Manoah's Wife Is Chosen

This is of course the story of Samson, the greatest fighter of Israel’s history, but I don’t want to talk about Samson. I want to talk about his mother. A mother who is not even named in scripture and yet this nameless woman was chosen by God when He determined to change things for His people.

In the story we read that once again Israel is being judged by God for her national sins. God allowed the Philistines to oppress the nation for forty years, longer than any other oppression. The Philistines were a powerful sea-going people with colonies all throughout the Mediterranean Ocean. They were one of the first to move from bronze to iron and it gave them a major advantage when it came to fighting.

Toward the end of that time our story begins with the wife of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan in the village of Zorah near that Philistine border. The Angel of the Lord appears unto Manoah’s wife, not the husband, but the wife. This angel, I believe this was once again God the son in pre-incarnate state, appearing as He had to Moses, Joshua, Gideon and now Samson’s mother.

Notice something unique in this appearance in chap1 Jdg 1: 17-20 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? 18 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? 19 So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on. 20  For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.

The Angel of the Lord would not give his name for it was secret. The name of Jesus was revealed first to Mary the virgin mother of Jesus Christ, it was not yet time to reveal it. The Angel tells them to make an offering and then ascends in the flame up to heaven. A type or symbol of the offering that Jesus himself would one day be by offering himself as a sacrifice for sin and then ascending to heaven 40 days later. In the book of Revelation, we read that Jesus has a secret name that no man knows but himself. This angel, this messenger is Jesus.

What we see in this amazing story is that God himself chose this family, this mother to raise a child who would be a great man, a judge of Israel and a deliverer of his people.

Mothers, God has Chosen You

Its not likely any mothers here have had such a epiphanic event in their own life before the birth of any of their children, but even though you weren’t visited by an angel and watched as He ascended back to heaven, I want to remind mothers today that just like Samson’s mother and all the other mothers of heroes in the Bible, you also have been chosen by God.

Every mother is chosen by God, either by design or by providence and each mother has the potential to raise up a child that can change the world they live in. History may not make note of the changes but the people who are touched by God’s heroes of providence will.

Every parent should understand that they have been given this opportunity this responsible by God.

Psalm 127:3–4 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Psalms 113:9  He maketh the barren woman to keep house,(to live in, watch over, keep together a home) and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.

Mothers you do not need divine revelation from God to know that God has blessed you and chosen you.