The flood … waters prevailed exceedingly upon the Earth, and all the high hills, that were under the whole Heaven, were covered … and Noah only remained alive, and those who were with him in the ark [GEN 7:17-23].

The waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after (the Israelites) there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel (had) walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left … And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did [EXO 14:28-31].

The flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and these three … fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace … then … the king was astonished … and said … I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire [DAN 3:22-25].

The Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights [JON 1:17].

In the New Testament we see: Jesus turning the water to wine [JOH 2], Jairus’ daughter raised from the dead [MAR 5], five thousand fed with 5 loaves and 2 fish [MAR 6], sight given to a blind man [MAR 8], Lazarus raised from the dead [JOH 11], and the virgin birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ [LUK 2, 24]. Many other miracles could be listed from the Bible.

A miracle is an extraordinary action. It does not follow the normal laws of nature. God usually uses a miracle for substantiating His work and Word. Whenever the ordinary method by natural means is inadequate to accomplish the Divine purpose in the government of the universe or any part of it, God employs the extraordinary method--the miracle. Miracles are accomplished by the suspension or overcoming of the normal laws of nature. God as Creator and Sustainer of the universe certainly has this authority and ability.

Are the miracles of the Bible to be taken literally? Did they really happen? The testimony of Moses, Jesus, John and Paul is that they were real. Their testimony IS reliable. We CAN believe them. We certainly find it hard to believe what we are unfamiliar with. Our ignorance, however, does not alter the facts. Let me illustrate from the philosopher John Locke who in his book on UNDERSTANDING in chapter iv, section xv related that:

a Dutch ambassador entertaining the king of Siam with the peculiarities of Holland, which he was inquisitive after, amongst other things, told him that the water in his country would sometimes, in cold weather, be so hard that men walked upon it, and that it would bear an elephant if he were there to which the king replied, ‘Hitherto, I have believed the strange things you have told me, because I look upon you as a sober, fair man, but now I am sure you lie.’

Likewise the unconverted man because of his ignorance and natural opposition to God denies the miracles of the Bible. He WILL NOT believe [1CO 2:14, 15]. Men are quite willing, however, to believe the "sleight of hand" tricks called miracles by religious and secular frauds.

The person of Christ--His incarnation, life and death for our sins, His burial, and bodily resurrection, is the real battleground of faith. He who believes that God incarnate has appeared on Earth to save man from sin, will have no difficulty with the Bible miracles. He who does not believe Christ and the facts about Him, WILL NOT accept the miracles. If a man does not stumble over that Divine-Human person Who is set for the fall and rising again of many [LUK 2:34], he will not stumble over the supernaturalism which is naturally associated with Him.

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This Page Last Updated: 12/08/98 A. Allison Lewis aalewis@christianbeliefs.org