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Judges 13:1-25

INTRODUCTION: We are continuing with our series on Famous Mothers in the Bible for Mothers Day. Last week we looked at Jochebed, the trusting mother. And today we are looking at Manoah’s wife, the obedient mother.

So, trust and obey. If you’re familiar with the old hymn, “Trust and Obey,” that’s an easy way to remember these two messages from our series. “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

We will be looking at all of Judges 13 in today’s message, but to get started, we will just read verses 1-5. And once again, as with all these messages, even though the messages are about mothers and mostly directed towards mothers, because they deal with basic Biblical principles, they are applicable to us all – whether you are a mother or father this morning, sister or brother, daughter or son. (Read Judges 13:1-5 and pray.)

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So, this morning we are talking about obedience. How does obedience to God relate to your faith in Christ? What part does obedience play in the Christian life? What effect does obedience have on your life and family? How does your obedience or disobedience to God affect your children? These are all important questions, and our passage on Manoah’s wife today helps us answer these questions, along with the other Scriptures we will look at this morning.

Manoah’s wife was the mother of Samson in the Bible. And she is especially noted in our passage today for her obedience to God. We want to look at the story of Manoah’s wife together and see what we can learn about obedience from her, especially as it related to her son, Samson, and as it relates to our own families and children.

We are going to be looking at three lessons of obedience from our passage this morning: 1) Obey what you know of God’s will; 2) Seek to learn more; 3) Rest in God’s mercy and grace. And through it all we will focus on one major principle that is taught throughout the Scriptures, a principle that is equally important for moms and dads: Obey God that it may go well with your children.

I. Obey what you know of God’s will (1-5)

So, let’s get started. First of all, the Bible tells us to obey what you know of God’s will. You may not know everything of God’s will for you yet. You may not have read the Bible from beginning to end. But you can begin by obeying what you do know. We see this with Manoah’s wife. She didn’t know everything God wanted her to do yet. But she was ready to obey the commands she did know.

We also see two very important principles about God’s commands illustrated for us in these opening verses. God’s commands are for your good. And God’s commands are for the good of those around you, especially your children. So, let’s look at each of these principles now.

   A. God’s commands are for your good (1-4)
      – Deuteronomy 10:12-13

First, God’s commands are for your good. Look at verse 1 with me as we get started:

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. (Judges 13:1)

Here we find that the Israelites were enslaved to the Philistines because of their disobedience to God. God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. He brought them to the promised land, but through disobedience to God they were back in slavery all over again.

Manoah’s wife stands out in contrast to the nation of Israel because of her obedient attitude towards God instead. Look at verses 2-4:

A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless. 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, 5 because you will conceive and give birth to a son.” (Judges 13:2-4)

When we first meet Manoah’s wife, she is barren. The angel of the Lord appears to her and tells her she is going to have a son. He proceeds to give her instructions that she is not to drink any wine or other fermented drink and that she is not to eat anything unclean, because, as we will find out in a minute, the boy will be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth.

Normally a Nazirite would make their own vow, voluntarily and for a temporary season. Here God tells Manoah’s wife to take the vow herself because he has set aside Samson as a Nazirite for his whole life, right from his birth. And so, God gives Manoah’s wife these commands, not arbitrarily, but rather for her own good, as God plans to miraculously give her a child even though she is barren.

God’s commands are never arbitrary but always for your good. We read in Deuteronomy 10: “What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

This is part of our first principle of obedience this morning. Obey what you know of God’s will, because God’s commands are for your good.

   B. God’s commands are for the good of your children (5)
      – Deuteronomy 4:40

God’s commands are also for the good of those around you, especially your children. Look at verse 5 with me now. The angel of the Lord continues:

“No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
(Judges 13:5)

God’s commands are not only for the good of Manoah’s wife. They are for the good of those around her, because her child is part of God’s plan to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines.

God’s commands are also for the good of those around you, and if you are a parent, especially for your children. We read this instruction in Deuteronomy 4:40: “Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you.” (Deuteronomy 4:40) Your obedience or disobedience doesn’t just affect you. It also affects your children.

So that’s the first lesson from our passage this morning. Obey what you know of God’s will, because God’s commands are for your good and for the good of your children.

II. Seek to learn more (6-14)

Obey what you know of God’s will, and then secondly, seek to learn more. If God’s commands are for your good and for the good of those around you, then naturally you want to learn even more of God’s will so that you can follow him even better.

   A. Ask for God’s help (6-8)
      – Psalm 86:11

So, what do you do? Well, first of all you need to be reading God’s word. The more you know God’s word, the more you will know of God’s will for your life. But along with reading God’s word, you can do what Manoah and his wife did in our passage today. You can ask for God’s help. Look at verses 6-8:

Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. 7 But he said to me, ‘You will conceive and give birth to a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from birth until the day of his death.’ ” 8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord: “O Lord, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.” (Judges 13:6-8)

Manoah’s wife goes and tells her husband about her meeting and God’s instructions. Notice how Manoah and his wife work as a team throughout this passage. The angel of the Lord specifically reaches out to Manoah’s wife as she is the one who will carry the child and must follow the Lord’s instructions. But Manoah is right there with her, and they seek God’s will together as a team.

Manoah prays for further instructions: “O Lord, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.” Manoah is not satisfied with just knowing the preliminaries. He wants to know more. And so, he asks for God’s help in raising their child.

We also need to ask for God’s help in raising our children. We need to ask for God’s help in living a godly life and in learning more of his will for our life. Psalm 86:11 is a wonderful prayer that you can pray to God in this regard: “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11)

If you want to learn more of God’s will for your life, yes, read God’s word so you know more of his will. But also pray as you read. Ask for God’s help.

   B. Believe God’s promises (9-14)
      – Exodus 20:5-6

And then believe God’s promises. That’s what we see next with Manoah and his wife in our passage. Manoah prays, asking for God’s help, and then we read in verses 9-12:

God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. 10 The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!” 11 Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the one who talked to my wife?” “I am,” he said. 12 So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule for the boy’s life and work?” (Judges 13:9-12)

God answers Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of the Lord visits Manoah’s wife once again. She gets her husband and brings Manoah to him. And Manoah asks him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule for the boy’s life and work?” Notice he asks when, not if. Manoah and his wife not only ask for God’s help, but they believe God’s promise.

As you read God’s word and ask him for help, you will come across many beautiful and precious promises in God’s word. God gives you these promises for the good of you and your family. So, believe God’s promises. Trust and follow him. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way!

Your faith and obedience to the Lord will have a great effect on your family for generations to come. God says in Exodus 20:5-6: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:5-6)

This is why obedience is so important. Your obedience, or disobedience, makes a difference, not only in your life, but in the life of your children and your children’s children for generations to come.

Manoah believes God’s promise concerning the child, and he asks God for further instructions. In answer, God simply reaffirms the importance of his wife’s obedience in this matter. We read in verses 13-14:

The angel of the Lord answered, “Your wife must do all that I have told her. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.” (Judges 13:13-14)

III. Rest in God’s mercy and grace (15-25)

So far, we have looked at two main principles of obedience from our passage. 1) Obey what you know of God’s will. 2) Seek to learn more. And now we come to the third one. 3) Rest in God’s mercy and grace.

None of us are perfect. None of us are going to keep God’s commands perfectly. And so, when we fail, when we fall short, when we disobey, we need to go to God for forgiveness and rest in God’s mercy and grace that he offers us so freely in his Son, Jesus.

   A. Offer yourselves to God (15-20)
      – Romans 12:1

When you rest in God’s mercy and grace, this will help you to offer yourselves to God even more. God in his mercy came to Manoah and his wife and promised her a child even though she was barren. That was all mercy. That was all grace. And so, how did Manoah and his wife respond? They offered themselves to God. Look at verses 15-16:

Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you.” 16 The angel of the Lord replied, “Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord.” (Manoah did not realize that it was the angel of the Lord.) (Judges 13:15-16)

Manoah still doesn’t know that he’s talking to the angel of the Lord, and so he offers him something to eat. The angel of the Lord tells him instead to prepare a burnt offering and offer it to the Lord. A burnt offering in the Old Testament represented offering your whole self to the Lord in obedience and devotion.

Continuing in verses 17-20 we read:

Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?” 18 He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” 19 Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: 20 As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. (Judges 13:17-20)

Manoah asks the angel his name, but he says his name is beyond understanding. Manoah takes the burnt offering and sacrifices it on a rock to the Lord, once again, as a symbol of he and his wife offering themselves to the Lord in obedience and devotion. Then, while Manoah and his wife watch, the angel of the Lord ascends back to heaven on the flame. They didn’t see that coming! Manoah and his wife both fall with their faces to the ground.

God also calls you to offer yourself to the Lord. Romans 12:1 in the New Testament says this: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
In view of God’s mercy and grace, just like Manoah and his wife offered the burnt offering, you offer yourself to God as a living sacrifice. This is part of your worship of God.

   B. Trust in Christ’s sacrifice for your sins (21-25)
      – Titus 3:4-5

Offer yourselves to God, and then continue to trust in Christ’s sacrifice for your sins. Going back to Judges 13 now, look at verses 21-23:

When the angel of the Lord did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the Lord. 22 “We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!” 23 But his wife answered, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.” (Judges 13:21-23)

The angel of the Lord was a visible representation of God himself. Manoah knows that no one can see God and live, and so he tells his wife: “We’re doomed! We have seen God! We’re going to die!”

But his wife answers him: “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.” God had accepted their sacrifice, and so Manoah’s wife was confident that they would live.

The New Testament application is this. God has accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for your sins, and so, when your faith is in Christ, you can also be confident that you will live. Yes, you are called to a life of obedience, but God accepts you, not on the basis of what you have done, but on the basis of what Jesus has done for you on the cross. Titus 3:4-5 tells us: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” (Titus 3:4-5)

And so yes, do your best to obey God’s commands. But when you stumble and fall, make sure you fall on Jesus and his sacrifice for you on the cross. Rest in God’s mercy and grace.

Finishing off our chapter, we read in verses 24-25:

The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, 25 and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. (Judges 13:24-25)

And so, sure enough, true to God’s word, Manoah’s wife gives birth to a boy. She names him Samson. Samson grew and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him.

CONCLUSION: God gave Manoah’s wife specific instructions concerning her son, Samson. God’s commands were both for her good and for the good of Israel. When she told Manoah, her husband, he sought to learn even more of God’s instructions. He asked God for help in raising the child and believed God’s promises. Manoah and his wife offered themselves to the Lord, and they trusted that God had accepted their sacrifice.

You also need to obey God that it may go well with your children. God’s commands are for your good and for the good of your children. So, ask God for help in raising your children. Believe God’s promises concerning your children. Moms and Dads, work as a team in raising your children in the Lord together. And then, rest in God’s mercy and grace. Like all parents you will make plenty of mistakes. You will fall short in your efforts at obedience. But in view of God’s mercy and grace, offer yourselves to the Lord as living sacrifices. Trust in Christ’s sacrifice for your sins.

Just like Samson, your children will have to make their own decisions concerning the Lord as they grow older, but your obedience to the Lord now sets them up for success later. So, moms, let me encourage you to follow the example of Manoah’s wife. Commit to being an obedient mother. Obey God that it may go well with your children.

And then once again, if you take last week’s message about Jochebed and put it together with this week’s message about Manoah’s wife, what do you get? Jochebed the trusting mother, and Manoah’s wife the obedient mother. Trust and obey! “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

© Ray Fowler

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By Ray Fowler. © Ray Fowler. Website: https://www.rayfowler.org

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