Day 25

Judges 14-16

A MAN’S PRAYER FOR HIS SON

Teach us what to do for the child who will be born – Judg. 13:8

            Everyone has heard of Samson either from the Bible or Hollywood, but who ever heard of Manoah?  Samson was the long-haired strong man from the tribe of Dan who countered the Philistine terrorists from the Gaza strip.  With super strength and super hair this Israelite judge made his reputation by defeating an enemy that Israel had no answers for till Samson hit the strip.  The Philistines were no match for his brain or brawn.  Their only hope was to find a flaw and exploit it.

            Manoah is the name of Samson’s father who wouldn’t think of bringing a son into this world until he had prayed for that child-to-be.  What will be the boy’s rule of life (13:12)?  What if every prospective father went before God with that question?  And his life’s work (13:12)?  This was not a father who planned to live out his own dreams through his son, but a father who sought God’s purpose for the son God was giving him.  It’s nice to see Dad taking the lead.

            The training of this judge would be quite simple.  It begins at home.  Parenthood begins with pregnancy.  Live according to values that will be caught as well as taught.  Stay away from the unwise and the unclean.  Strong drink may be fine for you, but not for your boy.   Get rid of it before it can get him.  Until now your decisions were for you; From now on your decisions are for him.  Parenting is a life-style, not a technique.

            It took all that to prepare Samson for his calling.  His lapses were on him, not his father.  His successes can be attributed to godly parenting and the power of God.  It says at least three times the Spirit of the Lord came upon him.  His failures came from not heeding his God and his parents.  In the end Samson regained his victory when he regained his values.  He ended where his father began – with a prayer. O Lord God…Strengthen me I pray, just this once.    His final victory was the greatest of all.  That victory goes to Manoah too. Like father, like son.

Let’s hear it for Manoah!