devotions and reflections

All throughout Israel’s history before they had a king, God always appointed judges to rule them after Moses died.

So what was Manoah’s wife’s role in this episode? She was just the mother of the strongest man on earth, Samson.

Before Manoah’s wife conceived she was strictly commanded to avoid wine while being pregnant with the baby. And once the baby is born no scissors were ever gonna touch his hair for he was going to be a Nazirite, a person appointed by God from birth to be His chosen servant.

Manoah’s wife adhered faithfully to God’s instruction and raised Samson to be what God wanted him to. We know that Samson got side-tracked a little bit. But looking at the whole picture, we see that Samson did fulfill what God had appointed him to do up to his last breath.

Some mothers worry that they have not been a good parent to their child/ren. But let’s remember Manoah’s wife. She did all what God instructed her to do on how to raise Samson. But following his own will and giving in to his weakness, Samson went astray. However, realizing his mistake, Samson turned to God and triumphed in the end even if it cost his life.

I’m sure you already know who said the famous line in the subject heading.  Another woman in the Bible that I love is Ruth.

What I admire about Ruth is her unflinching loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi. Despite her knowing that Naomi was too old and unable to have a son anymore, Ruth stayed by her side and even pledged “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God,” Ruth 1:16 (NIV).

Ruth then made it her duty to take care of the ageing Naomi by providing food for them. Well, her seemingly martyr-like loyalty didn’t prove fruitless. For when Boaz saw her dedication and hard-work gleaning in the field he ordered his men to leave more grains for Ruth to gather. And with God’s divine guidance, Naomi coached Ruth what to do. And the next thing we knew she and Boaz got married.

Ruth’s story is of loyalty then to royalty. Well, she didn’t become a queen like Esther but she became to be the great, great grandmother of one of Israel’s greatest king, David.

Today I’m starting a new category in my devotional called “Women in the Bible” and I’m starting it with Esther. The story of Esther is not just of beauty but of bravery and steadfast faith.

As a girl, I have started to admire this orphaned little girl who was taken care of by her cousin Morcecai who we know was working in the Persian palace under King Ahasuerus. I remember taking especial attention to how she was being trained and pampered to vie in beauty pageant. I admired her then for the beauty she possessed to be chosen as the new queen.

Later on, I came to admire Esther in a deeper sense. My favourite verse in her books is found in chapter 4 verse 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”

The last clause is really striking. Being a queen, she didn’t just sit there and be pretty. She must have realized what she was placed there for. And with faith and bravery, she technically offered her life for her people.