Though Detained, I Won’t Eat Your Bread - Judges 13:16

In the book of Judges we learned how an angel told Manoah that his barren wife would have a child, “and Manoah said, Now let your words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him? And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. She may not eat of any thing that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe. And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray you, let us detain you, until we shall have made ready a kid for you”, and in chapter thirteen and verse sixteen of Judges, we learn how, the angel said, “though you detain me, I will not eat of your bread” where we read,

And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though you detain me, I will not eat of your bread: and if you will offer a burnt offering, you must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.

The verse reads, “And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though you detain me, I will not eat of your bread:” The writer began with the words, “and the angel of the LORD” which means “and the spiritual envoy and messenger belonging to Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name of the One True God” “said unto Manoah” or ”uttered, declared and proclaimed to Manoah whose name means ‘rest’ and was a Danite, father of the judge Samson and inhabitant of Zorah”, “though you detain me” which means “whether and in case you, Manoah and his wife, stop, withhold, halt and restrain me, Jehovah’s spiritual envoy”, “I will not eat of your bread” or “I, the spiritual envoy, shall in no way or manner consume and devour your, Manoah and his wife’s, grain, meat, food or vitals”. The writer shared how Jehovah God’s spiritual envoy told “Manoah and his wife” that whether they restrain him, he would in no way consume their food. 

The verse continues, “and if you will offer a burnt offering, you must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.” The writer added the words, “and if you will offer” which means “and whether and in case you, Manoah and his wife, shall fashion, accomplish and make” “a burnt offering” or “a burning sacrifice”, “you must offer it” which means “you, Manoah and his wife, are to fashion, accomplish and make the sacrifice” “unto the LORD” or “to Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God”. “For Manoah” which means “because, since and on account that Manoah whose name means ‘rest’” “knew not that he was an angel of the LORD” or “did not perceive, understand and discern that he, Jehovah’s spiritual envoy, existed as a messenger belonging to Jehovah who is the existing One”. The writer shared how Jehovah God’s envoy told “Manoah” that should he make a burning sacrifice, He should present it to Jehovah God because “Manoah” was unaware that this was Jehovah God’s messenger. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how the messenger of Jehovah God guided “Manoah” in his relationship with Jehovah God. Rather than restrain him to feed him, the spiritual envoy told “Manoah” that he would not consume their food, and should they desire to make a burning sacrifice, they were to do so unto Jehovah God. “Manoah” at this point still did not understand that this was God’s messenger, and therefore he needed guidance. Sometimes God is working in our lives and we are unaware of His efforts, but we can be assured that when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the grave after three days, He made the way through faith and trust in Him as our personal “Savior and Lord” to be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and equipped with His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and give us the ability to manage our lives according to His perfect will and not that of our own. (See Matthew 6:10; 26:42; Luke 11:2)

Next time we learn how, “Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is your name?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance.”