Judges 13:8, commentary and pictures

Manoah prayed after his wife told him of the promised son who would begin to deliver Israel, asking that the man of God come again to teach both parents how to order, care for and raise the child to be born. God heard the earnest plea made from fear of erring in the great work entrusted to them, and sent the heavenly messenger again with instruction for the child's life and calling. The answer repeated with definite direction that the mother must abstain from wine, strong drink and unclean food, making careful provision for the child's physical strength, intellectual vigor and moral purity. The prayer stands as the inquiry every father and mother should make, a model of dependence on God for wisdom to guide, restrain, train and lead children in straight paths to God. Its double instruction shows how seriously prenatal influence is regarded, for both parents transmit their habits, appetites and character to their offspring, so the mother must practice temperance and self-control and the father must share the responsibility.

Prayer and Its Answer

Manoah's prayer was an earnest plea that the man of God sent before would come again and teach both parents what to do for the child to be born and how to order, care for, guide and raise him. His wife, who had been childless, had told him of the Angel of Jehovah and the promise of a son who would begin to deliver Israel. The prayer belongs to the beginning of Samson's life, when God intended him to do a great work for Israel. Fearful of making a mistake in the important work entrusted to them, Manoah sought divine instruction for the child's life and calling.

God heard the prayer and sent the heavenly messenger again with instruction. He communicates His instruction to human beings through His angels. Christ, who had already spoken to Israel from the cloudy pillar for their good, answered by appearing to Manoah and his wife when Manoah asked how to order the child.

The answer repeated the previous instruction that the mother must abstain from wine and strong drink and unclean food, to be observed by them. Definite directions were given for the course she should pursue to insure physical and moral health to her offspring, with temperance and self-denial required of her for the child's welfare. Careful provision was thus made for the child's physical strength, intellectual vigor, and moral purity. All his habits and the mother's habits were to be carefully regulated to secure the careful thought and vigorous action his work would require.

Guidance for Raising Children

Manoah's prayer is the right response for parents, the inquiry every father and mother should make about the child to be born to them, asking God to teach them how to care for, guide and raise the child. It is the model for a mother's prayer, to be brought often to the Saviour for wisdom in ordering and training her child, in instructing, guiding and restraining children.

The prayer expresses dependence on God for wisdom in ordering the child's life, and means mothers must seek Christ's teaching in their own lives in order to lead children in straight paths to God and form their character after the divine pattern amid corrupting influences. Careful attention to the instruction already given in Scripture and in God's word prepares the mother to receive further light and knowledge and wisdom as needed.

The example applies especially before birth, presenting a child's upbringing as a serious responsibility for which both fathers and mothers should seek divine guidance and take seriously their influence before birth. The mother should guard her habits and practice temperance, self-denial and self-control, being herself controlled by principle rather than gratifying every wish and impulse, since her habits, appetites, passions and character affect her offspring for good or for evil. The child's welfare before and after birth requires temperate habits, and the angel's directions made the mother's temperance and self-denial the condition of that welfare.

Fathers as well as mothers share this responsibility, for both parents transmit their own mental and physical characteristics, dispositions and appetites to their children. Parental intemperance, liquor-drinking, tobacco-using and licentiousness pass on physical weakness, mental and moral feebleness, craving, irritable nerves, unholy desires, disease and infirmity, so that each generation falls lower with less power to resist temptation than their parents had. That the instruction sent from heaven to those Hebrew parents was twice repeated in the most explicit and solemn manner shows how the Creator regards prenatal influences.

Heeding God's lessons preserves physical, mental and moral power, while neglecting them causes successive deterioration. Parents who trust their own wisdom and fail to restrain their children can bring ruin. Ennobling and uplifting the race requires the power of God combined with human effort.