Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Born on Purpose


Gtcotr/ws121317

Judges 13 NKJV
1 ¶  Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
·        Can you imagine, some people and families in Israel at that time had never known freedom from oppression and the heavy hand of their enemies. Many were born, lived and died in these trying times.
·        The sins of a nation can throw a whole generation into bondage.
·        Achan, the Bible says, did not perish alone in his iniquity … it costs his whole nation. (Joshua 22:20; Jeremiah 2:25)
2  Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.
3  And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.
·        This was no ordinary man or angel … this was the Angel of the Covenant, Jesus, the Son and the Word of Almighty Jehovah God.
·        Don’t be quick to decide that times of preparation or a season of waiting on the Lord’s plan is a waste of time or a signal that you aren’t important or won’t be used. Keep your heart right with the Lord and continue doing those things necessary to life and service.
·        God has a plan and He makes all things beautiful in its time. (E 3:11)
4  “Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean.
·        This admonition should be heard and embraced by all parents and leaders … please be careful to not do anything you don’t want your children or followers to do. Be the example first and they will follow.
5  “For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
·        The womb and cradle should be the safest place on earth. It protects and gives a child the best start in life, so they can begin their destiny.
6  So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name.
7  “And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’ ”
8 ¶  Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.”
·        1250 years later the Angel Gabriel visited a priest named Zachariah in the Temple in Jerusalem. Gabriel told Zachariah that he and his wife, Elizabeth, who had been barren, would have a son. Zachariah questioned Gabriel’s word and the plan of God from a heart of unbelief with reservations. Gabriel struck Zachariah dumb for this unbelief so that he could not speak his doubt and unbelief again until the birth of his son, John the Baptist. (Luke 1)
·        Manoah shows the right way to receive a message or a messenger of the Lord. Manoah spoke with reverence and respect and with a humble heart to know what to do. Even when we do not understand the what or how of God’s Word, it is important that we humbly petition God to send someone to teach us what we should do.
·        God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)
9  And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.
10  Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!”
11  So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, “Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?” And He said, “I am.”
12  Manoah said, “Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy’s rule of life, and his work?”
·        This sounds familiar? Mary said almost the same thing when she was informed by Gabriel that she would have the Son of God. (Lk 1:38)
·        As well, Jesus repeated, “Not My will but Thine be done.” (Lk 22:42)
13  So the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.
14  “She may not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor may she drink wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean. All that I commanded her let her observe.”
15 ¶  Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, “Please let us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for You.”
16  And the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD.” (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the LORD.)
·        All offerings, without respect as to whom they may be given, should be offered to God who receives them in heaven. (Hebrews 7:8)
·        You never know who you may be talking to. Be kind, respectful and a good listener. Sometimes we entertain angels unaware! (Heb 13:2)
17  Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, “What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?”
18  And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?”
·        No mere created angel or any person sent from God ever imagined they were too awesome to be named or understood. Only One ever made this claim … Jesus! (Rev 19:12; Exo 3:14; Rev 1:18; 22:13)
·        Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
·        It’s so beyond mortal man’s ability to comprehend or understand … it’s like a secret too wonderful to be uttered. (Revelation 2:7; 19:12)
19  So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the LORD. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on — 
·        The same Hebrew word is used as the root for both “Wonderful” in the previous verse and the doing of a “wondrous” thing here.
·        God does God things … Wonders are done by the Wonderful while others watch. All eyes shall see and behold Him who is Wonderful! (Acts 3:16; Exodus 19:11; Joshua 24:17; Revelation 1:7)
20  it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar — the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground.
·        Moses saw this same Angel of the Lord in a flame in a bush that was not consumed. It moved Moses to a posture of worship …
·        The proper posture is one of respect when a Holy God chooses to commune with a mere mortal. They bowed down to the ground.
·        Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, I chose you!” (John 15:16)
21  When the Angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the LORD.
22  And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!”
·        It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. (Heb 10:31)
·        Often, after the moment, we catch a glimpse of how awesome God is and we see ourselves in light of His majesty. It is sobering …
23  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.”
·        Herein is the Gospel and the plan of God … (Hebrews 1:1-2)
·        If God had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted the sacrifice of His Son, nor would He have told us such wonderful things as those contained in His Word, the Holy Bible. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
24 ¶  So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25  And the Spirit of the LORD began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

My birthday was 5 days ago. That day when I was thanking God for my parents I mentioned to the Lord that I knew my parents did not plan my birth. I believe I heard this word from God: “You were not a part of their plan, you were a part of mine. Your birth was not planned by your parents … you were a gift to them from Me.” There are at least 4 stages of a person’s life if they are born on purpose … and we all fit into that category!
·        Birth         
o   The woman birthed him …
·        Growth     
o   He grew in the right way doing the right things …
·        Blessing    
o   Jehovah blessed his life …
·        Service     
o   In time, the “Ruwach of Jehovah began to move in, on            and through him.


You were born on purpose … You are a gift from God ... Grow and serve!