What Old Testament examples show God's power working through His chosen people?

The Question in Acts 4:7

“By what power or what name have you done this?” (Acts 4:7)

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Old Testament Snapshots of God’s Power at Work

• Moses and the Red Sea – “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back…” (Exodus 14:21-22).

• Joshua at Jericho – “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city!” (Joshua 6:16). Walls fell without human force.

• Gideon’s 300 – “The LORD said to Gideon, ‘With the three hundred men… I will deliver you’” (Judges 7:7). Victory through weakness.

• Samson at Lehi – “The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him… he struck down a thousand men” (Judges 15:14-15).

• David and Goliath – “You come to me with a sword… but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Hosts” (1 Samuel 17:45-47).

• Elijah on Carmel – “The fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering” (1 Kings 18:38).

• Elisha at the Jordan – “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” The waters parted (2 Kings 2:14).

• Hezekiah’s Passover – “The LORD listened to Hezekiah and healed the people” (2 Chronicles 30:20).

• Jehoshaphat’s Choir – “For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15-22). Praise led the victory.

• Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego – “The fire had no power over their bodies” (Daniel 3:27).

• Daniel in the Lions’ Den – “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths” (Daniel 6:22).

• Esther before the king – “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). God turned the decree.

• Zerubbabel’s Temple – “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6).

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Common Threads

• Ordinary people, extraordinary God.

• Explicit appeal to God’s name or Spirit.

• Human weakness becomes the stage for divine strength.

• Results that only God could produce, silencing opposition.

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Tying Back to Acts 4

Peter and John stand in the same lineage:

“Let it be known to all of you… it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” (Acts 4:10). The pattern is unchanged: God’s chosen vessels, God’s unmistakable power, God’s holy name.