Can a Mere Man Still a Storm? (Part 2)

In the previous section of this article we explored how having command over nature is clear evidence of the deity of Jesus—particularly still the storm in a manner that parallels what we read in the Old Testament. But was Jesus the only “man” who had such authority over the elements of nature? Isn’t it true that over Old Testament prophets did the same? We will answer these questions and more in this second and final part of this article.

What about Elijah?

So did Elijah have authority over nature? The short answer here is, No, he did not. But if that is the case, then how did he command the rain not to fall for three and a half years and then commanded it again and it came? Let’s examine what Elijah actually did.

The Elijah narrative shows that he never “commanded” nature but rather prayed and the LORD answered. In the New Testament, James makes this clear to us: “Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit” (James 5:17–18). There is no question that what Elijah did was through prayer and not by command or authority. But this is what the New Testament says. What about the original Old Testament account? Let’s take a look at the nuances of that narrative.

Elijah and Commanding the Rain

At the beginning of the Elijah narrative in First Kings we read that he said to Ahab, the king of Israel at the time: “As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word” (1 Kings 17:1). Notice the opening statement of Elijah where he uses the name of God to affirm that what follows had been instructed to him and authenticated by the word of the LORD. Elijah did not command nature not to bring rain. He simply relayed the judgment that the LORD had passed over the land. A short time after this verse we read that the LORD instructed Elijah to go to Zarephath because he (the LORD) had commanded a widow to provide for Elijah (1 Kings 17:9). To show that he has no power to perform any miracle, right before Elijah told the widow that her flour and oil would not run out, he said this: “For thus says the LORD the God of Israel, ‘The jar of meal shall not be spent, and the cruse of oil shall not fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth’” (1 Kings 17:14). Again, the opening phrase shows that the miracle was ordained by the LORD. It also shows that Elijah did not know for how long there would be no rain on the land. He was waiting to hear from the LORD. The Scripture makes this clear to us, for after Elijah stayed at the widow’s house for many days we are told that “the jar of meal was not spent, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:16). Though it was Elijah who uttered the spoken words, it is was the LORD who commanded them.

When it was time for the rain to return to the land, we read that Elijah went up to Mount Carmel and crouched on his hands and knees, placing his face between his knees (a posture of intense prayer and complete surrender between the hands of the LORD). As he prayed, he asked his servant to go back and check for even a single cloud moving into the area. He did that not once or twice, but seven times and there was none. Finally, the LORD answered his prayer and sent a small cloud (the size of a man’s hand), which later turned the sky black with heavy cloud cover and strong wind, causing a heavy shower on the land at last (1 Kings 17:41–46). It is evident from this narrative that Elijah never commanded the rain to stop or to return to the earth. All he did was to relay God’s word and pray. This is starkly different from the absolute authority our Lord Jesus displayed in commanding nature with a single word from his mouth!

I will close by briefly examining one other account that shows Jesus’s dominion over nature, where Jesus stopped the raging sea not by speaking to it but by his mere presence!

Jesus Walking on Water (Mark 6:45–52)

In this intriguing narrative we read of yet another instance where the disciples of Jesus were rowing across the Sea of Galilee from one side to the other. This time they were alone in the boat, for Jesus had asked them to go ahead of him while he stayed behind to pray. It was about the fourth watch of the night (shortly before dawn) and they were battling strong winds and high waves. As their boat was battered by the waters, they saw Jesus coming to them, not in another boat but walking on the water. Terrified at this sight, they thought it was a ghost and started to cry out in panic. Mark writes in his gospel, “Then [Jesus] saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by”(Mark 6:48). Though this story is written in Matthew and John, the gospel of Mark is unique in relating this small detail to us, that Jesus was about to pass them by. That is, he had not planned to get in the boat but had wanted to keep walking on the water. Now why do you think Mark cared to document this small detail for us? Amazingly, the answer to this question lies in the Old Testament, and more specifically in the book of Exodus!

God Passing by Moses

Shortly after their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were taken to Mount Sinai to worship the LORD and receive his commandments. While there, one day Moses says to the LORD, “Please, show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18). Because no man could see the face of the LORD and live, the LORD tells Moses that he would show him his glory as he passes by, but his face he could not see. The LORD also tells Moses that as he passes by, he would place Moses inside a cleft in the rocks and cover him with his hand until he is passed so that he does not see his face. The LORD goes on to say, “Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen” (Exodus 33:23). This amazingly small detail helps us understand the theological significance of Jesus’s intention to pass by his disciples in the boat so that they would be able to see his back. This curious detail which Moses recorded for us long ago became equally true of our Lord Jesus as he intended to pass by his disciples in the middle of the raging sea so that they would see his back as Moses saw only the back of the LORD and not his face. Being more privileged than Moses, however, the disciples were able to see the face of God in his Son Jesus—something Moses could not.

As the Lord Jesus was manifesting his glory by walking on water, he intended to show his divinity by doing the same thing that the LORD did with Moses centuries earlier in the wilderness—that is, allowing them to see his back only as he walked by them. Jesus not only claimed to himself the titles of God and did the acts of God, but also behaved as God did in the Old Testament. To those who read and study Scripture attentively, the theological significances of such details put the reality of Jesus’s deity beyond dispute.

We learn later in the story that Jesus agreed to join them in the boat. As soon as he came into the boat with them, the storm ceased and the sea became calm. Noticeably, this peace and calm came about without Jesus even speaking to the storm as he did in the previous miracle we discussed previously. This time his mere presence calmed the wind and stilled the stormy seas.

Conclusion

So why am I painstakingly taking the time to point out all these details to you? To provide evidence that Jesus is God through these miracles? That is part of it, but there is more. I am trying to demonstrate to you the importance of not only being generally familiar with the Old Testament but also studying it. Many 21st century Christians (and even teachers and preachers of the word of God) believe that the Old Testament is not really relevant to us anymore. The gospels and Paul’s letters are much more worthy of our time and study—so they believe. If you so believe, let me tell you that you have been deceived! What did Paul use to preach Jesus to the Jews and the Gentiles alike? What did the gospel writers quote to show that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ? What did Jesus himself use to fend off the attacks of the devil and to show his divinity in the gospels? The answer to all the above is, the Old Testament scriptures!

I am also trying to illustrate by using two well-known miracles of Jesus how some small subtleties may be missed or dismissed as unimportant or insignificant when in fact they are quite telling. The very reason these nuances may be overlooked is due to ignorance of Scripture, especially the Old Testament. Nothing explains the Bible better than the Bible itself. You must use Scripture to understand Scripture. But to do that, you must first study it and fill your heart and mind with it. And “Scripture” does not only include the New Testament but most definitely the Old Testament as well.

?? If you’re eager to delve deeper into understanding the connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament as it relates to the person and redemptive work of Jesus, you can explore that theme more in my new book, Reading Hebrews: Your Guide to Reading and Understanding the Letter to the Hebrews. Download sample chapter for free at davidadeeb.com