.13:19-20). They fell to ground in worship (Jdgs.13:20).
Q.3. Who was the Angel of the Lord? Were Manoah and his wife suited to each other? How did she help him process the unique visit? What happened to their son? – (Jdgs.13:21-25)
Manoah and his wife at first thought the messenger was a man, then a man of God, then an angel of the Lord. However, after God’s display, Manoah concluded – … We will surely die, for we have seen God (Jdgs.13:22). His wife was thoroughly grounded and argued that they would have died earlier if that had been God’s desire (Jdgs.13:23). Manoah and his wife were ‘opposites’, and truly suited to one another. In due time, their special boy arrived – the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the child grew up and the Lord blessed him (Jdgs.13:24).