And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because 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 told us such things as these at this time.” Judges 13: 22, 23, NKJV (Emphasis provided).
Holy Father as we enter the study of Your Word, please reveal the message that You have for each of us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
As Manoah’s burnt offering ascends to heaven, the Angel of the LORD reveals His identity: God the Son, had come down to bring a message of hope and deliverance to Manoah and his family, as well as to the people of Israel. The child that was to be born to them would ” ‘… begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.’ ” (5).
That is why His name was so important! His name was a description of who He was. Only the One who can work wonders, can deliver! Only He whose name is wonderful can cause a barren womb to bear a child! Only God, can reveal Himself to His creatures, and cause them to live! The message of Manoah’s wife is a message for all of us today: God did not bring us this far to let us die!
The only conclusion Manoah could reach, was, that seeing the face of God meant death. Thank God, his wife remembered that God had accepted both a burnt offering and a grain offering from their hands! She further reminded him of all the things He had shown them, and of “such things” as He had told them “at this time.”
How many of us have seen God working in our lives, but the minute things come to a standstill we begin to panic. We feel as if our end has come. At these times it might be good for us to hear a message of hope from another source. A message from someone who sees a glass that is half-full of water while all we can see is one that is half-empty.
The next time you feel that you have come to the end of your rope, just remember, God did not bring us this far to kill our dreams, bury our hope of an education, or cause our marriage to fail. Remember the vision He gave you, and the things He told you; and take heart!