Jun17’07
A MAN IS A DANGEROUS THING
Judges 13:8
And so here we are once again on Father’s Day, reflecting on who we are as men and what God is calling us to become.
Father’s Day is a little bit different in the church. In the church every man is a father and, for that matter, every woman is a mother. Each man here is to be a spiritual example of living the Christ-filled life in front of every child that comes into our ministry.
Today, we celebrate not simply our fathers but we celebrate men. We celebrate what it means to be a man. We celebrate the challenges that men face. We celebrate the strength of the Spirit that is supposed to drive a man.
I consider the challenges that face our families all around. I see these young moms and dads at Wal-mart and Meijers and wonder what they are searching for in life? Like the rest of us they are hoping to make a better life for themselves and their family. Like the rest of us they have bills to pay, jobs to go to and family problems. I see them walking down our streets, pumping gas at the gas station, putting up yard sales. Are they finding the right kind of fulfillment that will satisfy?
I see the state manhood in America and I am very troubled by what I see. I am bothered by the slow emasculation of boys as they grow up in our schools and communities and even our churches.
You see, being a man should be a dangerous thing. And when I say “man” I mean a man whose heart has been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit through the cross of Jesus Christ. When I say “man” I mean a man who knows what it is to have Jesus as his life-giving strength so that he can then be the life-giving strength to his wife and children.
But sadly, we seem to be a world where a man- way too often- is a dangerous thing. You name the crime and 90% of the time a man is involved. I quote Edwin Louis Cole once again: the greatest problem with America is the fatherless home. The result? Children without proper male role models and mothers without a husband to strengthen them.
You show me a man, who loves Jesus with all his heart, loves his wife with all his heart and loves his kids with all his heart and I will show you a successful man of God, a fulfilled husband and a happy father.
Everywhere I see young men who are desperate for something real, something that not only makes a difference in their lives, but makes their lives make a difference. This something is what I believe every man longs for within his heart.
Every man here- from the youngest to the oldest longs for a fight to win.
You know me well enough to know that I love sports. I love my Kentucky Basketball, my Michigan football, my Detroit teams and, of course, Shelby High School. I want to see my team win. But God does not call us to be spectators in the fight for our wives and children and grandchildren.
I am convinced that John Eldridge was right in his book Wild at Heart when he speaks over and over of men longing for a fight to win. He goes on to quote a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson called “Miniver Cheevy.”
Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn,
Grew lean when he assailed the seasons;
He wept that he was ever born,
And he had reasons.
Miniver loved the days of old
When swords were bright and steeds were
prancing;
The vision of a warrior bold
Would set him dancing.
Miniver sighed for what was not,
And dreamed, and rested from his labors;
He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot,
And Priam's neighbors.
Miniver mourned the ripe renown
That made so many a name so fragrant;
He mourned Romance, now on the town,
And Art, a vagrant.
Miniver loved the Medici,
Albeit he had never seen one;
He would have sinned incessantly
Could he have been one.
Miniver cursed the commonplace
And eyed a khaki suit with loathing;
He missed the mediaeval grace
Of iron clothing.
Miniver scorned the gold he sought,
But sore annoyed was he without it;
Miniver thought, and thought, and thought,
And thought about it.
Miniver Cheevy, born too late,
Scratched his head and kept on thinking:
Miniver coughed, and called it fate,
And kept on drinking.
Miniver Cheevy was a man who lived a life of a dreamer who could not see the reality around him. Here’s a man in a small town who longs for the fight of a man and yet dreams of years long past. He regrets being born during his time because there was something idyllic about the old days, the days of war stories and wished he could have been a part of them. He mourned the lost Romantic age when a knight in shining armor would fight to the death for his loved ones. He loved the Medici- an Italian family that not only controlled Florence, Italy for 400 years but also produced three popes, countless Lords and Dukes, and the wife of King Henry II of France. He cursed what he saw around him- the modern age and longed to see the suits of armor that showed men ready for battle. In his latter days, Miniver realized that, yes, without money you couldn’t do much, but with money it really came to mean nothing. And in the end…
“Miniver Cheevy, born too late,
Scratched his head and kept on thinking;
Miniver coughed, and called it fate,
And kept on drinking.”
I believe that way too often men find themselves longing for a return to the days of the big fight again only to find that the fight is done and over with. The days of leadership, the days of love, the days of battle are past. And even though as good Wesleyans we don’t cry in our beer about it, we may come to regret that we did not do more and that we did not fight harder.
Yes, Miniver Cheevy reminds us of life without something to fight for. Miniver’s problem is not that he is born in the wrong era or to the wrong family or even that there is nothing to fight for but that he refuses to see the cause in his present day.
What does it mean to be a man of God? I could have chosen a man such as Abraham, Moses, David, Nehemiah, Paul or John. But those seemed too simple and, quite honestly- who among us can really identify with these big shots? But tucked away in the midst of story about the strongest man in the Bible we find a humble, hard-working Dad who quietly sets an example of what it means to be a man.
The man’s name is Manoah. And the occasion is his barren wife who has had a visitation from the angel of the Lord. He is overwhelmed- not only by the prospect of having a newborn child come into his life, but the very idea that this child is to be raised quite a bit differently.
We find the people of Israel doing their own thing once again. They had no leadership and they were being oppressed. So God puts into motion a plan to rescue them.
Down among the troubled tribe of Dan we find a childless couple. They long to have children of their own. To not have children was a reproach not only for the wife but also for the husband.
There are some key concepts for the different aspects of manhood from this chapter that I would like to focus on this morning. Each aspect is critical to the fulfillment of most of us men here this morning. Let add to this: you can’t have only one without the other two. They stand together and grow together.
1. Manoah- the Man of God.
a. Peace with God.
Manoah’s name very simply means “rest.” And there is something about a man who is at rest. Being at rest with God means that there is peace with God. In fact, to have Jesus in your life means that you have ceased from your selfish works of righteousness and have taken a hold of Christ for your strength. Jesus becomes your “Sabbath-rest.” The very purpose of the Sabbath Day was to teach the Israelites that they needed to fully depend upon God to provide for their salvation. Read Hebrews 3 and 4 for more.
Manoah had this rest. He had peace with God. And it was expressed when he…
b. Sought God in Prayer.
As we have read, Manoah’s wife received a visit from the Angel of the Lord. Now when you read this very simply think “Jesus Christ.” Most scholars agree that this “Angel of the Lord” is none other than God himself incarnate.
God meets his wife, tells her that she is going to conceive a son, lays out the strict requirements of her pregnancy, and then the stipulations of his child-rearing.
What is Manoah’s response? He seeks God in prayer on how to raise this child.
What would our world be like if parents- and especially fathers- sought God in prayer over their children? I think we might have a far different world.
Furthermore, as a man of God, Manoah…
c. Experienced the Presence of Christ.
When was the last time you as a man experienced that face to face encounter with Jesus Christ? These encounters don’t just happen. But there is something about God’s grace and Manoah’s demeanor that allows him to see God.
Not only was Manoah a man of God but we see Manoah as the husband.
2. Manoah- the Husband.
A lot of us are husbands. I love being a husband. I love my wife and in 8 more days we will be married 24 years. Almost a quarter of a century.
Manoah shows us a couple of essentials when it comes to being a husband that are pretty basic to any marriage.
a. Faithful to his barren wife.
In a day when he could just as easily short-cut the system and fathered a child through another woman or concubine, or when he could have divorced his wife because she was sterile, he chose to remain lovingly faithful to her.
Guys: we have all sorts of challenges to our marriages. The internet porn is only 2 or 3 clicks away; the wrong relationship is only 2 or 3 chance meetings away; and what we say that kills a woman’s spirit is only 2 or 3 words away.
Be careful of what you watch on television or the internet; be careful of ANY woman you encounter; be careful of your words that can wound her.
But there is more: Faithfulness to your wife is about more than staying pure in the marriage bed. Faithfulness to your wife is about more than avoiding Proverbs 7 women. Faithfulness is about more than just saying the right words.
Faithfulness is about loving your wife as Christ loved the Church. Faithfulness is about bathing her in the Word of God, about praying over her and about showing her greater respect than we would show any other man, woman or child in the world.
Manoah was a not only a faithful husband but he was…
b. Supportive of his wife.
He was there for her. He cared about her. He listened to her. But there is one key element here:
• He was not intimidated by her spiritual insight.
I have met guys who seem to be intimidated that their wife knows her Bible, and prays often. Come on! That’s crazy jealousy. But rather than immerse themselves in prayer and Bible Study, they put her down.
Manoah was not jealous. He longed to see the Angel of the Lord as well. And so he prayed. How did God answer that prayer? By appearing to his wife first again.
Instead of jealously, “Manoah arose and followed her.” (v. 11) Guys there are times we need to follow our wife’s spiritual leadership on things. Just because we might be the spiritual leader of our home does not mean that our wife knows nothing. In fact, she might know a lot more than we do but keeps her mouth closed to keep the peace.
• His obedience resulted in a spiritual blessing.
Manoah invites the Lord to eat a special meal. Whenever someone of that time offered to prepare a young goat for the guest then it was a very high honor. This was a type of fellowship offering. But our Lord encourages Manoah to make a burnt offering to the Lord.
Manoah then asks him what his name is. The Angel of the Lord answers: “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” Some translations say: “It is wonderful.” It kind of reminds us of Isaiah speaking of the coming Christ as being wonderful.
They put forth the burnt offering and the Angel of the Lord is caught up in the flame. Manoah and his wife saw this and fell to the ground.
Manoah then declares that they are going to die because they have seen God. But his wife intervenes with more spiritual insight: “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.” (v. 23)
His wife gives birth to a strapping son and named him Samson. Manoah becomes a dad.
3. Manoah- the Father.
I like this David Thoreau quote: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Too often men have not lived because they failed to learn the essential facts of life in order to live a purposeful life.
Manoah was certainly not a man who would look back and discover that he had not lived. Look at some of the highlights of his life’s actions as a dad:
a. He Understood his weakness.
This is why he sought God in prayer.
b. He Recognized his need for God’s help.
We can never be too proud as men to not seek assistance. Maybe as dad or grandfather you need help in dealing with your situation. There is nothing wrong with good Christian counseling. Begin with prayer as you seek God’s help.
c. He had the best interest of God and his son in mind.
Manoah was far from being a selfish father. If there was a situation he dealt with it even-handedly.
d. He Intervened with godly advice.
When he saw his son looking to marry an ungodly woman, he spoke to his son. He didn’t do so with a controlling anger. But he did so with godliness.
e. He was Supportive of his son.
When Samson married, he showed up to the wedding and stayed for the feast.
f. He Earned the respect of his son.
Samson was not an easy child to raise. However, Samson knew their faith. When he had touched the dead carcass of the lion to scoop out honey, he respected them enough not to brag to them at any time about it. I get very frustrated when I see kids- especially adult children- who disrespect the spiritual values of their parents but openly doing things. Sinner or not- it’s wrong. Samson had a respect for his father and mother.
And in the end, after his own death, they buried Samson beside his dad.
Conclusion.
I am always reminded this time of the year of World War II’s D-Day at Normandy, and what it takes to be a man. Yes, war is hell, but war reminds us of what history has told us about the historic role of men as defenders. I’m not trying to take anything away from women in the armed forces (I have a cousin who was in the military) but in the muck and the grime of life or death battle, we see the kind of courage that is needed not just to win wars but to win our families back home.
So, every year, I pull out “Saving Private Ryan.” I don’t recommend this R-rated movie but there is something fascinating about the plot line throughout the movie. James Francis Ryan is a soldier whose brothers have all died in conflict. A small group of rangers are put together to go into the outer country of France and bring him out alive so that he can be sent back home to his family. Slowly, one by one, various members die in various battles as they search for Private Ryan. Finally, in the end, he is found, they defend a strategic bridge at the cost of every other member save for two. Private Ryan is saved.
And men, it will cost us our lives many times over in order to save our family and our community. But are we willing to the pay the price in order that they might taste freedom in Jesus Christ?
Being a man of God is a dangerous thing. You should be a dangerous man armed with the armor of God.
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