When we believe first, then we will see!

Here we have the rest of the story concerning Samson’s beginning. There are some important Truths in this section. First read it and then we will glean Truth                                              from this passage:

Judges 13:8-25 Then Manoah entreated the Lord and said, “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.” God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her. So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, “Behold, the man who came the other day has appeared to me.” Then Manoah arose and followed his wife, and when he came to the man he said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to the woman?” And he said, “I am.” Manoah said, “Now when your words come to pass, what shall be the boy’s mode of life and his vocation?” So the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Let the woman pay attention to all that I said. “She should not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; let her observe all that I commanded.” Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you.” The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.” For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord. Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?” But the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord, and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. 

When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. Now the angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. So Manoah said to his wife, “We will surely die, for we have seen God.” But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have let us hear things like this at this time.” Then the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the child grew up and the Lord blessed him.  And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

First, we see:

·      “Then Manoah entreated the Lord”

What a great God we have. The most powerful being in existence, yet He has made Himself approachable by us. This should be an admonition to all of us. So many in the world turn to everything else but God for answers to their request. Let us not make that mistake, Jesus even warned of this:

John 16:24 “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

Caution; this is asking, not demanding or “claiming!” Either extreme is wrong, we should never be afraid to ask our Lord for anything, but we should never demand our way either. God has always been open to people that earnestly share their desires, but yield to His wisdom and will.

·      Question: Do your bring everything to Him? How do you approach, entreating or demanding?

Second, we see Jesus Christ before His incarnation.

·      “For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.”

·      “So Manoah said to his wife, “We will surely die, for we have seen God.”

We know from John that Jesus is God:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

However, when He appeared before His incarnation, (when He became human) He appeared not as “a” angel from God, but as “the” angel of the Lord. This is a mystery that only God can fully comprehend, but He has revealed to us what we can understand. Manoah knew that it was God they have seen. Many are disturbed by the truth of the Triune God, but I find it wonderful! When I encounter something about God I cannot comprehend, I rejoice because I know that if I could fully understand and explain God then He is no greater than me!

·      Question: How much are you learning from the Scriptures about the nature of God? When you encounter something you cannot fully explain or understand what do you feel - fear or awe?

Third, we see again God’s desire that we walk by faith, not sight:

“What is your name, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?” But the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”

God is fully committed to helping us grow into healthy and mature children of God. That path is always one of faith. God could have just told these two Who He was, but did not. Instead He allowed them to offer in faith an offering and at that time confirmed their faith, after they believed, they saw! Jesus admonished Thomas about this and spoke about the many believers that will believe first, and then see.

John 20:27–29 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Scripture reminds us:

2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight

  We first step out in faith and then God in His time will allow us to see!

·      Question: Do you have to see before you will trust God? If you want to see, believe God as God!

Lastly, we see how individuals respond when they encounter the Lord. This is consistent throughout the Scriptures.

·      “When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground.”

It has amazed me to hear testimonies from people that say the Lord appeared to them. They talk as though it is a common occurrence and when they describe how they responded, it is like they gave the Lord a “high five!” Scripture consistently testifies of the complete opposite. Like Manoah and his wife, from Moses, to Isaiah and to Paul, encountering God brings a human to their knees! This is a very important truth we need to understand, God is so holy that we will be in awe and deeply convicted if we encounter Him.  Like Job, who was the most righteous man alive at that time according to God, when he encountered the Lord this is what he said: 

Job 42:5–6 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

·      Question: If God appeared to you how do you think you would respond? When you hear someone share that “God dropped by” what do you sense in your Spirit? Intimacy with God is essential, what is the difference between being intimate and treating something common?