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THE KING’S BUSINESS
swered, “My name is Wonderful” (v. 18 R. V.). Here we have another clear proof that the angel of Jehovah was our Lord Jesus in his pre-incarnate state, for He is the one whose name is “Wonderful” (Isa. 9:6). The Hebrew word translated “Wonderful” in Isaiah 9:6 is .from precisely the same root as the word translated “Wonderful” here. Manoah at last recognized that the angel of Jehovah was none other than Jehovah Him self (vs. 21, 22), and that in seeing Him he had seen God; and our Lord Jesus is no other than Jehovah Himself, and he that hath seen Him, hath seen the Father (John 14:9). v. 24. "And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson." God’s Word came to pass exactly as He had promised (v. 3). The name Samson means “sunlike.” He was a type, though a very imperfect one, of our Lord Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness. He was a child of promise given in a super natural way (v. 3). Samson occupies a large place in the book of Judges, but this is the only lesson we shall have about him in the present seven years’ course. He was one of the most remarkable characters of the Old Testament; one of the most strik ing illustrations in all history of wasted op portunities. His ruin came largely through the sin that is ruining so many others today, impurity. No man ever had a grander op portunity than he, but he chose to give him self up to lust and brought contempt upon himself and upon his God. "And ithe child grew and the LORD blessed him.” This sounds very like what is written of our Lord Jesus in Luke 2:52. Jehovah’s blessing was upon him in child hood. Even in early youth the “Spirit of Jehovah began to move him at times.” What might not Sarhson have been if he had al lowed the Spirit of Jehovah to have control of his life?
beware (see Jas. 3 :2, 5-17). Those who are most temperate in the use of alcohol are not infrequently the most intemperate in the use of their tongue. v.14. “She may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine nor strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing.” As Manoah’s wife was to be the mother of a Nazarite, she must keep herself from the things forbidden to a Nazarite. The mother who would have clean children must keep herself from everything unclean (cf. 2 Cor. 6:17). How many mothers there are today having fellowship with unclean- things, for example, the dance, the theater, and the card table, who nevertheless cannot understand how it is that their children grow up to be unclean. "All that I commanded her let her ob serve.” Every mother, and every father too, for that matter, and everyone else will do well to ponder long and deeply these in structions of. our Lord. The whole secret of successful fatherhood and motherhood, and as for that matter, the whole secret of all holy living, is in these words (cf. Deut. 12:32; Matt. 28:20; John 2:5; 15:14). Our part is simply to listen to what God com mands and when we hear, simply observe, not one thing, nor two things, but all things that He commands. v. 15. “And Manoah said unto the anget of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall hati/e made ready a kid for thee.” Manoah had not recognized who the angel of Jehovah was, he simply wished to show him hospitality, and the angel of Je hovah, as a step towards opening Manoah’s eyes as to who he really was said, “Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD’’ (v. 16). In answer to Manoah’s question “What is thy name?” (v. 17), the angel of Jehovah an
THE LESSON OUTLINE
(1) Seeking the Will of God. —Chap. 13:8-
teach them concerning the child, v. 8;
12.
Acts 9:6.
Manoah prays to God to send the angel to
God answers the prayer, the angel ap-
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