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APRIL 24
DAY 23:Why does God make use of leaders who display such obvious weaknesses?
It is true that judges such as Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson exhibited gross failures, as well as
successes.But as long as God chooses to use people at all,He will end up using people with obvious
weaknesses.No one escapes that category.The point is that God uses people in His plans in spite of it.
This does not excuse the sins of a leader.Note for example that Moses forfeited his opportunity
to enter the Promised Land because of an angry outburst (Num. 20:10; Deut. 3:24–27). Jephthah
made a rash vow for which his daughter had to bear the primary consequence (Judg. 11:29–40).
What probably ought to attract our attention to these servants of God is not so much their weak-
nesses, or even the great accomplishments, but the fact that they remained faithful to God despite
their failures.
When we study the lives of the judges, we discover ourselves. The shared victories, defeats,
mistakes, and right choices form a common link across the centuries and turn our attention to the
God who worked in their lives. The invitation from the ancients remains silently compelling: If we
are to live as boldly for God,surely we would discover each day that same kind of God’s immediate
presence that was such a part of their experience.

me His name. And He said to me, ‘Behold,
7
April 24 you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink
no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything
unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God
from the womb to the day of his death.’ ”
Judges 13:1–14:20
8 Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, and said,
Again the children of Israel did evil in the “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom
13 sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered You sent come to us again and teach us what
them into the hand of the Philistines for forty we shall do for the child who will be born.”
years. 9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah,
2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again
of the family of the Danites, whose name was as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her
Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no husband was not with her. Then the woman
10
children. And the Angel of the LORD appeared ran in haste and told her husband, and said to
3
to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, him, “Look, the Man who came to me the
you are barren and have borne no children, other day has just now appeared to me!”
4
but you shall conceive and bear a son. Now 11 So Manoah arose and followed his wife.
therefore, please be careful not to drink wine When he came to the Man, he said to Him,
or similar drink, and not to eat anything “Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?”
unclean. For behold, you shall conceive and And He said, “I am.”
5
bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his 12 Manoah said, “Now let Your words come
head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God to pass! What will be the boy’s rule of life, and
from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver his work?”
Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” 13 So the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah,
6 So the woman came and told her husband, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be care-
saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His ful. She may not eat anything that comes
14
countenance was like the countenance of the from the vine, nor may she drink wine or simi-
Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask lar drink, nor eat anything unclean. All that I
Him where He was from, and He did not tell commanded her let her observe.”
15 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the
LORD, “Please let us detain You, and we will pre-
pare a young goat for You.”
13:5 Nazirite.The word is from the Hebrew “to 16 And the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah,
separate.”For rigid Nazirite restrictions,such as “Though you detain Me, I will not eat your
here in Samson’s case,see Numbers 6:1–8.God food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you
gave 3 restrictions: no wine (vv. 3,4), no razor must offer it to the LORD.” (For Manoah did
cutting the hair (v.5),no touching a dead body not know He was the Angel of the LORD.)
and being defiled (v. 6). Such outward actions 17 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the
indicated an inner dedication to God. LORD, “What is Your name, that when Your
words come to pass we may honor You?”

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