19 Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: 20 As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground.
24 The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, 25 and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
An offering to God is act of faith. Samson’s parents offered the burnt offering, a young goat and a grain offering, sacrificing them on a rock to the Lord. Then they watched the angel ascent up into the smoke and they fell with their faces to the ground.
At baby dedications I look at the parents and ask myself, what can we do to take the lives of the little ones and have mom and dad place them in the hands of the heavenly Father? Often the parents model a life that is far from the type represented by the Lord. Some religious parents demonstrate a stern, severe, demanding, distant, cruel, busy God as the heavenly father. As parents we are far from perfect and need to be sure our children know we seek to be like the Lord, but will fall short. Children will understand our Christian commitment if we live our faith.
Mrs. Manoah accepted the vow of the Nazarite, for her son to be separated unto God. For Sampson this was to be even before he was in the womb. What does this say about abortions?
Before conception, Samson was to obey this vow of separation and holiness. The lifestyle did not include what everybody else was doing or saying or listening to. He was to be devoted unto the Lord.
The parents accepted the angel’s words and obeyed them. We read in “24 The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, 25 and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him…” The parents were ordained and chosen.
The name Samson means “child of the sun”. The first act is a bright, glorious one. We see all kinds of promise and hope for the nation of Israel, for the kingdom of God, for the parents, and for this little life that was born. He was special and to be set apart for God’s blessing and work.
The two greatest gift any baby can have are parents who are committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, seeking to live in obedience to Him, and who know their commitment is also to love and honor one another. Sampson experienced this, which is why the family began on a happy note.
Application: What are your vows onto the Lord? Do your children know of your commitment?
Prayer: Lord, as we look at our children,
let us see them as yours. Be Lord of their life.
