Judges 13:21-25 – To See God
What we have been able to piece together from the evidences in Judges 13 – that the Angel of the Lord who visited Manoah and his wife was God Himself – was not lost on this godly couple. Like Isaiah, in Isaiah 6:5, Manoah expresses great fear at being in the presence of God, saying “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” Rightly, he understands that the Lord is holy, and, therefore, He cannot abide sin in His presence. Thus, for a sinner to find that he has been in the presence of God is a terrifying realization. How can a sinner hope to endure, when the Holy God has come near to him? The answer is grace.
Manoah’s wife wisely points out that if the Lord had meant to destroy them, He would not have accepted their sacrifice, nor would He have promised them the son they are now going to have. Much like Jacob in Genesis 32:30, she rejoices at God’s mercy, that He has allowed them to see Him and yet live. This is not something they had merited or deserved, but a free gift from the Lord.
She bears a son to her husband and they call him “Samson,” which may mean “sun-like.” After so many years of yearning for a child, the Lord brings light into their lives by giving them this son. He will grow under God’s blessing and be stirred to action by the Spirit of the Lord.
Like Manoah and his wife, you and I are sinners who do not deserve to be in the presence of the Lord. Nevertheless, if His grace is upon us and our sins are therefore forgiven in Christ, we may approach Him with confidence, as Hebrews 4:16 teaches. If our faith is in Jesus, we need not fear to be in the holy presence of the Lord, not because we merit it, but because Christ has earned it for us. Clothed in His perfect righteousness, one day we will see God and yet live.
Questions
- Why did Manoah fear the Lord would now kill him and his wife?
- Why did his wife disagree?
- How may we approach God with confidence? May we see God and live?
Prayer Points
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.