Introduction: This chapter begins the section of chapters in Judges about Samson. In 13:1-7 we have the coming of an angel of the LORD to the wife of Manoah, a woman who was barren. The LORD told her that she would have a child, what and how this child would serve the LORD, and how she too needed to be careful during the pregnancy in what she drank. The woman, we do not know her name, told her husband what she had been told. The child would be a "Nazarite unto God from the womb." This is why his mother also needed to follow a few of the Nazarite commands herself so as not to affect the baby growing within her. Here is medical evidence that drinking or using anything harmful during pregnancy can harm the child.
Numbers 6:1-21 laid out for the Israelites the rules governing the Nazarite vow. Usually it was a decision made by the individual themself, but on two occasions God made the decision before the person was conceived and born (Samson and John the Baptist). In the case of Samuel, his mother dedicated him to the LORD with Nazarite vows before he was born or conceived.
I. MANOAH’S FIRST PRAYER TO THE LORD--13:8
A. He shows his proper respect for God as his Master -- "O my Lord"
Proper respect for God when we pray is manditory and shows our respect for God. Jesus instructed the disciples to pray "Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name..." I also believe that such a statement verifies the fact that Manoah was a man of God who had been worshipping the LORD though many around him had ceased worshipping the LORD.
B. He asks that the man of God be sent back to them again.
- It is clear from this prayer and what he prayed for that Manoah understood that what was happening was of the LORD. It is true that he and his wife did not yet know that the man of God was really the angel of the LORD, but God had to be behind what was taking place and sending this man of God to them.
- He does not doubt his wife’s words on the matter, though in his second prayer he is answered with the same statements that were given to his wife at the first.
- He also asks that the "man of God" be sent to "us". He knew he would need his wife’s input in raising this child - it was going to be a joint effort on their part, and not just in the conception of the child. This is a man who was ready to help his wife raise the child God was going to give to them. He wasn’t going to leave the child rearing entirely in his wife’s hands.
C. Manoah asks that information be given on how to raise the child that would be born.
"Teach" = to shoot out words, like shooting out arrows from a bow.
"do" = to teach
Therefore, it would appear that Manoah was asking God to teach them so that they could teach the child. Manoah realized that the male child that God was giving to them was going to be special and he wanted to do everything right, so he asked God for the help he and his wife would need.
One thing clearly stands out here - Manoah and his wife had teachable spirits. They truly wanted to do what was right in this holy responsibility that God had given to them.
Each believer needs to be one who has a teachable spirit. So many believers, especially those who have been saved a few years, seem to lose that teachable spirit. They begin to think they know it all, and nothing seems to sway them from that mind set.
II. MANOAH’S SECOND PRAYER TO THE LORD--13:12
The words of verse 12 are a prayer, though at the time that Manoah uttered them he was not aware that he was speaking to the LORD already.
A. How shall we order this child?
To answer that question some might respond "Out of a J.C. Penney catalog, of course." Of course, this is not what the word means. So what does it mean? This English word "order" is a very important Heb. word. It is used nearly 400 times in the Hebrew OT, and it’s basic meaning is "verdict". It is closely connected to government and law and order. This same Hebrew word is translated into English in many different, though somewhat similar ways. I examined two other translations of this verse to get an idea of is being said here.
The NASV translates it as "Now when your words come to pass, what shall be the boy’s mode of life and his vocation?"
The NIV translates it as "When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule for the boy’s life and work?" I underlined the word "rule" in this translation for it is also found in Strong’s Concordance as a translation of the word order. Therefore, I believe Manoah was asking the angel of the LORD for the way they were to raise Samson, and according to what rule was he to be held up against?
B. How shall we do unto him?
Again, we have a strange statement to our ears. In the center reference of my KJV Bible it says "what shall he do?" That makes alot more sense than "how shall we do unto him?" What will be his living since he will be a Nazarite?
Does the angel of the LORD answer these two question in great detail? Not in the passage for he had already given the answers to these question in verse 5 when he first came to Manoah’s wife. This is why the answer that is given in verse 13 is so short and to the point "Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware." Of course, this could be taken to only be speaking of the woman herself, but it does say "of all". I believe that Manoah was being told that he already had all the answers he needed for they had already been told the first time. Possibly Manoah wanted to hear the words himself, but one thing can be learned here about prayer - we need not ask for that which God has already given! How often do we have the answer staring us in the face and yet we continue to beseech God to answer our prayer(s)! We need to accept what God has already done, and even ask Him to make the answer clear so that we know when He has answered. There is another side to this principle. It has to do with the revealed will of God that has been given to us in the Word of God. So many believers sit around moaning and complaining about one thing or another, when the answers are right in the Word of God. We do not need to ask for God’s will about a certain matter if it is already clearly revealed in the Word of God. We need to accept it the first time rather than the second time, like Manoah.
We can also learn from this episode in the Word of God that godly parents can and should ask for the Lord’s help and direction in raising their children in the things of the Lord. But much of what they need to do in already written down in the Word of God - just read it and put it to practice.
