“Manoah then prayed to the Lord, “Please, my Lord,” he said, “may the man of God whom you sent return to us to teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born.”
Judges 13:8 (NAB)
When God sent an angel to the mother of Samson, to announce that she would soon have a son, who was to be consecrated to God and live under a special Nazarite vow, she quickly told her husband, Manoah. Only two people in the old testament lived according to that Nazarite vow, Samson and Samuel. In the New Testament it was only John the Baptist.
Manoah apparently was a person of details, so when a heavenly being appeared to his wife, explaining the consecrated life of a Nazarite, he wanted more information. Manoah prayed and asked God to send the angel back to better prepare them in all their ways, to raise their child according to the Nazarite vow.
God is in all the details, evidenced by pages of instruction to Solomon of how to build His temple. Everything that God plans, involves many specifics, although He doesn’t always choose to share all those specific details with everyone. In this case, Manoah prayed and requested more of those details and God granted his request, by sending the same angel back a second time.
It’s probably the only biblical example of a person requesting a repeat informative visit by an angel, and receiving it. The couple had been childless for so long that they were nervous parents to be, but God was patient with them.
It was as if Samson needed to be born with a special instruction manual, and these were some of the instructions given by that angel:
“No razor shall touch his head, for the boy is to be a Nazirite for God, from the womb. It is he who will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines. Your wife must be careful about all the things of which I spoke to her. She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, she must not drink wine or beer, and she must not eat anything unclean.”
(Judges 13:5,13,14)
Any of us can relate to Manoah’s request for extra instruction. Anytime we are going through a situation that feels like an unfamiliar frontier, we could benefit with an instruction manual from God.
It kind of reminds me of my own current situation in becoming a permanent legal guardian for my disabled adult son. I’m living in a different world these days, learning my responsibilities and all the legalities that come with being his guardian. The State of Illinois even requires that all permanent legal guardians take a course on line within a year from the date that their guardianship began.
It’s not something that I crave learning about, and I can think of much more enjoyable ways to spend my retirement, but God is constantly leading us into new frontiers, where we have no choice but to learn many new things.
All this learning can be overwhelming and I can certainly relate to Manoah, requesting that the angel return. The angel did return and re-explained everything to both Manoah and his wife, and then he disappeared. The couple bowed to the ground, knowing that they received what they needed from God.
In my own experience, even with the expertise of an attorney, and a document signed by a judge, some things do not go as smooth as they should. Not every problem is solved by a professional, and I still have to rely on God, saying, “I surrender all of this to you, Lord, please take care of everything.”
We all need endurance, patience and wisdom, but more than anything, we need to surrender every problem to God. I am reminded of the scripture in Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
God’s prescription for every difficult situation is a continuous surrender to Him.
When I start overthinking something, worrying, or feeling overwhelmed, I stop and say to Him, “In all my ways, I acknowledge and surrender this to you, Lord.”
Sometimes I just shorten the prayer, look up and say, “In all my ways …Lord,”
and He knows exactly what I mean.
God loves us, and He knew from the day of our birth, everything that we would be facing today, and He wants us to cling to Him, as His Spirit is our instruction manual. He is the one who keeps us from becoming emotionally derailed by every new demand placed upon us, as we acknowledge His presence is with us. We can only submit ourselves to an all powerful God, who dwells with us and in us, and helps us one day at a time.
Lord, while we are walking through unfamiliar territory, seeking your path in the new and challenging frontiers of our life, we surrender everything to you, trusting that you will guide us through each and every day. Amen