THE WIFE OF MANOAH –THE MOTHER OF SAMSON
Learn: I John 5:6, 7
This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Read: Judges 13:1-25
1. What is the recurring behavior and the inevitable consequence that characterizes life in Israel at the time of this account? v 1
2. Though the situation was bleak during this time in Israel’s history, as the majority of the people had abandoned the LORD, what assurance do we have of the LORD as to his plan for the people of Israel? Read Romans 11:2-5, especially note verse 5.
3. Returning to Judges chapter 13, God brings our attention to such a woman and her husband who had not turned away from the LORD. Who were these two people, and what was their situation? v 2
4. Is the failure in ability to have a child a lack of the human body, or is there a reason outside the realm of man’s explanation involved? Use the following Scripture to explain the ability of lack of ability to have children.
Psalm 127:3
Psalm 113:9
Genesis 20:17, 18
5. List the names of women who are recorded in Scripture that were barren for some or much of their lives?
Genesis 18:11-14
Genesis 25:21-23
Genesis 30:1-2, 22-24
I Samuel 1:5-19
Luke 1:5-16
6. What is a similarity about the situation of each of these women’s childlessness and how it brought glory to God? Genesis 18:14; Genesis 25:21; Genesis 30:2; I Samuel 1:11; Luke 1:6
7. Though each of these women believed in the LORD, he withheld them from having a child at the time of their lives when having children was an expected occurrence in life. Each of these women suffered great sadness for a long period of time because of her barrenness. But God has his plan, though we do not understand. He knows the future and how he will use all things for the good of his people. He uses the timing of when children will be brought into the world and what purpose and plan he has for their lives to accomplish great things. Using the Scripture below:
#1-give the name of each MOTHER
#2- give the SON of that MOTHER
#3 – give the PLACE that each son held in God’s plan for the nation of Israel which also is a part of God’s plan for the salvation of all people.
Genesis 21:1; Genesis 22:2, 12, 16-18
Genesis 25:21, 26; Exodus 1:1-5; Numbers 1:1-15
Genesis 39:22, 24; Genesis 37:23, 27, 28; Genesis 50:18-21
I Samuel 1:19, 20, 27, 28; I Samuel 3:19-21; I Samuel 16:1, 12, 13
Luke 1:13-17; Luke 3:2, 3; John 1:29-34
8. After reviewing the power of God in the lives of the people listed, we return to Judges 13 our passage of study. The wife of Manoah was barren for the purpose of God in the nation of Israel. How was she given the news that she would have a son? v 3
9. What specific instruction was Mrs. Manoah given concerning the son that she would bare? vv 4, 5a
10. According to verse 5b, the son that Mrs. Manoah would bare was to be a ______________________.
11. What was the reason that a person took the vow of a Nazarite? Numbers 6:2c, 8
12. What visible signs in the life of a Nazarite could be observed by the people around them? Numbers 6:3-7
13. Explain the DIFFERENCE of the Nazarite vow on the life of the son of the Manoah’s compared to the usual vow to be a Nazarite taken by a man or woman? Judges 13:7 v.s. Numbers 6:2, 13
14. With whom did Mrs. Manoah share the astonishing news that she had received? v 6a
15. What information did she relate to her husband besides what the man of God had told her? v 6
16. How did Manoah illustrate that he had a relationship with the LORD? v 8
17. What did Mrs. Manoah do when the man of God again appeared to her? vv 9, 10
18. What phrase in verse 10b indicates that the man of God did not immediately come in answer to Manoah’s prayer, though the LORD certainly heard Manoah’s prayer as is seen in verse 9?
19. What practical lesson can you learn from the delay to the answer of Manoah’s prayer?
20. What phrase in verse 12 shows that Manoah was a man of faith in the LORD and that he trusted God’s word?
21. We see in verse 13, that the one that the Manaohs called a man of God was in actuality _________ ______________ _____ _______ ______________. Who is “the angel of the LORD”? Genesis 22:15-18
22. How did the angel of the LORD answer Manoah’s request? vv 13, 14
23. What did Manoah want to do for the angel who had brought them such good and important news? v15
24. What was the angel’s reply to Manoah’s offer? v 16a
25. Since Manoah still did not know that he was speaking to an angel, what was his next question and why? v 17
26. The angel answered, why are you asking my name? My name is a _________________. v 18
27. What happened when Manoah offered an offering to the LORD? vv 19, 20a
28. What response did the angel’s wondrous action bring in the Manoah’s? v 20b
29. What understanding and fear came upon Manoah after all these things had transpired? vv 21b, 22
30. Manoah’s fearful response at realizing that he and his wife had seen God was not unjustified, why? Exodus 33:17-20
31. However, on numerous occasions in the Old Testament Scriptures we learn that men did see God and live, the explanation is that our God, though he is ONE God ( Deuteronomy 6:4), he is manifested in ______________ persons. Isaiah 48:16; Psalm 2:7, 12
32. When the Manoah’s saw the LORD, they did not see the Father (who no one can see and live), but they saw the 2nd person of the Triune God. They saw the pre-incarnate Christ, who later came to earth
to bear our sins upon himself. It was ___________________. John 14:6-9
33. Mrs. Manoah assured her husband that they would not be harmed. Why was she not afraid? v 23
34. How did what the angel had declared unto the Manoah’s come to pass? v 24