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With God, Random is Anything But...


The account is both amazing and more than a bit disconcerting…

During the battle, someone drew his bow and shot his arrow at random and hit the king between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” 

But before this random act, the story had more intrigue…

The king said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king disguised himself and went into battle.

But before the king decided to disguise himself, the story had even more intrigue…

Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’” 

This prophet, Micaiah, was used by God to foretell the king’s death.  In a fruitless effort to circumvent a possible demise in battle, the king decided to go into battle disguised.  It was common at that time for the enemy to try to kill the king in an effort to get the troops to scatter.  So, by going in disguise, the king thought he could reduce the chances that he would be killed. 

Yet, in spite of those precautions, a random person drew his bow and shot his arrow in a random direction and hit the king smack dab in the only area that could cause any damage, right between the sections of his armor.  And such damage the arrow did!  Take a look at how the account ends:

All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.  As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: “Every man to his town. Every man to his land!” 

This incredible story is found in First Kings 22.  We might, in our modern day and age, chalk things up to statistical probabilities and might even allow for an occasional coincidence or random event.  But if you’ve been tracking the facts as shown in the narrative above, this one defies all logic and probabilities. 

Yet, there is a perfectly logical and sound explanation.  Well, there is if you allow for someone who might be able to direct a random individual to shot an arrow in a random direction and cause said arrow to hit exactly the right spot to cause maximum damage.  So, some evidence to allow for such:

“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.  I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.  I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” (Isa 46:9-10)

“Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.”  (Isa 25:1)

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”  (Jer 32:17)

Perhaps you’ve already connected the dots…

Random?  Hardly!  When God speaks the truth through one of his prophets about what He is about to do, well, with God random is anything but random!


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