An angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s sterile and childless wife and said, “You will conceive and have a son. Let no wine or other fermented drink enter his lips and feed him no unclean foods. Let no razor touch his head, because he is to be a Nazirite, set apart from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
Has God asked you to dedicate anything to Him?
Romans 12:1-2 I urge you in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Manoah prayed asking God to resend the messenger to teach them how to parent their future son, and he offers a sacrifice of grain and a goat before the Angel, who disappears in the sacrificial flames as they ascend to heaven.
What type of sacrifices would God require you to offer?
Hebrews 13:15-16 Through Jesus, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Samson continually toyed with these forbidden objects: the jawbone of a dead donkey, honey from a lion’s carcass, and women from the Philistine community. He gave in to the harassment of Delilah, who shaved off his outward witness of his dedication to God.
Do you joy with forbidden objects, or are you dedicated to God, set apart for His righteous purposes?
1 John 3:4-10 Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the Law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him. Anyone who continues to live in Jesus will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know Jesus , or understand who Jesus is.
Dear children, do not let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning , it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning . But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they cannot keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers, does not belong to God.