From the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster we present Let the Bible Speak. It's good to have you join us today as we spend time around the Word of God, preaching Christ in all his fullness to men and women in all their need. my soul hath found, hath found in Thee alone. The peace, the joy I sought so long, the bliss, the love unknown. The God, the Christ, and satisfied, the lover made for me. There's love and life and lasting joy, Lord Jesus, love in thee. I sighed for rest and happiness, I yearned for them not me. But while I passed my Savior by, His eye made gold on me. The none but Christ can satisfy, none other name for me. There's love and life and lasting joy, Lord Jesus loved in me. I tried the broken cistern's lock, but now the water's fed. He as I stood to drink they fled, and mocked me as I wept. None other Christ can satisfy, none other name for me. There's love and life and lasting joy, Lord Jesus, one in me. The pleasures lost I sadly mourn, but never went for thee. He'll praise the sightless eyes we see, by God we dares to see, the love of Christ None other made for me. There's love and life and lasting joy, Lord Jesus, find in thee. Can I welcome you to this broadcast of the reading and the preaching of God's precious word? And I want to draw your minds to the book of Judges this evening, Judges chapter 13, verses 16 to 23. And there in verse 16, we read, And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread. And if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass, we may do thee honour? And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord. And the angel did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came to pass when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame off the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it and fell on their faces to the ground. But the angel of the Lord did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto his wife, we shall surely die because we have seen God. But his wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would have not received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would, as at this time, have told us such things as these. Let's come and seek the Lord together in a word of prayer. Our Father in heaven, we thank thee for the precious truth of God's word. We thank that it is a word that is forever settled in heaven. And ever, Lord, in the midst of a world of confusion and constant change, we thank that the word of God, like Christ, is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We thank Thee, Lord, for the assurance it gives to us, for the clear guidance it gives to our lives. We pray, Lord, as we come to consider Thy word this evening, that, Lord, it will come as a light and a lamp to our path, and, Lord, lead us in straight and a plain way. Lord, help us now for Thine own name's second glory, for we ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. As you break into this passage of scripture, we find the great giant Manoah beginning to falter. The Lord, increasing to his faith, wisdom, his faith began to waver. In his faith, beginning to look on the inside rather than the outside, his confidence soon turned to fear. And in fearing that God would kill him, he cried out in verse 23, we shall surely die. In other words, being consumed with the knowledge that God is holy and that he is not, that God hates sin, that he is full of sin, he began to cry out in verse 23 that God would kill them. Indeed, he was right. God being of holy eyes and of a holy nature that compels him to judge sin, no sinner was safe in his sight. Indeed, Isaiah, realizing that exact same truth in Isaiah chapter 6, he cried out, woe is me, for I am undone. Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. I'm no affixing his mind on this truth, that God was holy, that God hates sin and must judge sin. He cried out in verse 23, we shall surely die. If you want to turn around, that was in the character of Manoah. At the start of the chapter, he was a man who did not fear the face of man. Hearing that God would give him a son to deliver the nation of Israel, he went immediately to prayer, asking God for wisdom so that he would have the power and ability to help his son to become that deliverer. In other words, instead of fearing what the Philistines would do to him and his family, once his son would begin to attack the Philistines, He was full of confidence. He knew that God would not only make his son a deliverer, but God would also protect his family. But Manoah now getting his eyes on himself rather than the gospel, focusing on the holiness of God instead of the grace of God along with his holiness. We read in verse 23 that he was full of fear. In other words, his faith now focusing on the holiness of God and the justice of God, rather than including the grace of God. His faith now made him afraid. In other words, his faith getting a new object, focusing and narrowing its vision on one aspect of God's character. It made him afraid. And why faith can give us a confidence, faith can also give us a fear. Faith being the conviction of the heart. It can either stir the emotions to fear or to confidence. And if I told you, those watching in online, that after this meeting, that I was going to purchase some ice cream and send it hand-delivered to your door, and if you believed in my word and believed in my ability to fulfill that promise, even now, you would have a sense of expectation. Your mouth would be beginning to water with joy at the expectation of receiving that ice cream. Why? Because faith stirs the emotions. And therefore the faith of Manoah, beginning to stir his heart, as soon as he got his eyes of God's grace, that Christ stood in his place, Manoah's heart began to tremble within him. And how many of God's people this evening, because they have faith, because they have that deep abiding confidence in God, that He is holy, they are trembling. They are full of fear. They have a lack of assurance. Anybody seeking to reassure a doubting believer, they make the fatal mistake of asking that believer to look inwards. And then he tells them, look back to the day you got saved. Look at the strength of your faith when you cried out to God to save you from all your sin. What happens when you ask the believer to look inwards? Even look back to the day when he asked Jesus into his heart. For that doubting believer, it just multiplies the questions. Did I really believe? Did I really ask Christ into my heart? Did I really put all my trust in Him? What about my intentions? Was my intention sincere? Was I really doing it because I loved Christ and I knew I was a sinner heading to hell? Or was I just doing it to please my parents? And getting that doubting believer to focus on himself, on what he has done, It just increases his fears and doubt. You see, if you want to help a doubting believer, you need to become like Manoah's wife. Instead of telling them to look to their feelings and to look to the strength of their faith, Tell them to look to God's work and what God has done for them in Christ, because there they will find peace that passeth all understanding. And do you know why he brings such godly counsel to her husband? She told him in verse 23, once she recognized this fear, she said to him, if the Lord were pleased to kill us, He would have not received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands. Neither would He have showed us all these things, nor would He at this time have told us such things as these." In other words, she was saying to Manoah, Manoah, why for all the fear? Remember, God has accepted our offering. Remember, God has been gracious to us. For all the rest of Israel, they only know his chastisement and the oppressing hand of the Philistines. But to us, God has revealed himself to us. In fact, he has given us a promise that I will bring forth a deliverer into this world. In other words, she was getting her husband to focus on what God was doing for them and getting his eyes on the actions of God. of what God had done at this episode. She was removing the fears and the doubt from her husband's heart. And so it is for the doubting believer here this evening. Instead of looking within, instead of looking to your feelings, look to what God has done for you in Christ. That he has given you an offering, accepted that offering, showed love and favor to you, has made promises toward you that he will never cast you out. to get your eyes on the actions of God. A hymn writer wrote from whence this fear and unbelief. Has not the Father put to grief his spotless Son for me? And why the righteous judge of men condemn for me that debt of sin which Lord was charged on thee? In fact, he went on to say in verse three, if Christ my discharge has procured and freely in my place endured, God will not payment twice demand. First at my dying Saviour's hand, and then again at mine." You see, that's where true assurance is found. It's found looking to the work of God Almighty in His Son, and seeing that God has given us a sacrifice and accepted that sacrifice. It will remove all fears from your heart. And therefore to help those who are full of doubts, for those who are knowing the attack of the evil one, I want us to consider Manoah's wife's counsel. Manoah's wife's counsel. And he knows first of all she counseled her husband to look to the work of Christ. the work of Christ. Because in verse 23, she says, if the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would have not received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands. And he coming before the Lord, they had offered up not only a meat offering, but also a burnt offering. That burnt offering had to be brought voluntarily. And being completely consumed by the flames, Manoah's wife realized something. And pointing it out to her husband, she said, if God was going to kill us, Then when we offered the offering, Why did not the flame spread from the burnt offering and burn us up with his holy indignation? In other words, realizing that the sacrificial lamb had consumed the justice and the wrath of God, and it did not come out and burn them. She realized that God was no longer at war with them because of the sacrifice. I knew the remedy of fears and doubts lies not within, but without. There must be a looking away to Calvary. And in writing to the Roman converts, Paul asked them a series of questions, asking them who could be against them and who could lay any charge against them. He then asked them, who could condemn them? In fact, in Romans chapter 8 and verse 34, he said, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died. Yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. In other words, seeking to reassure them that they were not under the condemnation of God. He drew their eyes to Calvary. He reminded them that not only had Christ died, But he was risen. He has made a full atonement for them. And child of God, think about it. If God's wrath was still burning against you, that when Christ stood and took your guilt at Calvary, do you think God the Father would have accepted him in heaven? Do you think God the Father would allow him to sit in his presence? No. If your guilt was still there to be paid, God would have forced his son out of heaven, brought him back to Calvary until he had made that complete payment. In fact, in Hebrews chapter 10, we read in verses 11 to 13 of how the Old Testament priests were continually running in the temple. In fact, there were no chairs in the temple. Why? because their offerings could not satisfy the justice of God. They had to come time and time again with those same offerings, because it could never satisfy God's holy justice. But New Paul goes on to say in verse 13, that Christ has sat down at the Father's right hand. In other words, the Father has allowed him to rest today. because atonement has been made. God's wrath being satisfied on the shoulders of Christ, God's wrath no longer burns against you. And child of God, if you want to know confidence and remove those fears, look to the grace of God. Look back there to Calvary's hill. In fact, look to heaven today. Christ has seen it. He has made atonement for you. God's wrath being satisfied. He is no longer at war. There is no condemnation for the believer. The man once came to deal Moody with doubts about his salvation and expressing that at times he did not feel that he was saved. Moody asked him, was Noah safe in the ark? And the man looked at him and he says, of course he was safe in the ark. Then he asked him a further question. He says, what made him safe? Was it Noah's feelings or was it the ark around him? And the penny finally dropped. He recognized that his safety lay not in his feelings, but lay in the ark of Jesus Christ. Christ standing in his place. There was no longer anger or wrath or condemnation that was aimed towards him. That was a godly counsel to Noah's wife here. Once she saw that her husband was distressed and plagued with doubts, She got her husband's eyes back to Calvary's hill. And she says, look, look at the grace of God. He has accepted the offering. And when Manoah got his eye of faith back onto the sacrifice, and seeing that it had made satisfaction for him, Those fears that once plagued his heart, now were removed from him. He knew that peace that passeth all understanding. So if you want to know peace tonight, aim the eye of faith towards the work of Christ. Christ has satisfied the wrath of God. But it was also, not only did she argue in pointing her husband to the work of Christ, but she also, in seeking to relieve her husband's fears, she drew his attention to the words of Christ. Indeed, we read there in Judges chapter 13, verse 23, but his wife said unto him, if the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would have not received a burnt offering and a meat offering at her hands. Neither would have showed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these. In it appearing, the Lord has showed them great and wonderful things. Fulfilling their dreams, he had promised his wife that she would bring forth a son. And being a Nazarite from birth, he would begin to deliver Israel. And Emanuel's wife, grasping that God had made this promise to her, that she was the chosen vessel who would bring forth this deliverer into the world, she recognized the truth. How could God now slay them when God had made such a promise? If God was going to fulfill that promise and her bringing forth Samson into the world, God's veracity to his promise must make sure that that woman would stay alive. He must fulfill that promise. And Manoah's wife realizing such truth, she turned to her husband, she just said, Manoah, Don't be silly. If I'm going to bring forth this child, how can we die? In other words, in seeking to remove his fears, she turned him to the promises of the Lord. And the word of God is given not merely to create faith, but to confirm our faith, to perfect our knowledge of salvation. He's seeking to strengthen the Roman believers' assurance. Paul said in Romans chapter 15 and verse 4, For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. He reminded them that the Word of God had been preserved, not merely to increase their learning, but their hope of salvation. In other words, while the blood of Christ makes us safe, It's the book of Christ that makes us sure. It deepens our assurance in the Lord. And ye cannot see that even in Abraham, the great father of faith. When God came with that mighty test to him, to take his son Isaac up into the mountain, there to slay his only son. What gave Abraham the strength to fulfill that test? It was the promise of God. God had promised to him that through the son of Isaac, all the nations of the world would be blessed. And Abraham grasping onto that promise, recognizing that God cannot lie, and not one of his promises fall to the ground broken. Abraham's faith removed all fear, removed all distress from his heart, resting only in the word of God. He even lifted his hand up into the air, about to put the dagger through his son's heart. Because he knew, even if his son died that day, God would still fulfill his promise. He would raise his son up from the grave to make sure that all the nations of the world would be blessed. In other words, even though resurrection had never happened yet in scripture, and very little had been revealed about that wonderful truth of resurrection, Abraham, because of his faith that God keeps the promises, he believed. that God could raise a son from the grave. And child of God, if you want to have assurance, recognize this truth. That God, once he makes promises, he keeps his promises. Not one of his promises have ever been broken. In fact, they say today there's over 7,487 promises in the Word of God. And 300 of them are related to the first coming of Christ. And you think some of the incredible promises that Christ would come forth by a virgin. What a promise. And yet though it seems so impossible, God making that promise, he fulfilled it. Christ came into the world through the womb of the Virgin Mary. And grasp the promise tonight. God has said in his word, him that cometh to me, I will in no wise, no wise cast out. In fact, a man came to W.P. Nicholson. And he says, why are you so sure that you're going to heaven? All you have got for assurance is the word of God, that Bible in your hand. And he says, you're right. All I have for assurance is this book, this piece of paper. But he says, upon that book and that piece of paper, it's got the handwriting of God. And God is yet to break one of his promises. And you think about it. God is infinite in his power. In his being, he knows no bounds or limitations. Nobody can resist the hand of God. In fact, Nebuchadnezzar realized that. He says, who can water stop the hand of God? No one. And God making a promise to you, that in him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. God will keep that promise. He will keep you safe, even on the day of judgment. Because Christ has died in your place, and because of that promise, God will bring you into heaven forevermore. You know his wife seeking to remove her husband's fears. She not only pointed to the work of Christ, but she also pointed him to the words of Christ. But also she pointed him to the will of Christ. Because seeking to comfort him, we also read in verse 23, but his wife said unto him, if the Lord were pleased to kill us, He would have not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands. Neither would have showed us all these things. Remember this period of time in Israel. They were under the chastising hand of God. Israel doing again sin in God's eyes. God had sent the Philistines to oppress them. In fact, for 40 years, they had known nothing but the silence or the absence of God's voice towards them. And yet, at this moment in Judges 13, we see a most miraculous and gracious intervention. God comes to this family. Manoah and his wife, and he reveals this wonderful promise to them. In fact, God further showing his favor towards this family. Not only did he speak to them and come to them two times with this promise, but he also did something wonderful. When they brought that offering and laid it upon the rock, the Lord is seeking to show his favor towards them. The Lord went up with the flame towards heaven and is returned back to God. And see, and Manoa's wife realizing that all these token gestures that God had shown towards them were evidence of the Lord's favor and grace. She said to her husband, how will the Lord kill us? He has showed us such favor and all these things. And child of God, let this truth encourage your heart tonight. You think there's many sinners in the world. In fact, in Luke 4, the Lord told them in Nazareth that even Elijah and Elisha's day, there was many widows. And yet the Lord only went to the widow in Zarephath. And you think there's been many unsaved in the world. And yet the Lord came to you with his word, to you with his promise, In fact, you had known the first fruits of faith, because faith in sin and in the holiness of God brings conviction. And you being convicted of your sin, the Lord was showing his favor, his grace towards you, that the Lord had saved you with his precious blood. It didn't mean I get caught up with the doctrine of election. They say, yes, I believe that Christ has died for the sinner. Yes, I believe in the promises of God, but how do I know that I am one of the left? Well, if you're one of the elect, God will have shown his favor towards you. He would have brought this gospel presentation to your heart. The Spirit of God would have convinced you of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The very fact that you're doubting, the very fact that you're fearful, is an evidence of God's favor to you. If you want to know peace, take the mind and the logic of Manoah's wife. Say that God has shown his love to you in the work of Christ. He has died for you. God has shown his love toward you, even in the words of Christ. He has promised that none of those who will come to him will no wise be cast out. And he has shown his love to you, even with that doubt and conviction that God has shown favor by the Spirit in your heart. Look to that evidence. Look to Calvary's hill. Look to the promises. There you'll find peace, a pass of all understanding. Let's seek the Lord together in a word of prayer. Our Father in heaven, we thank thee for the word of God. We thank thee it gives us a peace that passeth all understanding. We thank thee, Lord, that the work of Christ shows how perfectly that Christ has satisfied the justice of God. And we thank thee for the Holy Spirit, that Lord has wrestled with the heart in applying that wonderful fruit of redemption of knowing peace that passeth all understanding. Lord, take these words. Take the advice of Manoah's wife, And Lord, may it bring much peace and comfort to thy church forevermore. For as he sings in Jesus name, amen. Thank you for spending some time with us today around the word of God. For further information visit our website at ltbs.tv. We look forward to joining with you next time as we seek to let the Bible speak once again.