During the 40 years when the Philistines oppressed Isra’el (again) lived a man from the Tribe of Dan named Manoah. One day his wife came to him saying that an angel of Adonai had appeared to her. The angel told her that she would conceive and give birth to a son. The child would be a Nazirite from the womb until his death. The angel told her not to drink wine or strong drink or eat anything ritually unclean. She was also not to allow a razor to touch his head –– cut his hair. Her son would begin to deliver Isra’el from the Philistines.
Category: Rising Incense
Prayers from the Psalms
Moshe, The Intercessor
Even before Moshe was called to deliver Adonai’s people from Egypt, he had the desire to intercede for his Hebrew brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, he didn’t intercede in a righteous way and he had to flee Egypt fearing for his life (Exodus 2:11-15). When he returned 40 years later after an encounter with Adonai in a burning bush, he had a new vision and purpose –– he embraced the plans of Adonai to deliver the Hebrews.
Isaac, the Promised Seed
Isaac made an earnest appeal to Adonai for his wife because she was ‘childless’ or ‘barren.’ This prayer had a two-fold purpose. First, he prayed for his wife because it was his responsibility to uphold her in prayer. The greatest action a husband can do on behalf of his wife is pray for her. A woman’s barrenness may not be for literal children, but to be set free from a spiritual barrenness.
Jewish Prayer Book
“It is our duty to praise the Master of all, and ascribe greatness to the Author of Creation, who has not made us like the nations of the lands nor placed us like the families of the earth; who has not made our portion like theirs, nor our destiny like all their multitudes.