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| A Lesson from Mr & Mrs. Manoah |
In the landscape of biblical marriages, we often look to Abraham and Sarah for faith, or Aquila and Priscilla for ministry. But hidden in the hill country of Zorah, within the Tribe of Dan, lies a powerful dynamic of partnership between a man named Manoah and his wife.
They were tasked with birthing a deliverer (Samson) during a time of oppression. Their story teaches us a vital lesson about how couples handle the weight of a heavy assignment.
1. The Discerning Wife (The Eye)
It is fascinating that the Angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah first; He appeared to the wife. She was the spiritual "antenna" of the union. When the Angel spoke the impossible promise of a son, she didn't argue. She immediately recognized the divine nature of the encounter.
For the Wives: Sometimes, you will sense the shift before your husband does. You may receive the "download" while he is still at work. Your role is not to usurp him, but to inform him. She went directly to Manoah and said, "A man of God came to me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible." She carried the vision.
2. The Prayerful Husband (The Covering)
Manoah didn’t dismiss his wife. He didn't get insecure that God spoke to her first. Instead, he went to prayer.
Judges 13:8 - "Then Manoah entreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born."
Manoah brings Order to her Vision. He realized that a supernatural promise requires practical instruction. He didn't just want the miracle; he wanted the manual.
3. The Balance of Terror and Peace
Here is where the Tribe of Dan (Justice) meets the spirit of Rest. When the Angel finally appeared to both of them and ascended in the flame of the altar, Manoah panicked.
Manoah said: "We shall surely die, because we have seen God."
He looked at the facts and saw danger. But his wife looked at the nature of God and saw peace.
His wife answered: "If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering... neither would he have showed us all these things."
The Marriage Lesson:
In every Kingdom marriage, you need a Visionary and a Stabilizer.
She saw the intent: "God wants to bless us."
He felt the weight: "This is holy and dangerous."
They did not fight over their different perspectives; they balanced one another. Her discernment kept him from despair, and his reverence kept them grounded in prayer.
Kingdom Application
As we step into a season where we are building "Rest on every side" (1 Kings 5:4), we must be like Manoah (whose name literally means Rest). We must invite God’s instruction into our homes.
We do not just birth biological children; we birth businesses, ministries, and movements (Dominion Creativity). To steward these heavy assignments, we must learn to trust the spiritual sight of our spouse and the stabilizing prayer of our partner.
Love,
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