Worrying Tendency toward Fixation on Miracles

In this day and age where instant gratification is actively promoted across commercial sectors because of consumerism, certain Christian communities have effectively come to expect miracles on all occasions — to the extent of even seeking divine aid for not-so-desperate matters like chasing alternate jobs with better terms (despite being disfavourably regarded by current colleagues), hoping own children ace school examinations (despite acknowledging their disinterest in academic studies) or obviating need for tooth-decay treatment (despite protracted inattention to proper dental hygiene).  Given this feverish mindset to look heavenward for help in almost every mundane situation, it may be worthwhile to glance back and check out what certain biblical characters went through.

 

The following representative list of illustrative examples ought to be helpful for a broad appreciation of what different OT characters had experienced during trying times beset by afflictions or/and tiring periods fraught with worries:

(1)   Scriptures do not mention Abram ever asking for the miraculous birth of his long-promised son — starting from the age of 75 (when this man of faith departed from Haran) until reaching the age of 99 (when his supposedly-barren wife became pregnant).  Instead, he imprudently accepted Sarai’s ill-conceived (albeit socially-accepted) suggestion to sire a son via Hagar.  Worse still, he had been harbouring the notion that “the heir of my house is Eliezer” (Genesis 15:2) prior to his wife’s hand-maiden conceiving Ishmael.

(2)   “When Job’s 3 friends heard of all this adversity, each came from his own place … for they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him …  [and] so they sat with him on the ground 7 days and 7 nights …” (Job 2:11-13).  Scriptures do not specify how long all the friends took in travelling to reach Job’s home and how much time they spent pontificating away after initially commiserating with him; in other words, Job must have endured for quite a while the discomforting pain of the boils that had not been not disallowed by the Lord.

(3)   Contrary to popular belief, Daniel’s 3 compatriots did acknowledge the possibility of no divine rescue attempt for them when about to be pushed into King Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace as penalty for openly defying the royal edict.  Scriptures record them telling off the egomaniacal monarch that “our God is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace …; but if not, let it be known to you that we do not serve your gods …” (Daniel 3:17-18).

(4)   After evading the multiple devious schemes devised by King Saul, David fled into exile to subserviently wait in patience instead of manoeuvring for a divinely-assisted downfall of the mercurial sovereign who continued to rule until — according to what the younger man (already anointed to reign) uttered — “… his day shall come to die or he shall go out to battle and perish” (I Samuel 26:10).

(5)   When threatened by Arabs, Ammonites and Ashdodites conspiring together to attack Jerusalem, Nehemiah with the wall-building contingent “set a watch against them day and night [though] the strength of the labourers is failing and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall” (Nehemiah 4:9-10).  The job was indeed completed in due time amid tense anxieties but whether divine intervention occurred during re-construction works is not indicated in this particular OT book.

(6)   Believing she had murdered all of the likely royal successors, Athaliah usurped the throne for herself.  Rather than praying for a miracle that the wicked queen be overthrown, Jehoida the priest and his influential wife “stole the king’s son … [who] was hidden with them for 6 years in the house of the Lord” (II Kings 11:2-3) before a coup was staged at the appropriate time for restoring the young heir rightfully to the throne.

(7)   Instead of there being manifestly obvious measures explicitly initiated by God Himself against the evil Agagite, the book of Esther narrates a sequence of incidents — apparently by happenstance — that eventually led King Ahaseurus to oust his own high-office appointee and personally sentence Haman to be hung on the very gallows originally erected by the villain for Mordecai.  In the eyes of a non-Christian reader, this seemingly-secular book (which makes no reference to God) is basically premised on the theme of poetic justice for Jews.

(8)   By way of contrast, the last in this selection is King Hezekiah who did pray when severely sick but the ensuing verses cast the aftermath of his miraculous recovery in a negative light: “Hezekiah was near death … and the Lord gave him a sign, but he did not repay according to the favour shown him for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him …” (II Chronicles 32:24-25).  It is also on record that later “God withdrew from him in order to test him” (II Chronicles 32:31); regrettably, he fared poorly and was taken to task by Isaiah.

 

Yet the OT is replete with miracles.  What then is the purpose of these signs and wonders (prior to the Messiah’s earthly mission)?  Even children attending Sunday School are well-acquainted with most of them and so reviewing a mere handful ought to suffice:

●     Etched into each Christian’s memory are the 10 plagues unleashed by God before leading the Hebrews across the Red Sea so spectacularly that, as disclosed by Him to Moses, “then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I have gained honour for Myself over Pharoah, his chariots and his horsemen” (Exodus 14:18) — coupled with His concomitant intention that “… against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgement.” (Exodus 12:12)

●     Relieved that Daniel survived the night in the lions’ den, King Darius proceeded on his own accord to issue a decree (for despatch throughout the expansive Medo-Persian Empire) to pronounce that “in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for He is the living God and steadfast forever … and His dominion shall endure to the end.” (Daniel 6:26)

●     During the challenge against the 450 prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, Elijah proclaimed that “I have done all these at Your word … that this people may know that You are the Lord God” (I Kings 18:36-37) with the Hebrews witnessing the miracle readily falling on their faces thereafter to confess that “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” (I Kings 18:39)

 

Equally significant are the miracles brought about by the Messiah throughout the Gospels and the apostles in the follow-up book of Acts.  In view of Christians’ familiarity with them, there is hardly any need for a comprehensive survey other than to highlight the following observations:

●     Turning water into wine serves as the “beginning of signs Jesus did … and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.” (John 2:11)

●     After Jesus healed the paralytic on the bed, “the multitudes [who] saw it marvelled and glorified God Who had given such power to [Him].” (Matthew 9:8)

●     “Jesus cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick that it might be fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah ...” (Matthew 8:16-17) because “all things written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44)

 

Do all of these afore-listed instances advocate for signs and wonders to accompany every evangelistic exhortation or pulpit preaching?  Far too many Christians think so — convinced that miracles are an essential high-octane fuel for propelling faith.  On the other hand, not many believers are aware that “John performed no signs” (John 10:41) during his ministry in the wilderness; yet sinners flocked to hear him speak and in Jesus’ opinion “assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11).  Also, there is the intriguing remark in the gospels that in certain places “Jesus could do no mighty works there … because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:5-6) despite the supposed axiom that miracles can help to build up faith.  Furthermore, the implicit understanding is that witnesses would naturally be eager to spread word of the miracles happening before their very eyes but “then Jesus commanded them that they should tell no one …” (Mark 7:36) about Him healing the deaf man with an impediment in his speech.  With regard to healing, not much attention has been paid to the exceptions documented (presumably for posterity’s benefit) in scriptures: apart from the repeated occasions where God decidedly chose not to grant the thorn-in-the-flesh prayers of Paul who “pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me” (II Corinthians 12:8), the Bible contains counter-examples such as the Pauline verse that “I have left Trophimus in Miletus sick” (II Timothy 4:20) and the explanatory text that “Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see” (Genesis 27:1).  Of note too is the following passage that is likely to catch by surprise those Christians who remain fixated on miracles: “Now at Passover during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them because He knew all men … for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:23-25)  Another question for deliberation is whether learning how to carry out miracles is expected of Christians: firstly they are advised to remember Paul’s rhetorical questions “Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings?” (I Corinthians 12:29-30) and secondly they ought not to overlook that the pre-Ascension Messiah told the miracle-workers “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practise lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).

 

Having progressed from OT to NT, the present discussion cannot be drawn to a conclusion without finally considering what scriptures foretell of miracles during the so-called last days.  Among the verses available in the Bible relating to the end of the age, the most authoritative has to be the caution sounded by the Son of Man that “false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).  Any Christian desiring to know more has only to peruse Revelation 13 which portends what the two beasts will be doing with the power given by the dragon.  In the meanwhile, believers must never forget the recurring forewarning of the Master-Teacher (when responding to His disciples’ query concerning the end times): “Take heed that no one deceives you” (Matthew 24:4) as well as “see, I have told you beforehand” (Matthew 24:25).

 

PS:  This is not an appropriate platform for a full discourse on the controversy surrounding the cessation of miracles save for pointing out that the accounts of healings and exorcisms shared by missionaries (venturing into, for instance, Africa or South America) may be perceived as being an extension of the narratives detailed by Luke to chronicle the signs and wonders taking place when Peter, Philip and Paul reached out to pre-believers in, respectively, Jerusalem city (Acts 5:14-16), Samaria region (Acts 19:11-12) and Gentile lands (Acts 8:6-8).  That said, the NT also contains passages concerning the eventuality of evangelism and miracles looking ahead to the future.

●     “… this gospel will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14)

●     “… whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; … for we know in part and we prophesy in part.  But when that is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away” (I Corinthians 13:8-9).

On the other hand, those who subscribe to the proposition that miracles have nowadays ceased need to be mindful of what the Lord intends to do by way of re-creating at the end of the age:

●     “… the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, … [but] nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (II Peter 3:12-13)

●     “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.  Also there was no more sea.  Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming out of heaven from God …” (Revelation 21:1-2).