Asking For a Sign

17 APRIL

And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He hath spoken. Isaiah 38:7

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Judges 6:36-40

God gives us some signs of His own accord without our asking for them. He grants other signs to us when we ask for them. Signs are generally intended to help us in our weakness, but God does not for the most part wait till we have prayed for them to grant them.

Hezekiah seems to be insulting God by refusing to credit His word when he asks for a sign. We must not accuse Hezekiah of unbelief, however, because his faith is weak, for no person has faith that is perfect and complete in every respect. Nor can we blame Hezekiah for seeking assistance to support him in his weakness, for, having embraced the promise made to him by the prophet, he shows his confidence in God by seeking a remedy for distrust. If there was no weakness in man, he would not need any signs. Consequently, we need not wonder that the king asks for a sign, since on other occasions the Lord freely offers them.

Yet it is also proper to observe that Old Testament believers never rushed forward at random to ask for signs but did so only after being guided by a secret and peculiar influence of the Spirit.

The same thing might be said about miracles. If Elijah prays to God for rain and for drought (James 5:17, 18), it does not follow that others are at liberty to do the same. We must see what God permits us to do, lest by disregarding His Word we bargain with Him according to the foolish desires of our flesh.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION:

As Calvin says, it may not be appropriate for us to ask God for a sign. Nevertheless, we can learn from Hezekiah's example. Recognizing  the imperfection and weakness of his faith, he did not despair, but rather asked God for help in overcoming his weakness. Do we do this as well?

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke

The Heresy of Healing Cults

In his exposition of John 16:13 (1538) the Reformer [Martin Luther] uses words which, in the light of modern developments, seem prophetic. He is speaking of possible future perversions.

If seduction and darkness were again to begin through the wrath and decree of God (as will happen after our days, it is to be feared- if the world is destined to stand longer), and the devil were to begin to perform signs through some false saint and perhaps were to cure a sick person, you would no doubt see the mob press to espouse the cause in such a way that no preaching or warning would be of any avail. Come now, they would assert (as they have hitherto done in the case if the deceased saints), say whatever you please, I have nonetheless seen and found that a certain man who devoted himself to this preacher and accepted him was thereby helped.

For in those who have no love for the truth the devil will be powerful and strong. Accordingly, they are misled by all sorts of his deceptive tricks and are not wise enough to guard against them. This is why I have said: The Holy Spirit must be present with His revelation, so that we observe the Word of Christ and His message and judge all teachings and signs, life and doing, in accordance with them. If, then, these contradict the chief doctrine and article of Christ (by which, Christ here says, the Holy Spirit is to glorify Him), we should accord them neither attention nor acceptance though it were to snow miracles daily. For whatever contradicts this teaching is certainly a pack of lies and trumped up by the devil in order to seduce souls. If you want to see and find miracles and signs, then look for them here; for this doctrine was certainly proved by miracles from heaven and by all kinds of true, divine, genuine signs, and to date it has been sustained by not a few signs against the devil and his bogus signs.

Martin Luther

What Luther Says, p. 632

Compiled by Ewald M. Plass