God solves human problems with human hands. When God decides to intervene to deliver his people, He uses one of his people to be the instrument of his deliverance. He calls someone to stand up, and to step up and confront the enemy. God enables and strengthens those He calls and leads them to victory.

For over 40 years the Philistines had been persecuting and oppressing the Israelites, but after more than four decades of evil living, nobody was qualified to stand up for Israel on behalf of the Lord. One evil generation of Israelites had raised up another and there was no one in a righteous relationship with God who was prepared to be a judge of Israel.

God knew that if Israel was to be delivered they would need a deliverer who was raised from birth for that sole purpose. He sent his angel to Manoah’s wife and told her she was going to have a child and should raise him to deliver Israel from the Philistines. They should dedicate him to God and raise him as a Nazirite from his conception. His mother was to observe the Nazirite vows until the child was born and then weaned.

God did not pick Manoah and his wife because they were especially worthy or deserving. He picked them as an act of mercy and grace. They were considered cursed because they could not have children. God chose to turn their curse into a blessing.

They recognized that their son was both a gift and a responsibility. In response they were thankful for the gift and they were faithful to their responsibility. They undertook the task of raising up a son that would be untainted and unsoiled by the world and prepared to answer God’s call.

The world still needs people to provide God’s deliverance. One of the Church’s first priorities is to raise up children that become adults prepared to step up when God calls. That requires protecting our children from the evil influences of the world.