What is the Rest?

Judges 13

New International Version (NIV)

The Birth of Samson

¹² So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?”

 English standard version (ESV)

¹² And Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, what is to be the child's manner of life, and what is his mission?”

 Manoah (Sampson’s father) wants to know the rest of the story.  He wants to know what was His son’ s purpose in life going to be.  Is this not something that we all seem to desire?   We have only so many days here on earth right? 

Lets put it into prospective.

An Avg American lives 28835 days.

5475 days used before entering adulthood after which;

 

8477 days – sleeping

1635 days – preparing food & eating

3202 days – working

1099 days – commuting

1576 days - taking care of pets

 

2676 days – watching TV

1955 Misc days used for (community service, friends)

2740 days – time left

If you are 40 years old then half of these days are gone already.  So what are you doing with the remaining days?  Should I even be focused on these days or should I be focusing on today?

The scripture verse says Manoah wanted to know what His son was going to do for God.  He wanted to see what Samson was going to accomplish.  He wanted a peek into the future.  Remember Ebenezer scrooge?  Remember how he was taken into the future; how frightened he was.  Imagine if God would do this for you. When you were 13 years old would you really have wanted to see the things that happened to you knowing you could not change them. 

I think the anticipation and fear would be the end of us.  It would drive many of us crazy.  Especially if you could see the day you die. 

We can be so goal/task oriented we just want to see the finished version/product/winner, etc..  We go thru life chasing the conclusion and totally forget to live the plot. 

God did not tell Manoah how the story was going to turn out for His son.  What he did tell him was that they needed to listen to him and do the first thing he asked them to do. 

The Angel of the Lord would not even share his name with Manoah for it was going to be to much for him to handle. 

As a child I was told things on a need to know basis.  If I did not need to know then I was not told.  If the information was above my education then that information was either not shared or was told in such a way that I might gain some understanding.  But as I grew older, matured and had learned more things then my parents would begin to share more things with me.  They continue teaching me and showing me more and more.  As I needed to know they would show me.

Our Heavenly Father knows this about us.  He knows that we need to grow up spiritually.  We will never understand Him if we stay as an infant.  Growing up spiritually is no different than growing up mentally.

When we go to school we go to our classroom we find our seat and we give our full attention to the teacher.  The teacher begins to share or teach the material that is designated for the age group they are teaching. They teach the information needed so the students can go on to the next grade.  At the end of each day or lesson the teacher gives out homework assignments and then a test.  Once the student turns in their homework and passes the test they move on to the next more advanced material.  This goes on and on until they have learned all that is required for that curriculum. 

Spiritual growth requires the same process.  This is why God asked that we make disciples.  He knows we will never know him if we stay as infants.  We have to put in the time, we have to do the homework, and we have to pass the test to move on.   There is no other way. 

Are you going to begin dealing with the issue at hand?  Are you going to take the word that God is speaking to you and do the homework assignment?

 

Are you willing to take the test or better yet are you confident you are going to pass it?  We need to pass it to move on .