What other biblical instances show God's deliverance from seemingly impossible situations? David’s Narrow Escape – 2 Samuel 21:16 “Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, said he would kill David.” • The aging king faced a fresh Philistine giant. • Humanly, the odds were crushing, yet God used Abishai to step in and strike the giant down (vv. 17). • The scene is a miniature of a larger biblical pattern: when the situation looks impossible, God specializes in deliverance. Old-Testament Snapshots of Impossible Rescue • Exodus 14:10-31 — The Red Sea parts; walls of water stand until every Israelite has crossed. • Joshua 6:1-20 — Jericho’s impenetrable walls collapse at a shout and trumpet blast. • Judges 7:1-22 — Gideon’s three hundred rout Midian’s multitudes with torches and jars. • 1 Samuel 17:45-50 — Young David drops Goliath with a sling stone. • 2 Kings 6:15-17 — Elisha’s servant sees angelic armies encircling Dothan. • 2 Kings 19:32-35 — One angel strikes down 185,000 Assyrians; Jerusalem is spared. • Daniel 3:16-27 — Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego walk unscathed in the furnace. • Daniel 6:16-23 — Lions’ mouths stay shut all night while Daniel sleeps in their den. • Esther 4:14; 7:3-10 — A gallows meant for Mordecai hangs Haman instead, saving the Jewish people. • Jonah 2:1-10 — From a fish’s belly, the prophet calls out; God commands the creature to vomit him onto dry land. Deliverance in the Life and Ministry of Jesus • Mark 4:35-41 — A word from Jesus turns a lethal storm into calm. • Luke 8:26-39 — A legion of demons flees at His command, freeing a tormented man. • John 6:5-14 — Five loaves and two fish feed thousands, with baskets left over. • John 11:38-44 — Four-day-dead Lazarus walks out alive when Jesus calls his name. Acts and Beyond – The Pattern Continues • Acts 5:17-20 — An angel opens a locked jail and escorts the apostles out. • Acts 12:6-11 — Chains fall off Peter; an iron gate swings open by itself. • Acts 27:21-44 — A violent storm wrecks Paul’s ship, yet every person on board survives. • 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 — Paul recounts being “under great pressure… but He has delivered us… and He will deliver us again.” (v. 10) Connecting the Dots • Whether by parting seas, silencing lions, or raising the dead, God consistently rescues when His people have no human way out. • 2 Samuel 21:16 reminds us that even seasoned believers like David still face giants—and still need divine intervention. • The same God who delivered then remains able to deliver now (Hebrews 13:8). |
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