The Bible and the Supernatural: The Cupbearer and the Baker

 Scripture: Genesis 40:5-22

Background: After Joseph had his two dreams, his brothers’ hatred of him grew so extreme that they planned to murder him. At the last minute, though, they changed their minds and sold him as a slave to Egypt. There Joseph served an Egyptian official until the official’s wife unfairly accused Joseph of rape. So Joseph was thrown into jail. There he eventually met the cupbearer and baker of Pharaoh, imprisoned for making their lord angry. The servants each had a dream, and Joseph ended up interpreting for them.

Observations: Eleven years have passed since Joseph had his own dreams, and since then, he has gone from favored son to Egyptian slave to trusted steward to prisoner to jail supervisor. Hardly the path one would expect to take to reach the lord of one’s brothers. Yet this long, winding, and difficult road has not nullified Joseph’s dreams. Their fulfillment is still coming.

And the cupbearer and the baker are the next piece in that road, providing further insight into the realm of dreams:

1. Dreams are not the exclusive territory of God’s people. Even outsiders can have dreams, some of which may originate from God.

2. Dreams may need interpretation by others. Whereas the meaning of Joseph’s dreams was clear to all around him, both the baker and the cupbearer required outside interpretation. This need for outside interpretation may be necessary for a variety of reasons, but in this case it was especially necessary as neither dreamer knew the true God from whom the dream originated.

3. All true interpretation originates with God. A human agent may be needed to relay the interpretation, a position Joseph fills here, or the interpretation may be clear to the dreamer. Either way, God, as the source of the dream, is also the source of the dream’s meaning, and therefore, the true meaning cannot be discerned apart from Him.

4. Dreams have a variety of uses. God used Joseph’s dreams to get him to Egypt and possibly to provide encouragement through the subsequently difficult years. In other places in Scripture, dreams provide hope, promises, and warnings. Here they are used to establish Joseph’s credibility and honesty. His dark prediction concerning the baker’s future showed that Joseph told the truth—not what people wanted to hear—and the fulfillment of both dreams proved the accuracy of his interpretation. This would eventually earn Joseph an audience with Pharaoh himself.

5. So dreams can predict both good and bad outcomes. Sometimes we think of dreams as pleasant things, or at least something helpful. And often they are. But even more than that, a dream which comes from God is true, because God is a truth teller and cannot lie.

Significance: Whether or not we ever have a supernatural dream, this passage and the surrounding text reminds us of several helpful truths:

Sometimes we Christians become self-righteous, arrogant, and demeaning of non-Christians, because we have a “corner” on truth. In one sense that is true, in that we have the inerrant Word of God—the fully revealed Truth that is above all other truth—and the Holy Spirit to help us understand, apply, and guide us.

But both of these are a gift from God. We did not earn them. We did not buy them. We do not have exclusive rights to them. As a result, God is free to interact, use, employ, and even reveal glimpses of Himself even to those who do not follow Him. We should not dismiss some things only because they come from a non-Christian source—and for that matter, nor should we accept something only because it comes from a “Christian” source.

Likewise, we Christians think we can do everything ourselves—a “God and me alone” attitude. The truth is, sometimes we need help from others and especially help from other Christians, whether interpreting a dream, planning a church function, or caring for a family member.

But at all times, no matter what we are facing, we need to remember that the source of the true answers we need is God. Now He may use a variety of methods to provide those answers—books, stories, friends, even dreams—but real answers come from Him, and as such, we must ultimately square it with the Truth of Scripture.

Finally, most of all, this passage proves that God’s path is often unexpected but true. He is not a man that He should lie. But neither is God required to follow the path we think He should. He may take us on “detours.” He may lead us in a direction that seems opposite of that which we believe we are supposed to go. He may cause events that seem irrelevant, permit delayed outcomes (it would be two years before the cupbearer remembered Joseph!), and use happenings differently than anticipated. But God always keeps His promises—even if it is in the way least expected!

The Bible and the Supernatural: Joseph’s Dreams

Scripture: Genesis 37:5-11

Background: Jacob settled down in the land of Canaan, but not all was peaceful. As his sons grew, so did the family strife, especially since Jacob loved his second-to-youngest son more than the other eleven. To make matters worse, Jacob had no problem declaring his favoritism of Joseph, giving him a special tunic as a sign of that favor. This made Joseph the least favorite person among his brothers, a hatred that was only deepened when Joseph announced two dreams that showed he would rule over his brothers someday.

Observations: For the first time in this series, we come to what most think of as a “dream” in connection with the supernatural.

There have been other dreams before this point in Scripture, but they have been God speaking with a sleeping person (e.g. Genesis 20:3, 28:12-15). But here we encounter a different kind of dream. Instead of hearing God’s voice, Joseph envisions sheaves and heavenly bodies acting in peculiar ways to communicate a deeper meaning.

Since this is the first occurrence of such an event, it reveals several things about the nature of dreams:

1. God sometimes communicates specific, personal revelation through dreams. In this case, these dreams applied directly to Joseph and his family. The circumstances conveyed by the dreams were fulfilled in their lifetime. While the account of these dreams became a part of Scripture, they were not scriptural revelation, like would happen later with the prophets. That is, we cannot claim Joseph’s dreams as applicable to us. Some dreams are just for that person and his/her immediate circumstances.

2. Some dreams predict future events. Many dreams, of course, are just that—imaginings conjured by the sleeping mind, with no significance. But others do predict things to come, and sometimes God even duplicates the dream to affirm the truth of the first dream, to show such matters are considered irreversibly settled (see Genesis 41:32).

3. Some dreams are allegorical in nature. Sheaves and stars, the sun and the moon--these were not actually bowing to Joseph nor would they ever. They stood in place of something else; they represented Joseph and his family.

4. Despite an allegorical nature, some interpretations are clear. Joseph did not have to tell his brothers what his dreams meant. He did not have to explain to Jacob. In fact, with each dream, the interpretation was so obvious that Joseph’s father and brothers provide it (verses 8 and 10).

5. God-given dreams may not be initially accepted by others, even those more “mature.” Other’s reactions do not determine the veracity of a dream. Indeed, many of these kinds of dreams deal with uncomfortable subjects. So the rejection of what they proclaim should be expected. (As a side note, though, this doesn’t mean the converse is true: Rejection of a dream does not equal proof that a dream is true.)

Significance: God communicates in a variety of ways with people. Allegorical dreams are just one of those methods.

Obviously we need to tread carefully in this area. As I already stated, many (and probably most) “dreams” people experience today carry no grand significance. But this doesn’t mean it never occurs. If God has done this in the past, it is possible He will do it again.

Now if the dream contradicts Scripture, it is not of God. If it contradicts the character, standard, and revealed will of God, it is not of Him. And even if a dream comes from God, that does not place it on the level of Scripture.

But sometimes God wants to provide unique instructions, reveal a future detail, or give a specific assurance which cannot be found precisely in Scripture, and He wants to apply them to a particular person at a definite time. And in those personal circumstances—who knows? God may chose to use a dream, just like with Joseph.

The Bible and the Supernatural: Wrestling with God

Scripture: Genesis 32:24-31

Background: Several years after his vision of the ladder to heaven, Jacob is returning to his homeland. In the intervening years, he has acquired huge herds of animals, gained two wives and their maids, and fathered 12 children (11 boys and 1 girl). But despite all the time that has passed, Jacob still fears his twin brother’s wrath—a fear that seems justified at the report of Esau’s approach with four hundred men. So Jacob sends ahead a lavish gift of animals to appease his brother and places all he has on the far side of a stream, leaving him along to wrestle with God—literally.

Observations: Both Job and Genesis are filled with accounts of man’s encounters with God. There have been dreams and visions. Voices from heaven. A whirlwind. Physical appearances. But no where does the encounter with the divine become more personal or tangible than here.

For while God is spirit, He can somehow take on a very tangible form—otherwise Jacob would not have been able to wrestle with Him. Indeed, God takes on such a human form that Jacob does not realize at first with whom he wrestles. But when Jacob requests the name of the “man,” the response implies that Jacob should know the answer (“Why is it that you ask my name?”). And the following verse shows that Jacob does finally recognize Him: “I have seen God face to face.”

But Jacob and God do more than wrestle, which shows close physical contact. God here also changes Jacob’s name. Since his birth, he has been called “the one who grasps the heel,” a physical image of one who trips up and tricks others, usually through deception. And Jacob has lived up to his name well: he tricked his brother out of his birthright, stole his father’s blessing, and manipulated to obtain the best of his uncle’s animals, fleeing each time the situation went south.

Now God changes Jacob’s name and provides him a new identify to live up to. Yes, Jacob has striven with men. Yes he has wrestled with God. And he prevailed. Jacob didn’t need to live in the shadows as a deceiver any longer, running from place to place. He could boldly face the new day as a prevailer, as Israel.

Yet such a personal encounter with God did not come without cost. God touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh and dislocated it, leaving Jacob with a limp as a reminder, an injury which I suspect plagued him for the rest of his life.

Significance: An encounter with the supernatural is no small thing. An encounter with the Living God even less so. After all, His nature and power so supersede us that  He is truly incomprehensible, unimaginable, inexplicable, and completely beyond our ability to grasp.

Yet as Jacob’s wrestling reveals, God still condescends to meet us on our turf. He knows where we are at, and though He could demand all sorts of maneuvering on our part, He doesn’t. He comes to us. He shows up where we are. He deals with us as we are now—even if that requires a full-fledged fight.

And it’s not like He doesn’t know what He is getting into when He steps forward to meet us! He knows who we are. He knows our history and all we have done. He knows our weaknesses and our desires.

But God does not want to leave us there. He may meet us in our current state, but He summons us to be more. He calls us to leave our past behind and grow into the person He desires us to become. To be more than conquerors in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Yet be careful what you wish for! While such an encounter with God sounds good and desirable—and it is—“good” does not equal easy…or safe…or painless. God may condescend to meet us, but He will not lessen His Glory or diminish His character for our comfort. Rather, we ought to expect such a God-encounter will change us, leaving a lasting mark on our lives. 

The Bible and the Supernatural: Jacob’s Ladder

 Scripture: Genesis 28:10-22

Background: Many years have passed since the last passage we looked at. Abraham and Sarah have both died. Isaac has married, raised twin boys, and now is well advanced in years. But the younger twin, Jacob, has stolen Isaac’s blessing from the elder, and the elder is ready to kill the younger. So under the guise of seeking a wife, Jacob has fled his family, and one night during that journey, Jacob has a dream about a ladder which stretches from earth to heaven.

Observations: Jacob’s ladder is one of those lessons we may remember from childhood Sunday School, often favored for its surreal quality. But it is a story which we often fail to revisit as adults—maybe because of its surreal quality.

Yet these verses offer us a rare glimpse into the “other side” where the supernatural dwells. As such, it also has much to tell us about the supernatural:

1. The supernatural is active, whether we can see it or not. Jacob did not know there was anything special about this place he stopped. He himself said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Emphasis mine) It simply looked like a good place to spend the night; he couldn’t see the activity going on around. But the passage makes it clear that the ladder existed and the angelic activity was going on well before he began to dream about them.

2. Sometimes dreams reveal what we cannot otherwise perceive. Now many dreams are just imaginings that our brains contrive while we sleep and have no grand significance or meaning. But this passage makes it clear that at least occasionally dreams can reveal what our eyes would not see and give us ears to hear God more clearly.

3. Heaven and earth are connected. While sin caused many separations and divides, God did not throw up His hands and leave us to our own devices. Rather, as this passage reveals, God and those who serve Him continue to engage with this broken world.

4. Likewise, angels are moving between heaven and earth. Angels exist. They are active. They come from heaven to earth and go from earth back to heaven.

5. An encounter with the supernatural should move us to action. Jacob didn’t merely yawn and shrug his shoulders when he awoke from the dream. Rather, his increased awareness moved him toward the worship of God (not the angels!) and the making a vow in accordance with what God had spoken to him.

Significance: In our modern scientific world, sometimes those things that cannot be seen, touched, heard, or measured in some way are dismissed as imagination and fiction. Jacob’s ladder warns us to not be hasty in such judgments: The supernatural does exist and is currently active. While we don’t need (or want) to become superstitious, neither should we dismiss all that happens around us as a natural phenomenon.

As a result, we should develop a sensitive and discerning spirit. God may not speak via dreams often, but He does speak. He speaks through His creation. He speaks through the Bible. He speaks through the collision of circumstances. He speaks through other people and through implanted thoughts. He speaks in ways both natural and supernatural. The method ultimately is not what matters, but whether we are listening, in order that might hear and recognize His voice, whatever form it takes—and then act accordingly.

The Bible and the Supernatural: A Substitute Sacrifice

 Scripture: Genesis 22:1-19

Background: Several years have passed since Abraham sent away Hagar and Ishmael. Isaac has now grown up into a young man, probably dearer to Abraham than ever before, and God asks for the unthinkable: He asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

Observations: Divine instructions sometimes can seem quite bizarre—even contradictory at times. Consider: God had promised Abraham that Isaac would be his heir. God had promised Abraham a multitude of descendents through Isaac. How could that ever be possible if Isaac was dead?

Yet Abraham moved ahead. He did not, at least recorded within the text, ever question Who had spoken to him, what God had said, or whether God’s instructions should be taken literally. Abraham did not dither around trying to interpret God’s meaning. Early the very next morning Abraham took Isaac, two servants, and a donkey laden with wood for the sacrifice.

How could Abraham possible do this? Didn’t he believe what God had promised him concerning Isaac? Indeed he did, as his words to the servants showed: “we…will return to you.” We. As in Abraham and Isaac. They would return, despite God’s instructions. This is why Hebrews 11 says that Abraham believed God could raise Isaac from the dead. Never mind that Scripture records no such an act before this point.

But even though Abraham believed God could raise his son from the dead, Abraham did not stubbornly cling to God’s instructions to sacrifice Isaac. When Abraham was instructed to stop later, he stopped, no questions asked. He willingly changed course and sacrificed the ram caught in the nearby thicket instead.

Significance: This passage reveals at least four things about the instructions and provision of God.

1. God’s instructions don’t always make sense from our perspective. He is God, after all, and we are not. So it’s only logical that His instructions will seem weird, illogical, bizarre, and even contradictory at times. That doesn’t excuse us from obeying what He has told us to do.

2. God’s instructions are usually to be taken literally, even if they don’t make sense. Nowhere does Scripture make understanding a prerequisite to obedience, as far as I am aware of. In face, we are often asked to obey before we fully understand—to act by faith, not knowledge. Interestingly, understanding often comes afterward, as it did for Abraham when God explained why He asked what He did (v. 12).

3. God can change personal, specific instructions at any time He wants. The Bible, God’s universal instructions, His general rules of living—these kinds of things are eternal and do not change. But He also provides specific instructions for specific people for specific circumstances, as He did for Abraham in this passage. These instructions He is free to adapt, shift, or even abolish altogether. So just because God gave you one set of marching orders at one point doesn’t mean those are your marching orders for the rest of your life.

4. Supernatural provision can be a natural provision given at the perfect time. Sometimes we dismiss provision as chance or coincidence because we can explain away the provision’s presence. For example here, a ram wandered away from a flock and got itself stuck. A normal enough happening. However, natural circumstances don’t negate the reality that God was behind the scenes, orchestrating events so that the provision would be at the right place at exactly the right time.

The Bible and the Supernatural: Water for Ishmael

Scripture: Genesis 21:14-19

Background: After the miraculous birth of Isaac, problems arose between Abraham’s sons and their mothers. So at Sarah’s demand and with God’s approval, Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away. They ended up wandering the wilderness, using up their supplies. Soon Ishmael was dying of thirst.

Observations: The desert was hot. The supplies were gone. Ishmael was dying, and there was nothing Hagar could do about it. Indeed, her despair was so great, the situation seemed so impossible, that she didn’t cry out for deliverance, nor did she plead for a miracle. No, in her anguish her only request that it may not be made greater by witnessing her only son die.

Then God showed up, providing everything she needed.

Now a well showing up in the desert might not be the most astounding miracle in the Bible, it still reveals many important truths about God’s supernatural provision:

Supernatural provision is not necessary until natural supplies are exhausted. There is a reason why many biblical miracles occur in desert. God often refuses to do one until an impossible situation demands it. Why? Not only is it far too easy for us to take credit for God’s work, but there is simply no reason for Him to employ the supernatural when that natural He has already given will be sufficient. After all, God doesn’t do miracles to impress or entertain us. He does them to provide what we need. Yet how often do we forget this, demanding God supernaturally intervene without using what He has already provided us, thinking that this somehow shows great trust or dependency? Such an attitude applied to any other area—money or power, for example—would be considered greed, not faith.

God provides according to our needs, not our requests. Hagar asked that she wouldn’t see Ishmael die. God provided water. So maybe we don’t get what we desired or requested. This didn’t mean God failed to act. It simply means He acted according to what He knew was best, according to what we needed most.

Provision of the ordinary can be still supernatural. Sometimes we think impossible circumstances require the obviously miraculous solution. But Hagar’s story shows that sometimes God uses very ordinary means to solve our problems. Ishmael was dying of thirst, so He showed Hagar a well of water. Does that mean Hagar, in her anguish, simply missed a well that was there all along? Or did God cause the well to materialize out of nowhere? The Scripture doesn’t say, because truthfully, it doesn’t matter. The point is God provided the water, making it a supernatural act, whether of materialization or guidance to the right place at the right time.

Sometimes the main supernatural provision is sight. Even if the well was already there, God still needed to open Hagar’s eyes to see it. It is the same with us. Sometimes God has already provided what we needed, but for one reason or another—grief, pain, distraction, fear to name a few—we fail to see it. And it is hard to use what we cannot see. So when we ask God to provide, we should also ask for the eyes to see His provision, whatever form it may take.

Supernatural provision goes beyond the physical. God could have simply opened Hagar’s eyes to see the well. But He didn’t. Instead, He used the physical need to address the greater spiritual issues: Hagar’s fear, her loss of purpose, her hopelessness. These things may have existed from the moment Abraham sent her away, but not until here, when Hagar is at her greatest physical need, does God speak. Then after He reassured her, addressing the spiritual issues, He provided the physical.

Significance: So what does all this mean for us?

First, God is able to provide. Like Hagar, we can be easily overwhelmed by our circumstances. Impossible situations arise today as much as in Hagar’s time. But impossibilities do not baffle God. He is omnipotent, doing whatever He likes. Now His method of provision may vary—miraculous, supernatural, ordinary, natural, or some combination thereof—but that doesn’t change the basic truth of His provision: no matter what we may face today or tomorrow or any day in the future, God is able to provide whatever we may need.

Second, God has purpose. Often suffering and pain are hardest to bear when we see it as pointless, which is why I believe God took time to remind Hagar of what He had promised her earlier—that He had a plan for Ishmael’s life. So yes, our circumstances may seem random at times. Events may look accidental, and situations completely arbitrary. But God is sovereign. He is in control. Nothing surprises Him. Nor does He act capriciously. So even though we might not perceive the purpose, we can rest in the truth that God acts as He does for a reason, and His plans cannot be thwarted.

Third, God sees and hears. God’s provision does little good if He is unaware of a need or if He doesn’t care. So when God speaks to Hagar, He reassures her that He knew of her problems. Just as He saw her when pregnant with Ishmael, He heard the crying of her teenage son now. He knew where they were and what that needed, and out of that knowledge He provided. So while pain and suffering can make God seem distance, He does see our situations, He does hear our cries—and He acts accordingly.

Therefore, God is trustworthy. This is why God could assure Hagar that she didn’t need to fear, when from a human viewpoint she had every reason to fear. She was, after all, stuck in the direst of circumstances with death looming over her shoulder. Yet even here God says, “Fear not.” Why? Because He sees and hears us. Because He knows what we need, both physically and spiritually. Because He has a purpose. Because He can provide whatever we need by whatever means He chooses. In short, He is loving and He is strong. So we can rely on Him, no matter what we face.

The Bible and the Supernatural: The Birth of Isaac

Scripture: Genesis 21:1-8

Background: After years of waiting for God to fulfill His promise to provide Abraham and Sarah a son, Sarah finally gets pregnant and gives birth to Isaac. Abraham was a hundred years old, and Sarah was in her nineties.

Observations: The supernatural of this passage seems to center around two main phrases:

“The LORD did for Sarah as He had promised.” Sarah conceived and bore a son. If you don’t know the background of this event, such a statement seems rather dull. Women have been getting pregnant and bearing children for millennia, ever since God created Adam and Eve.

But as you study the surrounding circumstances, the impossibilities stack up. First, Sarah was barren. The story of Hagar and the birth of Ishmael proved the problem didn’t lie with Abraham. So despite trying, Sarah apparently couldn’t conceive. Second, Sarah was well past child-bearing years; biologically a woman shouldn’t be able to conceive at that age. Third, this all occurred in ancient times. There was no possibility of artificial insemination or any other medical procedure to override the natural problems.

So rightly the first verse of chapter 21 declares that God did this. Yes, He used natural ways to bring about the birth of Isaac (e.g. He didn’t make Isaac materialize out of thin air, though He could have). But God manipulated the natural in supernatural way so that it would be obvious the miracle child was from Him.

Moreover, this miracle came as God said. He keeps His promises, no matter how impossible it seems to us humans. In fact, God seems to favor the impossible promise, because it proves that He did it and therefore He is God.

“…At the appoint time of which God had spoken to him.” God is precise in His timing. He is never late. He is never early. Everything occurs exactly when He intends and nothing can thwart Him. He does not have to wait around, hoping circumstances align in a certain way so that He can act. He can align the circumstances however He wants, whenever He wants to whatever specifications He wants, even overriding the natural order of things, if need be. After all, He is the One who created time and the “natural” order in the first place!

Significance: Miracles, like angels, are often a source of human fascination and misunderstanding. In my experience, people are either quick to claim the miraculous—or to denounce it. So passages such as this one help us regain a balanced perspective about the true nature of miracles:

Miracles can—and do—happen. The account of Isaac’s birth and scores of other miraculous events recorded in Scripture reveal that God can and has broken into human history and performed impossible acts on the behalf of both individuals and nations. Since God’s character does not change, it would logically follow that He can and does the same today, though the amount and type may vary.

Miracles deal with impossibilities. Getting that prime parking spot at the mall on the busiest day of the year may be unlikely or statistically improbable, but it is not impossible. After all, someone has to park in that spot in order for it to be taken. So while such an event may be seen as a gift from God or even an act of His providence, it is not a miracle. Rather, miracles are supernatural—that is, they supersede or override the natural because the natural cannot cause it to happen; only a supernatural power can. Therefore, a true miracle can have no real natural explanation (though a skeptic may try to assign one).

Miracles don’t occur on demand. While miracles often occur to fulfill a desire or a request, God is not a genie or a vending machine, dispensing miracles when and how we want. He does what He wants when He wants. He may choose, for reasons we may never understand, to deny us the miracle we request. Or as in the case with Abraham and Sarah, God may wait, because as I noted earlier, He is very precise in His timing. Many times, He decides to reserve the miraculous for the truly impossible situation, using the less spectacular natural means He has provided already, such as medicine to heal the body. Or He may provide a different miracle than the one we requested or expected.

That said, God keeps His promises—even if it requires a miracle. Impossibilities don’t hinder God. Human timetables don’t worry Him. Circumstances form no barrier or obstacle to Him. God can do whatever He wants whenever He wants. Therefore, we don’t need to worry or get impatient. If God has promised to do it, He will, no matter what.

The Bible and the Supernatural: Abimelech’s Dream

Scripture: Genesis 20

Background: Following the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham wandered to the south and the east, eventually coming to the land of Gerar, ruled by Abimelech. There Abraham once more told the people that Sarah was his sister. So Abimelech took Sarah into his home. As a result, God came to Abimelech in a dream to warn him of the wrong he was about to commit.

Observations: On the surface, this account of Abraham and Abimelech resembles Abraham’s visit to Egypt in Chapter 12. In both cases, Abraham lied about his relationship with Sarah. In both cases, the king of the land brought Sarah into his home with the intent of making her a wife. In both cases, God inflicted harm on the household of the king due to Sarah’s presence, which wasn’t lifted until Sarah was returned to Abraham. With so many similarities, what more can this account add to our study?

Yet, despite the external parallels, God handled each situation differently. In Egypt God simply struck Pharaoh and his household with a plague, and somehow from that the Egyptians discerned the truth. Here, God approaches Abimelech in a dream, warning him of impending destruction if he held onto Sarah.

This passage is also significant because we find our first reference to a prophet here. First references are significant because they create the baseline definition or perception of what a term means. In this case, we read, “‘[Abraham] is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live.’” (20:7)

We often think of prophets as those who predict the future, usually with much gloom and doom. But Genesis 20 paints a vastly different portrait of the prophet’s role. Here Abraham was to pray for Abimelech; he was to intercede on behalf of the king in order that he might live.

So a prophet’s first job is not to foretell what will be, but to pray over what is. Nor is a prophet’s primary motive condemnation and destruction. Rather, he is to bring life and restoration. And if he does utter the dire, it is out of the hope that the listener will turn from wrong and do what is right so that he may live. In short, the job of a prophet is the job of interceding mediator between God and man.

Significance: God is so gracious.

Abimelech had unknowingly committed a great wrong in taking Sarah. One which could have had long-term implications now that the birth of Isaac was less than a year away. After all, Isaac was the promised son upon whom the covenant rested. God, therefore, would brook no ambiguity concerning the origins of Isaac. So from one point of view, God would have been completely justified in instantly killing Abimelech so that there could be no dispute.

Moreover, God doesn’t ignore sin just because it is a sin committed out of ignorance. Deal with it more gently, yes, but ignore it—no. Sin is sin and carries consequences, even when done out of ignorance or innocence.

But God does not kill Abimelech instantly. Rather, He approached Abimelech in a dream, and though God’s opening words sound harsh (“you are a dead man!”), the fact that God bothered to approach at all, clearly laying out Abimelech’s precarious position and the reason why, reveals God’s gracious nature. God didn’t have to do that or explain what was going on. Yet He did.

Nor does God stop there. God, being omniscient, knew that Abimelech acted in the integrity of heart. So God gave Abimelech a chance to correct the situation before He meted out all the consequences. In fact, God went so far as to prevent Abimelech from taking the next irreversible step (20:6) until Abimelech had the chance to make an informed decision. Moreover, God doesn’t leave Abimelech in the dark about what to do now. Rather, God makes it clear what he must do as well as the consequences of failure.

So in Genesis 20 we see how even in the midst of judgment and harshness, God is gracious. Indeed, the graciousness permeates the story so thoroughly, that it echoes the Gospel that was to come: Like with Abimelech, God tells us the truth about our standing before Him (dead and under judgment) as well as explains why we are in that position (sin). But not wanting any to perish, God has informed us how to make the situation right through an interceding mediator (Jesus Christ), even as He warns us of the consequences of ignoring His instructions (eternal death).

Which leaves only one question: how will we respond?

The Bible and the Supernatural: The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

 Scripture: Genesis 19:23-29

Background: Two angels had come to the city of Sodom to destroy it. But before they could act, they had to extract Lot and his family. Finally after a long night of persuasion, the two angels bodily removed Lot, his wife, and two daughters from the city. After strong warnings to not look back or to stop, the two angels sent them on their way, and once they reached the agreed-upon refuge (Zoar), the destruction of Sodom and neighboring Gomorrah began.

Observations: Sometimes when we think of the supernatural, we want to contemplate the nicer elements: angels who bring tidings of great joy, miraculous healings, resurrection. Or when we do consider the terrifying and destructive side of the supernatural, it is easy to attribute it to the demonic, like when Satan acted in Job 1-2.

But although God is a God of mercy and grace, Genesis 19 reminds us He is also just and protective. He will not tolerate sin to continue on unpunished forever. Moreover, sin of even one person affects everyone around him. Therefore, deliberate and persistent sin will often move God to act in defense of those being harmed (Gen. 18:20-21). Divine destruction is the result.

And what does divine destruction look like?

It is sudden. The sun rose that day like on any other day. There was no trumpet call to herald what was about to happen. No ominous sky writing or other warning signs. One minute it appeared to be a normal day. The next, brimstone and fire rained from heaven.

It is unexpected. The phrase “the sun had risen” not only marked time but implied a sunny day, with few to no clouds. Out of this clear sky came rain—and not just any rain either. No, this rain wasn’t made of water, which would have been remarkable enough. This rain was made of fire and brimstone.

It is complete. The cities were destroyed. The surrounding countryside was obliterated. All the valley burned. All the inhabitants died. Even vegetation did not escape. If it was connected with Sodom, Gomorrah, and the valley they resided in, it was destroyed. Indeed, the destruction was so complete, that even to this day archeology and scholarship cannot pinpoint their location, only offer guesses.

It is of God. Because God is sovereign over all, sometimes He is attributed as the source of destruction because He gave Satan the freedom to enact that destruction (compare Job 1:12 and 2:3). As a result, we sometimes want to attribute all “bad things” to Satan. But this passage shows that destruction, especially when done as punishment or judgment, can come straight from God as well.

It is occasionally bizarre. Fire and brimstone, while unexpected, makes a certain amount of sense when it comes to effectively destroying a large area, and it might be reasonably explained now with what we know of meteors and comets. But when Lot’s wife tarried and looked back at her old home, she was transformed into a pillar of salt. This living, breathing person somehow was now comprised of non-living salt. Why? Scripture doesn’t specifically say. Only that this was her punishment for looking back after being explicitly warned not to, its strangeness vouching that it was of God, as He alone could have done something like this.

But even in the midst of this destruction, God showed mercy and grace, for this story ends with these words: “God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out.” God didn’t have to rescue Lot. But He did, because mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13).

Significance: Divine judgment is admittedly an uncomfortable subject. It challenges our perceptions of God’s love, mercy, and grace. It forces us to face the consequences of sin. It reminds us that we will be held accountable and that God’s judgment is inescapable except by the means He provides. And when we are faced with these things, we might have to change how we think, how we act, how we live.

But as uncomfortable as diving judgment is, God includes accounts like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for a reason. Not to make us petrified of Him, always fearing that we will somehow accidentally anger Him and He will bop us on the head as a result. For He is gracious and merciful and patient and very slow to get angry.

No, Sodom and Gomorrah serve as a warning. It is easy to think when we “get away” with wrongdoing, receiving no immediate punishment for it, that we will receive no punishment at all. Sodom and Gomorrah tell a different story. Punishment may be delayed in order to provide an opportunity to repent (more grace!), but delayed is not the same as canceled. And because God is God, He can and will administer said punishment whenever He deems best however He deems best. This makes complacency toward sin and presuming on the grace of God quite dangerous! So if the record of Sodom and Gomorrah is terrifying, it terrifies with the hope of jarring us free from such presumptuous complacency so that we don’t fall under the same condemnation.

Which proves what a merciful God we truly serve. He did not hide from us this difficult part of His character. He makes it clear what He expects of us and what the consequences of breaking that standard will be. He shows that He is serious about sin and that He will punish in the appropriate way at the appropriate time. He has also provided a way of escape—if we will take it.

For God will not force His way upon us. We have a choice—and we can choose not to take His way of escape, like Lot’s future sons-in-law and like his wife. But we must be aware that if we choose to ignore or refuse to take that way of escape, we are choosing to take on God’s judgment on our own…and what hope is there of the natural withstanding the omnipotent wrath of the supernatural?

The Bible and the Supernatural: The Rescue of Lot

Scripture: Genesis 19:1-21

When God visited Abraham to reaffirm His promise concerning the birth of Isaac, He was accompanied by two men. Partway through the visit, these two men left to go to Sodom. At that time, God revealed His intent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Because Abraham’s nephew Lot lived in Sodom, Abraham bargained with God to save the city as long as ten righteous people were found. Alas, such were not found, but God was already moving. He had sent those two men ahead to rescue Lot. Chapter 19 tells the tale of this rescue.

Observations: With Genesis 19, we get our first detailed picture in Genesis of God’s messengers at work, what we typically call angels. Oh, we briefly glimpsed a cherub in Genesis 3:24. The first two chapters of Job taught us about our supernatural adversary, Satan. Within Genesis 16, we read the first recorded encounter between a human (Hagar) and an “angel” or messenger of the LORD, who may have been God himself, Christ in a pre-incarnate form.

What makes Genesis 19 unique is the breadth of its detailed account of clearly angelic activity (God was left behind in 18:22). As a result, we gain numerous insights into these supernatural messengers of God:

1. Angels can appear human in form, masculine in gender. Genesis 18:2, 18:16, and 18:22 call them “men.” The Sodomites refer to them in the same way (19:5). Genesis 19:1 and 19:15, however, makes it clear these two weren’t mere mortals.

2. Angels can eat human food. Like with Abraham, Lot fixed them a meal, and they ate (19:3). So angels often can and do act like humans.

3. Angels are rational beings with a will. They can be reasoned with, as Lot did to persuade them to enter his home (19:2-3). They also can be bargained with; Lot talked them into letting him escape only to Zoar, rather than to the mountains (19:18-22)

4. Angels issue warnings and commands. No promises of a bright future or words of comfort here. God sent these angels to warn Lot of Sodom’s impending destruction and command him to leave (19:12-13, 15, 17).

5. Angels can act protectively. They were instructed to get Lot and his family safely out of Sodom. So they kept Lot from being harmed by the men of Sodom (19:9-10) and then forcibly removed Lot and his family from the city when they hesitated to leave (19:15-16).

6. Angels can also act destructively. While God was the ultimate source of the destruction (19:24), somehow the angels were the agents through which that destruction came (19:13). Indeed, this was the purpose for which they came. So angelic power can cause harm as well as help.

7. Angels can move supernaturally fast, unimpeded by natural barriers. We don’t know exactly where the oaks of Mamre were (Abraham’s location, Genesis 18:1). Nor are we certain where Sodom was (Lot’s location, 19:1), though one of my resources guessitmates that approximately 34 miles, as the crow flies, separated the two locations, with Sodom on the opposite shore of the Dead Sea. What we do know, though, is that the two locations were far enough apart for the massive herds of Lot and Abraham to not tangle over pasture (Genesis 13), though close enough for Abraham to see the smoke rising from the valley from his more mountainous location (19:27). So the two locations weren’t just a short jog apart. Yet these two angels, without the aid of modern transportation, where able to cover that distance, despite the mountainous terrain and the Dead Sea, in a few short hours: They joined Abraham during “the heat of the day” (18:1), enjoyed a meal there (18:6-8), and yet still reached Sodom before sunset (19:1).

8. Angels can perform supernatural/miraculous acts. They blinded the seeing men of Sodom suddenly and instantly. And though the door of Lot’s home had been just before them, the Sodomites could not find it. Indeed, they wearied themselves in trying to do so. This revealed the angels’ ability to hide or disguise the house, whether through mental “blindness,” confusion, or other means. (19:11)

9. Angels are supernaturally powerful. These two angels physically removed four resistant adults by force (19:16) and were capable of destroying an entire city at God’s command. (19:13)

10. But angels, though powerful, are also restrained/limited. Even though they were sent to destroy Sodom by God’s order, they could not fulfill that mission until Lot reached safety (19:22).

Significance: While angels can be intriguing, God does not tell us these things simply to fascinate us or to entertain our idle curiosity. Rather, He tells us these things for a reason, to instruct us, encourage us, warn us. So what do we learn from this astounding angelic encounter?

God sends angels for the protection of His people. Evil can and does befall the people of God. Even Lot lost all his earthly possessions in his escape. Nonetheless, the passage also makes clear that God can and does send angels to protect—sometimes quite forcibly.

God sends angels also for the destruction of those who oppose Him. We prefer to think of angels as ministering spirits that guide and protect. While they are all that, their work is not limited to such actions. After all, God is protective of His people. But if His people need protecting, then there is also someone actively threatening His people. There is nothing protective about saying, “Don’t do that” and sending the threat away with a pat on the head. Moreover, God is just. He will tolerate sin for only so long before His patience dies and His anger rouses. As a result, not all angelic visits end with good upon the person visited. It all depends on the relationship you have with the One who sends the angels.

So God’s angels are real and aren’t to be trifled with. Angels do exist. They are active in our world, though we may not see or recognize them. Genesis 19 assures us of that. But pop culture sometimes paints the picture of angelic visits as tender, soft moments of comfort and reassurance of God’s love. Genesis 19 contradicts this image. There is nothing soft or tender or comfortable about this angelic visit. They brought tidings of impending annihilation of an entire city. Their presence incited mob rage. They struck men blind. Even their protection of Lot shows no softness but a steely fierceness that eventually results in the bodily removal of Lot and his family from the city.

Most importantly, evil cannot thwart God. We sometimes believe there are places in this world so dark, so despicable, that God would never show there, never go there. Sodom would seem to be such a place, for it, along with Gomorrah, is practically synonymous with total human depravity in Scripture. They did not merely sin but openly encouraged it and celebrated it. Yet even into this place God sent two angels to rescue Lot. And they could not be stopped, though all the men of Sodom came against them. So no matter where we find ourselves, no matter how dark or evil that place may be, there is hope: God is still stronger.

The Bible and the Supernatural: A Promised Birth

Scripture: Genesis 18:1-16

After the birth of Ishmael, Hagar’s son, thirteen years passed before the Bible records another meeting between God and Abraham. At that time, names were changed, circumcision given as a sign, and the birth of Isaac foretold. (See Genesis 17.) But God didn’t stop there. Now He visited Abraham in a very human form, accompanied by two angels, to reaffirm the promise to both Abraham and Sarah.

Observations: Sometimes the supernatural doesn’t announce itself with trumpets or fantastical signs in the heavens. Sometimes the supernatural doesn’t look much different than the natural.

Genesis 18 is a prime example of this. Abraham’s visitors, at first glance, seem pretty normal. In fact, this passage describes them simply as “three men”—that is, they looked like typical humans. Moreover, they acted very human. They walked. They rested. They ate. They had feet washed. They talked with Abraham like any normal mortal.

So how do we know that there is even anything supernatural about these visitors?

They seemed to appear out of nowhere. Abraham was sitting in the tent door, able to see what was going on around him. Yet at one point he lifted his eyes, and there they were, standing before him. Not walking. Not approaching. Not climbing down some distant rise. One minute there is no one around. The next, the three visitors stood before him.

They knew more than ordinary strangers should. They knew Abraham had a wife. They knew her name was Sarah—a name given to her only recently. They knew when Sarah laughed at the prediction of bearing a son, even though no one could hear her (the Hebrew literally reads “laughed within”). They even knew about the promise from Chapter 17 that Sarah would bear a son—a promise, which Abraham may not have told his wife yet, considering her reaction to the news.

They predicted an impossible future. They predicted that Sarah would get pregnant. They predicted that she would bear a son—and would do so within a year’s time. Such precision would be amazing enough under normal circumstances. But Sarah was around 90 years old! There was no way she physically should be able to become pregnant or bear a son. What was predicted wasn’t merely improbable or implausible. It was completely impossible. Yet despite that, they accurately predicted the birth of Isaac.

Significance: When we read of the dramatic miracles of Exodus or the mind-blowing visions of Ezekiel and the Apostle John, it is easy to form a picture in our heads of how the supernatural ought to look. Now while the supernatural can and does manifest in such ways, that is not the only way. Sometimes the supernatural can appear quite ordinary, even mundane.

As a result, we must learn to keep our eyes open. While we don’t need to assign everything unexpected to the supernatural, neither should we expect the supernatural to always come with trumpet fanfare. Rather, we should live with a discerning eye, expecting the unexpected while learning to recognize the markers of the truly supernatural. 

The Bible and the Supernatural: Hagar Meets an Angel

Scripture: Genesis 16:7-16

Even though Abram had been promised a son, his wife Sarai bore him no child. So they decided to help God out and Sarai gave her maid, Hagar, to Abram. Hagar, of course, got pregnant, starting a feud between the two women. This resulted in Sarai treating Hagar harshly. So Hagar ran away to the wilderness where she encountered an angel of God.

Observations: Genesis, whose very title means “beginning,” is a book of firsts. The first person, the first temptation, the first sin, the first promise of a Savior…and that is in just the first three chapters of the book! Genesis 16 continues this theme and contains several firsts of its own:

• The first use of angel in the Torah. Cherubim are mentioned back in Genesis 3:24, set there to guard the Tree of Life. Genesis 6 references “the sons of God,” another possible allusion to angelic beings. But not until here is the term angel actually used.

• The first recorded encounter between a human and an angel. Even the two uses of angel in Job (4:18 and 33:23) are passing references to these supernatural beings. This is the first time we see clear and precise interaction between a human and one of God’s messengers (the literal definition of both the Greek and Hebrew terms used for angel).

• The first encounter between God and a “Gentile” in the Torah. Although there is not yet a Jew-Gentile division yet, since the nation of Israel does not exist, other nations and countries have developed since the Flood. With that development, a division is already forming between the “godly” line that will eventually lead to the Jews (and ultimately to the Messiah) and those on the outside. In fact, Scripture makes a point of emphasizing that Hagar is an Egyptian: She’s not of the line that would produce the promised people and possibly not even a believer in the God Abram and Sarai served.

Significance: As this is the first clearly recorded angel encounter, it probably shouldn’t surprise that this passage provides us several clues about the supernatural.

First, we realize that not all we now call “angels” are angels in Scripture. We tend to use the term to refer to any supernatural being who isn’t God. But in Scripture, the word for angel was simply “messenger” and could refer to a human (in which case it’s usually translated messenger), to a non-human being (what we call angels), or even to God in the form of a theophany (Christ appearing in human form on Earth before His incarnation). On the other side, there are mentioned other supernatural beings who aren’t messengers—the cherubim and seraphim, for example. This reveals that different roles and different “races,” if not “species,” exist for what we call angels. Moreover, this shows that God has many ways of communicating with humans as well—through other people, supernatural beings, and even directly Himself.

We also see in this passage that one of the main roles of a true angel is that of messenger. Their job is to interact directly with people and speak to them. That message may be short or long. It may include commands, instructions, promises, encouragement, prophesy, and (as we will see later) warnings. Often these messages, like here, are very specific, quirked for a specific person facing a very specific set of circumstances, usually with some immediate application. This specificity implies that the completion of the Bible would not nullify the work of a messenger angel, which in turn implies that they are still necessary and active today.

But I think what impressed me the most about this passage was to whom God sent this first messenger: a female, Egyptian slave who might not even believe in Him. That is about as low as you can get, especially in a Jew’s eyes. Yet Hagar gets the distinction of having this first recorded encounter with a messenger from the LORD and possibly the first post-Eden theophany as well (implied by the use of “I” in verse 10).*

This tells us that the supernatural is not reserved for the elite. You do not have to be a certain gender. You do not have to belong to a certain race. You don’t have to possess a certain social ranking. Any of us may experience the supernatural. Any of us may encounter God. So the question becomes less “can we encounter the supernatural” and more “how will we respond when we encounter it?” Will we recoil…doubt…rebel? Or respond with obedience like Hagar, realizing God sees us and our circumstances no matter how difficult?

*(While God frequently talked with other people before this point, only twice is He said to make an visible appearance—once speaking out of the whirlwind with Job [Job 38:1, 40:6] and once He “appeared” to Abram in an unspecified form [Genesis 12:7]. Neither imply a human-like form that is consistent with the known theophanies.)

The Bible and the Supernatural: A Covenant with Abram

Scripture: Genesis 15

After Abram left Egypt, he ended up parting ways with his nephew, Lot. Then Lot was captured during a war. Abram gathered the 318 trained men in his household and rescued Lot. Shortly thereafter, God once more approached Abram.

Observations: “Do not fear.” These are the words we so often associate with the appearance of angels and the interactions with God, probably because it does occur frequently later in the Scriptures.

But interestingly, this is the first time such a statement begins an interaction with the supernatural. So why does it appear here? Abram doesn’t act particularly afraid of God, neither bowing down nor falling on his face. Instead, he speaks rather boldly and directly to God: “What will You give me?” And it’s not like Abram hasn’t interacted with God before; he has heard directly from God three previous times (Genesis 12:1-3, 12:7, and 13:14-17), none of which are prefaced by a “don’t fear.”

Rather, Abram’s fear seems to have less to do with God and more with his circumstances. He just ticked off some pretty powerful people in Canaan with the rescue of Lot. Moreover, if Lot wasn’t safe, despite living near a walled city to which he could flee for protection, how much more vulnerable was Abram, living in tents and allied with no one? So it seems logical to assume that this command to not fear refers to the fear of circumstances and people, rather than of God, especially when God immediately follows the command with the reassurance that He was Abram’s shield of protection.

But the conversation doesn’t end there. God then proceeds to promise that Abram would have a son, which would eventually lead to numberless descendents. Now remember, Abram is between 75 and 86 years old at this time, and Sarai his wife isn’t much younger—between 65 and 76 years. God know all this, and still He promises the outrageous: Abram would have a son. Obviously this would take a miracle—an act of the supernatural—to fulfill.

Finally, after some additional promises and predictions about the future, these words are sealed with an act of the supernatural. From nowhere a torch and a firepot/portable oven appeared, and seemingly without aid, these inanimate objects moved between the pieces of meat Abram had presented to God! Does anyone beside me hear the theme from The Twilight Zone playing in the background? Yet the Bible does not lie. This really did happen, proving once again that truth is indeed stranger than fiction…

Significance: So what does this fourth encounter between God and Abram reveal to us about the supernatural?

First, the supernatural can defy “reality.” Things appearing out of nowhere, objects moving on their own—it does sound like something out of fiction, doesn’t it? In fact, if someone would try to say this happened now, we would be quick to scoff it off as an overactive imagination, to claim some logical explanation, and to wonder if the person was hallucinating. As a result, in our efforts to appear intelligent and sophisticated, how often has our “wisdom” blinded us to what both God and Satan are doing right in front of us? For Scripture tells us that not only could this happen, but also that it has happened…which means it could happen again and probably has happened again.

Second, God’s promised require supernatural fulfillment. God is adamant that when He acts, He alone gets the glory. So it only makes sense that when He promises to do something, it will be so big, so implausible, so utterly impossible that its fulfillment can come from Him alone. That way we can’t take the glory for ourselves or attribute it to anything else. Therefore, if we plan to claim the promises of God in our lives, it would follow that we should then expect the supernatural, in one of its many forms, to also follow. Otherwise, we might make the same mistake as Abram and try to fulfill God’s promises through human means—with dire consequences (see Genesis 16 and beyond).

Third, sometimes the natural is more terrifying than the supernatural. We often think an encounter with the supernatural, whether of God or of Satan, would be paralyzing. And sometimes, as we’ll see later, it can be. But this passage reveals that this is not always the case. Especially when a person has had regular encounters with the supernatural, as Abram did, the unknowns of our everyday and the worries about the future can produce the greater fear. At times like these, the cure for such fear is simple (though not always easy): focus on the greater, beyond-nature God we serve.  

The Bible and the Supernatural: The Protection of Sarai

 Scripture: Genesis 12:10-20

After Abram left his home and began his wanderings in Canaan, a famine occurred and Abram went to Egypt. Out of fear, he portrayed his wife, Sarai, as his sister, and Pharaoh took her into his house. As a result, God struck Pharaoh’s household with a plague until Pharaoh restored Sarai to Abram.

Observations: While the supernatural is basically confined to one verse in this passage (v. 17), that doesn’t make it any less important.

First, we see the supernatural as protection. Abram’s instructions to Sarai revealed that he was acting very much out of self-interest rather than protection of his wife, as he should have. This placed Sarai in a precariously compromising situation. So God intervened on Sarai’s behalf.

Second, we see the dual nature of God’s intervention. Abram lied about his relationship with Sarai. Sarai, under the instructions of Abram, did the same. God could have easily let them reap the consequences. But being a gracious God, He didn’t and intervened. But what an intervention it was for those who threatened His people’s well-being! Plagues weren’t known for being easy to deal with; they tend to be horrific, devastating, and closely tied to death. So yes, God graciously intervened on Abram and Sarai’s behalf—at great cost to Pharaoh and his household.

Third, we see the supernatural timing of natural occurrences. While plagues are frequently tied to God’s judgment in Scripture, sickness, plague, and death weren’t uncommon in the ancient world. What marks this plague as from God is its timing: its onset coincided with Pharaoh taking Sarai into his home.

Significance: While God can and does use the supernatural as judgment and punishment, He also uses it for the protection of His people. Indeed, if He didn’t, we would have perished long ago.

That said, God’s protection doesn’t eliminate trouble from our lives. Abram still had to deal with a famine. Sarai still dealt with the scary situation of being taken by Pharaoh and not knowing what would happen next. God could have intervened sooner and prevented either of those things from occurring. He didn’t. He waited to intervene until it was absolutely necessary and He alone would be given credit for the rescue.

So while we can rest in knowing God is our protector, we can’t expect Him to rescue us supernaturally from every problem we face. He wants us to learn how to trust Him and correctly preserve through trials, not to presume He will supernaturally bypass them all.

Moreover, just because God acts supernaturally for our protection doesn’t mean the experience will be all tulips and butterflies. As I already indicated, plagues are nasty…painful…destructive…shot through with death. That couldn’t have been a pleasant scene for Sarai to witness—not to mention she probably was worried about contracting the plague herself—and it was even less pleasant for those who experienced it.

Yes, God can and does protect. But God’s supernatural intervention in the natural realm can come with a pricy or painful cost, and the rescue can be nearly as painful as the circumstances from which we are being saved.