Recently I was reading in Judges 13 about Manoah and his wife. Ever heard of them? I’ll bet you have heard of their son — Sampson. Judges 13 tells the story of how Manoah and his wife were childless. One day, the Angel of the Lord appeared to his wife and told her that she was going to have a son.
Her child was going to be no ordinary child, he was going to deliver God’s people from 40 years of oppression by the Philistines. The Angel of the Lord commanded her to not drink any wine, nor eat any unclean food while she was pregnant, and then she was to dedicate her son to the Lord’s service. He was never to have his hair cut as a sign that he was dedicated to the Lord.
Manoah’s wife had no idea who this messenger was because he never identified himself to her, but she described him to her husband as looking like an angel of God and very awesome. Well, Manoah was a bit bummed that he missed meeting such a wonderful messenger, and he prayed; and asked God to allow the messenger to return so that he could meet him, and receive instruction on how to raise his son and prepare him for what God would have him do.
So, the Angel of the Lord did, in fact, return and he spent time with Manoah and his wife. He told them to prepare a burnt offering, and present it before God as thanksgiving. As they were preparing the offering Manoah said, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?” The Messenger replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” (17-18) While the offering was flaming — the Angel of the Lord ascended into Heaven in the midst of the flame.
It was in that moment that Manoah realized that the messenger was, in fact, the Angel of the Lord, and he was terrified that he had encountered this Wonderful Being. “We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!” (22) Whenever the Old Testament refers to “the Angel of the Lord”, it means the pre-incarnate Jesus — God. (See Genesis 16, 22, Exodus 3, Numbers 22, Joshua 5, 1 Kings 19, 2 Kings 1, Isaiah 37, Zechariah 1 — just to name a few.)
Well, as often as the case is in my marriage… Manoah’s wife was a calming voice of reason. “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.” (23)
Pretty crazy story, huh? Manoah and his wife were visited by Jesus Himself before he bore the name of Jesus. And according to Jesus, His true name… his Heavenly identification… is beyond human understanding. The reality that even God’s NAME… is beyond comprehension — let alone His nature. Just how big and awesome IS God? Beyond our understanding or comprehension. Which is why it is ridiculous when I catch myself telling God what to do. Ever catch yourself doing that? What God should do in my life… what God should do in the lives of others… what God should do in His Church… what God should do in the world. Ludicrous, huh?
This week I was reminded to always direct my prayer in the following manner — “Lord, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Your will in my life. Your will in the lives of others. Your will in the Church. Your will in the World.”
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