What other biblical examples show God using individuals to protect His anointed? Setting the Scene – 1 Samuel 19:3 “ ‘I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to him about you; and if I learn anything, I will tell you.’ ” Jonathan willingly steps in between a jealous king and God’s chosen servant. Scripture repeats this pattern—God raises up people, sometimes unlikely ones, to shield His anointed and keep His purposes on track. A Thread Woven Through Scripture – Old-Testament Guardians • Hebrew midwives preserve Moses (Exodus 1:17): “The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.” • Jochebed and Miriam hide the future deliverer (Exodus 2:2-3). • Pharaoh’s daughter rescues the infant and even pays Jochebed to nurse him (Exodus 2:5-9). • Rahab shelters Joshua’s spies (Joshua 2:4, 12-13). Her actions protect the men who carry out God’s conquest plan and fold her into Israel’s story. • Obadiah hides a hundred prophets from Jezebel (1 Kings 18:3-4). One faithful court official keeps the prophetic voice alive in Israel. • Jehosheba rescues baby Joash from Athaliah’s massacre (2 Kings 11:2-3). By hiding him six years in the temple, she safeguards the Davidic line—and the Messianic promise. • Ebed-Melech the Cushite pulls Jeremiah out of a muddy cistern (Jeremiah 38:7-13). A foreign court servant protects the prophet so God’s word can keep sounding. New-Testament Echoes – Guardians of Messiah and Mission • Joseph obeys the angelic warning and spirits Jesus to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-14). An ordinary carpenter shields the King of kings. • Paul’s nephew overhears a plot and alerts the Roman commander (Acts 23:16-22). A nameless young relative ensures the apostle reaches Rome—and the gospel reaches the empire. What We Learn • God often works through individual courage rather than spectacular miracles. • These protectors vary—family members, foreigners, government officials, even children—showing God’s sovereignty over every sphere. • Each intervention preserves a person or line crucial to redemption history, underscoring that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). God still weaves similar rescue threads today, inviting believers to stand in the gap for those He has set apart. |
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