Interesting exchange between the Angel of the Lord and Mrs. Manoah. She faithfully reports to her husband what was spoken to her with an added interpretational detail that the son will be a Nazarite his whole life. Manaoh wishes his own revelation to clarify the child's mission and manner of life - maybe what he was to do specifically (which would probably overwhelm the parents-to-be, if it had been spoken then), or to verify his wife's words, or he wanted his own miraculous encounter, or to avoid the Adam/Eve situation, or ... The divine visitor returns to the wife of Manoah and waits for her to bring her husband to Him. The prophetic words are affirmed to Manoah and Mrs. Manoah's interpretational detail is not corrected nor is it clarified.
This small detail sets me wondering. Was the perfect intention for the child to be a Nazarite his whole life; but the Omniscient Lord knew that, as He had designed and purposed the coming child to be a Nazarite, the promised son would, again by divine design, have a powerful weakness for the fruit of the vine. And the weakness would prove to be the grown man's choice?
I recognize these things beg the election versus free-will debate; but they are not incompatible to my simple mind. God can't help being God; Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omni-everything-divine, and so He knows all that "will" happen. He also designs us to do that which brings Him glory and somehow, in the God-only plane, He allows us to choose and "uses" those things to bring Himself best glory - the fact He knows and has set it up doesn't make it any less a choice for the mere mortal me. My finite mind can't comprehend all the realms of imagining this requires; but that's God's role - not mine.
The question I land on is "Why?" Why would the Omni-Omni'd, All-Self-Suffient-and-Self-Abundant, LORD of All even start this ball we call earth a-rolling? He always amazes me.
Lord God of ALL!, I praise You for Your ultimate, never penultimate wisdom and power. You are never second at anything. You are faithful to all generations, generations that You have divinely ordained. I praise You. I praise You for Your mysteries and Your grace. I thank You for Your encouragement in the story of the mother-to-be - one who is without name for posterity; but who was deemed worthy of receiving Your Presence, words and responsibility to carry forth that which You required of the next generation. Inerrant Father, I wish to be that reliable to You in my life and assignments. Holy Spirit, please help me, teach me, cultivate in me the trustworthiness born of a "good and faithful servant." Jesus, my Messiah and Example, please strengthen me to walk worthy of my calling - as You did. Thank You, my Lord, for desire to even engage in this sort of life - only You could make that happen. Please continue to do that which You began in me, keep me from trying to go my own way and struggling against the truths You have given me. May I be faithful as the wife of Manoah was with Your words and Your divinely orchestrated details for my life. May I live in the understanding and confidence she displayed, as well. Only by You, only for You.
This small detail sets me wondering. Was the perfect intention for the child to be a Nazarite his whole life; but the Omniscient Lord knew that, as He had designed and purposed the coming child to be a Nazarite, the promised son would, again by divine design, have a powerful weakness for the fruit of the vine. And the weakness would prove to be the grown man's choice?
I recognize these things beg the election versus free-will debate; but they are not incompatible to my simple mind. God can't help being God; Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omni-everything-divine, and so He knows all that "will" happen. He also designs us to do that which brings Him glory and somehow, in the God-only plane, He allows us to choose and "uses" those things to bring Himself best glory - the fact He knows and has set it up doesn't make it any less a choice for the mere mortal me. My finite mind can't comprehend all the realms of imagining this requires; but that's God's role - not mine.
The question I land on is "Why?" Why would the Omni-Omni'd, All-Self-Suffient-and-Self-Abundant, LORD of All even start this ball we call earth a-rolling? He always amazes me.
Lord God of ALL!, I praise You for Your ultimate, never penultimate wisdom and power. You are never second at anything. You are faithful to all generations, generations that You have divinely ordained. I praise You. I praise You for Your mysteries and Your grace. I thank You for Your encouragement in the story of the mother-to-be - one who is without name for posterity; but who was deemed worthy of receiving Your Presence, words and responsibility to carry forth that which You required of the next generation. Inerrant Father, I wish to be that reliable to You in my life and assignments. Holy Spirit, please help me, teach me, cultivate in me the trustworthiness born of a "good and faithful servant." Jesus, my Messiah and Example, please strengthen me to walk worthy of my calling - as You did. Thank You, my Lord, for desire to even engage in this sort of life - only You could make that happen. Please continue to do that which You began in me, keep me from trying to go my own way and struggling against the truths You have given me. May I be faithful as the wife of Manoah was with Your words and Your divinely orchestrated details for my life. May I live in the understanding and confidence she displayed, as well. Only by You, only for You.
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