Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to s son.” (Judges 13:3).
The words in the verse quoted above look a little familiar to us because we have seen something similar in other places in the Bible. These words were spoken to the wife of Manoah. She and Manoah were the parents of Samson. She is not given a name in the Scriptures, but God blessed her and gave her important work to do.
An angel of the Lord appeared to several women in the Bible and gave them the good news that they would bear a son. God Himself also met women during their times of sorrow and promised them children. We have their stories that clearly show that God is in charge of life. The Father is sovereign and sometimes He allows His children to have sorrow for a time because He has something special in mind. Only He knows what His purpose is and we must be patient and wait for Him.
Here are a few examples of women whom God blessed with children at special times and in special circumstances in their lives.
Sarah: “Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He has said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him” (Geneses 21:1,2).
Something to note here and with all of the special mothers in the Bible is that the Lord granted them children in His own time. Sarah was probably ninety years old before she bore her son! Her story shows us that God is faithful, that He keeps His promises, and that He has His own sovereign way of doing things.
Ruth: “So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birthto a son” (Ruth 4:13).
Ruth had been widowed before she could have children. There didn’t seem to be anything further for her in her life. She bravely followed her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Israel to begin a new life among a people who were not her own. She may have thought that she would live out her days taking care of Naomi. But God blessed her beyond what she thought she deserved with a new husband and a son. This son was to become the ancestor of King David and our Lord Jesus Christ. Ruth had faith in a sovereign God and trusted in Him.
Hannah: “And it came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birthto a 
son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the LORD” (1Samuel 1:20).
Poor Hannah! She was not only barren, but she was cursed with a rival wife who had children. It would have been easy for most women to be bitter, but Hannah prayed and waited on the Lord. Like Ruth, Hannah would have a son who would do mighty things for God. Hannah praised God in a song of thanksgiving that shows how mighty He is. “There is no one holy like the Lord. Indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God. … for the Lord is a God of knowledge … He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy” (I Samuel 2:2-8). Hannah’s faith in her sovereign Lord was strong. God would bless Hannah with five more children.
Elizabeth: “Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she brought forth a son” (Luke 1:57).
Like Sarah, Elizabeth was barren and “advanced in years” (Luke 1:7). She probably thought that she and her husband Zacharias, a priest serving in the temple, would never have any children. Then one day and angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias and announced that Elizabeth’s petition to God for a child was being granted. We know what happened next in this popular story. Zacharias failed to believe the angel and so he was struck dumb until the baby was born. Like the other women in our story, Elizabeth had a special son. John the Baptist would become the forerunner to Christ. Elizabeth was doubly blessed because her cousin would actually be chosen to be the mother of Jesus.
Mary: “Now the birthof Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18) “And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she agave birthto her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6,7).
Now, here is a woman who was probably NOT praying to be with child. Mary was not married and was completely surprised when the angel of the Lord showed up to announce to her that she would be the mother of the Savior of the world. Yet, she completely trusted God and was able to say, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Nothing more needs to be said about the incredible blessing to Mary, or about the wonderfulness of her Child.
Samson’s Mother: The story of Manoah’s wife also shows the power and love of our sovereign 
God. There are similarities to the other stories above. She was barren. She and Manoah were living in times of distress. During this period in Israel’s history the children of God were alternately obeying and disobeying God. When they foolishly served other gods, the Lord sent enemies to oppress them. At this time, the Philistines were ruling over the Israelites. God’s people would cry out for help, and the Lord would raise up a judge to deliver them. In our story, God is preparing the way for Samson, one of the most famous judges.
An angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and promised her that she would have a son. This son, like the others that God promised to the women in our story, would be very special. Samson’s mother would do all that she was asked to by God. She would probably be the most faithful woman in Samson’s life. She would praise God confidently even when her husband had doubts.
These women were rare and special. Not because they were super women, but because they were willing to accept what God had for them. God does not give all of us a child who will grow up to be a high priest, or a judge, or a king. But He does give each and every one of us a calling that only we can fulfill. Our job is not to question why or how the Lord does things; our job is to just be faithful to His word.
My prayer is that as you meditate on the lives of these women, you will be encouraged to wait for what God has for you. God’s timing is sometimes mysterious to us, but He loves us and knows what’s best. In your life right now be thankful as Sarah, Ruth, Hannah, Elizabeth, Mary, and Manoah’s wife. Give glory to God for His goodness.
