What Old Testament examples show people seeking signs from God? Luke 11:16 — The Demand for a Sign “And others tested Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven.” Seeing an Old Pattern: Sign-Seekers Before Jesus • Long before the crowds pressed Jesus, the Hebrew Scriptures record people who looked for divine confirmation in the form of a sign—sometimes in faith, sometimes in hesitation. • Below are clear Old Testament moments where a sign was sought or given. Gideon: the Woolen Fleece (Judges 6:36-40) • “Then Gideon said to God, ‘If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said, look, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor…’ ” (vv. 36-37). • The dew-on-fleece / dew-on-ground tests reveal Gideon’s desire for unmistakable guidance before leading Israel into battle. Moses: Staff, Hand, Water (Exodus 4:1-9) • “Then Moses answered, ‘What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice? …’ ” (v. 1). • God grants three signs—the staff becoming a serpent, the leprous hand, and Nile water turning to blood—to assure both Moses and Israel that the LORD has truly sent him. Abraham’s Servant: A Bride for Isaac (Genesis 24:12-14) • “May it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please lower your jar,’ … and she replies, ‘Drink, and I will draw water for your camels as well’—may she be the one…” (v. 14). • The servant’s prayer for a specific sign leads directly to Rebekah and the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham’s line. Hezekiah: The Shadow on the Stairway (2 Kings 20:8-11; cf. Isaiah 38:7-8) • “Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, ‘What is the sign that the LORD will heal me…?’ ” (v. 8). • God turns back the sun’s shadow ten steps—an astronomical miracle confirming both healing and an extended life. Ahaz: An Invitation Refused (Isaiah 7:11-14) • “‘Ask for a sign from the LORD your God…’ ” (v. 11). • King Ahaz refuses, yet God provides the sign anyway: “Behold, the virgin will conceive…” (v. 14). Ironically, the king’s unbelief leads to one of Scripture’s most far-reaching prophecies. Jonathan: A Battle Strategy Confirmed (1 Samuel 14:8-10) • Jonathan tells his armor-bearer that the enemy’s response will be “our sign” that “the LORD has given them into our hands” (v. 10). • The requested confirmation emboldens a daring attack that sparks Israel’s victory over the Philistines. David: A Cry for Assurance (Psalm 86:17) • “Show me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see and be put to shame…” • Though not a physical miracle, David openly seeks a tangible indicator of God’s favor amid opposition. What These Examples Tell Us When We Read Luke 11 • Sign-seeking is an old impulse—sometimes born of faith (Abraham’s servant), sometimes of fear (Gideon), and sometimes of unbelief (Ahaz, the crowd in Luke 11). • God has graciously provided signs, yet He also expects trust in His revealed word. • By Luke 11, the ultimate Sign stands before them—Jesus Himself—rendering further demands a test of the heart rather than the mind. |
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