Judges 13:15-25
The Angel Who Went Up in the Flame
Read the passage
15“Please stay here,” Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “and we will prepare a young goat for you.”
16And the angel of the LORD replied, “Even if I stay, I will not eat your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.” For Manoah did not know that it was the angel of the LORD.
17Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes to pass?”
18“Why do you ask my name,” said the angel of the LORD, “since it is beyond comprehension?”
19Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to the LORD. And as Manoah and his wife looked on, the LORD did a marvelous thing.
20When the flame went up from the altar to the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground.
21And when the angel of the LORD did not appear again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it had been the angel of the LORD.
22“We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
23But his wife replied, “If the LORD had intended to kill us, He would not have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things or spoken to us this way.”
24So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Manoah offers to prepare food for the visitor, still not realizing he is the angel of the LORD. The angel declines the meal and tells him that a burnt offering should be offered to the LORD. When Manoah asks his name so they can honor him later, the angel says it is beyond comprehension.
Manoah offers a young goat and grain on a rock. As the flame rises, the angel ascends in it. Manoah and his wife fall facedown. Only then does Manoah recognize whom they have encountered, and he fears they will die because they have seen God.
His wife answers from what has happened. If the LORD intended to kill them, He would not have accepted their offerings, shown them these things, or spoken this promise to them. She does not dismiss the wonder of the encounter. She brings God's actions and words to bear on her husband's fearful conclusion.
The promised child is born and named Samson. The LORD blesses him as he grows, and His Spirit begins to stir him between Zorah and Eshtaol. The chapter closes with God's promise becoming part of their ordinary family life.
Questions
1 How does the angel answer Manoah’s offer of food and request for his name?
AnswerHe declines the meal, directs any burnt offering to the LORD, and says his name is beyond comprehension.
2 What happens as the offering burns?
AnswerThe angel ascends in the flame. Manoah and his wife fall facedown, and Manoah realizes it was the angel of the LORD.
3 How does Manoah’s wife answer his fear that they will die?
AnswerShe points to the accepted offering and the things God has shown and promised them. Those actions do not fit his fearful conclusion.
4 How could we help when fear drives someone to assume the worst?
AnswerWe could listen, then calmly recall what is actually known. A relevant promise from Scripture can steady us without requiring us to invent a guarantee about the future.
What This Means for Us
A frightened person may need another person to help them think clearly. Manoah listens to his wife's reasoning from God's words and actions. In our own fears, distinguish what we know from what we imagine. We can take Scripture's promises seriously while admitting that many details of the future remain unknown.
Prayer
Lord, steady us when fear outruns what we know. Make us willing to hear wise words from those beside us and to trust what You have actually promised. Amen.
Your reading
Keep your place.
Save this passage to your private reading history.
Sign in to save your reading