Recently, I’ve read a few different OST members’ posts talking about “miracles.” They piqued my interest. So, I asked: How are “miracles” talked about in the Holy Bible?
A few overall points are worth mentioning before you read further. The defining “miracle” in the Holy Bible was probably the first, which was in Exodus. Aspects of the first “miracle” are replicated by Jesus on multiple occasions in the New Testament. Moreover, there are some general themes that surround “miracles” in the Holy Bible. 1) “miracles” join God and Jesus with trusting believers in creating the kingdom. 2) God‘s “miracles” call hard hearted people to repentance. 3) remembering “miracles” (especially, I think, the exodus “miracle” and Jesus‘ “miracles“) is a way believers can give thanks to God. 4). “miracles” are not the sole province of God and godly things.
The first use of the word “miracle” appears in Exodus 7, as God‘s people toil and suffer in extreme conditions of slavery under Pharaoh. It opens with God hatching a divine plan with Moses and Aaron. They’re aiming to provoke the Pharaoh, to “harden” his “heart,” which will set Egypt up for God’s “mighty acts of judgment.” This set of actions will “bring the Israelites out of” Egypt (1-5).
Starting at verse 9, God says to Moses and Aaron: “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”
10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
Note that in this instance the “miracle” authenticates Moses and Aaron to figures of earthly authority. Performing a “miracle” in public is a way that someone claiming to be God and prophet can certify their claim. This pattern is also visible in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Luke, Herod hopes to see Jesus perform “miracles” as a way of confirming His identity (23:8). And in another instance, two brothers tell Jesus to go to a public feast and perform “miracles” so that he can gain public notoriety (Luke 7:3). Working “miracles” is a way of authenticating one’s connections to God.
Interestingly, verses 11 and 12 show that the Pharaoh’s “wise men and sorcerers” and “magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake.” This suggests that “miracles” are not the sole province of God and those acting in His name. Those practicing the “secret arts” can also apparently perform “miracles.” We see this again in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus says that during the “great distress” surrounding the end of one age and the heralding of the new creation: “false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible” (24:24).
Miracles, contrary to what many believers argue, should not necessarily be seen as the work of God. In both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, “miracles” are sometimes the work of those operating against the fulfillment of the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
This first “miracle” also points to a pattern we see over and again: “miracles” join God and Jesus with believers to effect the kingdom on earth. In authenticating Moses and Aaron, the “miracle” helps pull the wool over the Pharaoh’s eyes and it helps begin a chain of divine events that subverts his rule over the Israelites. In other words, a “miracle” helped hatch God’s plan of freedom. The plan revolved around the cooperation of God, Moses and Aaron.
There are other examples in the New Testament as well. Starting at Mark 9:38, John says to Jesus: "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." Jesus responded to John and the surrounding apostles: “Do not stop him. No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us” (39-40). It is clear then that the working of “miracles” in Jesus’ name connects believers to Him in an intimate way. Working a “miracle” in Jesus’ name is to demonstrate that you are part of and working toward the kingdom of heaven on earth as it is in heaven. “Miracles” bond believers to God the Father and Jesus the Son of Man in a fruitful relationship. This is clear throughout the Holy Bible.
Remembering God’s “miracles” is also a way of giving thanks and connecting oneself to the Father. This is a recurring theme especially in the Hebrew Bible. 1 Chronicles 16:12 offers an illustrative example of remembering God‘s “miracles“ as a way for Israel to give thanks to the Lord: “Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced…” Other examples include Psalm 77:11 and Psalm 105:5. They all present remembering “miracles” as a way for believers to relate to God, to give thanks to Him. This is seen again in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Luke, throngs of believers gathered along the roadway and praised Jesus’ “miracles” as he entered Jerusalem (19:37). They remembered and acted on those memories of his compassion and charity and gave thanks.
Conversely, failing to remember God’s “miracles” is an act of “arrogant and stiff-necked” disobedience. This is seen particularly in Nehemiah 9:16 and Psalm 106:7.
Finally, the “miracle” that Moses, Aaron and God created for the Pharaoh set up a moment of potential repentance. God said Pharaoh would not repent. But the “miracle” set up that possibility for rethinking their current course of action. We see this again in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus performed “miracles” in several cities like Capernaum and created the possibility for repentance, but like the Pharaoh, the cities’ collective heart was hardened and Jesus’ message was refused (11:20-21, 23; see also Luke 10:13). In his hometown, a place with little faith, Jesus doesn’t do many “miracles” because there is little possibility of repentance without faith (Matthew 13:58). “Miracles,” in other words, are closely tied to God making genuine repentance possible to those with hard hearts.
*All references to Holy Bible are from NIV.
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