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Reflect
It was a shameful thing for a woman not to produce heirs for her husband. The story of Samson is one of several in the Old Testament where we see God honouring the prayers of barren women who desperately desire to have a child. Manoah’s wife has likely prayed for many years. When the angel of the Lord comes to her, she is willing to follow his instructions. And the blessing Manoah and his wife will receive is amazing. They will give birth to a son that will save the nation!
While it is not shameful in our society not to be able to have children, many women and men long to have children and cannot. In the case of Manoah and his wife, God had a plan for them and for the son he was going to give them. In every difficult aspect of our lives, we can trust that God is at work. He may not answer our prayers in the way we wish but we can trust him.
But the angel also put some requirements on Manoah’s wife; she must not drink alcohol or anything unclean according to the law. The boy would be a Nazirite, dedicated to the Lord. He would have the same rules to follow as his mother, avoiding alcohol and anything unclean. Manoah has a hard time believing the promise but his wife believes and follows the instructions. And their son is born and is blessed by God.
Respond
Dear Father God,
Help me to trust in you for every good thing. Help me to be strong even in times of suffering and when I do not see your plans for my life. Help me to keep following your instructions. In the name of Jesus Christ, who followed your instructions for his life even to death on the cross. Amen.
Janet Epp Buckingham
Janet lives in Ottawa, Canada and has served as the Director of Global Advocacy for the World Evangelical Alliance since July 2021. She is also the Executive Editor of the International Journal for Religious Freedom, the flagship publication of the International Institute for Religious Freedom. Books: Donald E. Buckingham, Carolyn Marcotte, Janet L. Epp Buckingham, Bonnie Manning, and Lee Thompson, Learning About Law, (McGraw-Hill Ryerson: Toronto, 1997); Janet Epp Buckingham, Withering Rights: Religious Freedom in Canada, (The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada: 2004