According to the dictionary, logic can be defined, as a sequence of facts or events seen as inevitable or predictable or reasoning conducted according to strict principles of validity or the necessary outcome through the working of cause & effect. It can also be defined as inferring that two truths imply a third truth.
So then, what happens when things don’t “logically” add up? How do you often find yourself reacting to these situations where the ideas, numbers, truths, reasoning, and plans are not stacking up? Do you throw a tantrum at God and tell him how disappointed you are in Him? Blame everybody around you except yourself? Or take the easy route and walk away from the situation?
Very often, God works through situations where the sequence of events is totally unexplainable and unpredictable, where the outcome is not logically expected from the sequence of events and two truths don’t necessarily imply a third truth. In those situations, we are probably thinking to ourselves that He has no plan at all but I am glad He proves us wrong all the time:
The valley will be filled with water!
Now, the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom set out together. They wandered around on the road for seven days and finally ran out of water for the men and animals they had with them.
I love their reaction when they came to the sudden realisation of their situation…”Oh no! The LORD has summoned us three kings so he can hand us over to Moab, hasn’t he?”
This reminds me of the Israelites in the wilderness when the king of Egypt changed his mind and sent his soldiers after them…they said to Moses, “Were there no graves in Egypt? That you had to bring us all the way to the wilderness to die? Why did you bring us out of Egypt anyway?”
I digress. Let’s get back to the point very quickly.
So, they inquired about a prophet and were told about Elisha and they went down to meet him. The harp was playing and the word of God came, “Make this valley full of ditches. You will see neither wind nor rain, but this valley, will be filled with water”.
Now, what would a logical conversation sound like between these men and God. “But God, we are in the wilderness o, you did not say, dig 2 or 3 ditches, you said many and by the way Lord, should we not see clouds first? Should it not be a bit windy at the very least? Shouldn’t we hear some thunder or see lightning to tell us that the water is coming? If not by rain Lord, then how?”.
And then it happened by the next morning. Water suddenly appeared! It was flowing from the direction of Edom, and soon there was water everywhere!
2 Kings 3
David and Goliath
Oh! Was David the most unlikely contender against Goliath…the “supposed” champion.
Goliath, was huge, he wore a bronze helmet on his head and an armor made of bronze scales that weighed 5,000 shekels. He had protection for his legs, he also had a javelin and a shaft with an iron point weighing 600 shekels. Like all that was not intimidating enough, he had a shield-bearer that went ahead of him!
Now, comes the unlikely challenger, David. Surely, God could have found someone else. Surely, in the camp of God, there were men just as big as Goliath or even bigger…but no, that would have been the logical thing to do.
So here comes David, with his staff, 5 smooth stones (which I like to call pebbles), and a sling. Goliath does a quick review and imagines that David is no match for him logically, however, David was not working based on logic and he came against Goliath, “in the name of the Lord”.
1 Samuel 17
The economics of Samaria
In Samaria, there was a great famine and it lasted so long that food got very scarce and expensive to the point where two mothers entered into an agreement to eat their children, one after the other. However, one mother reneged on her part of the agreement.
When the king heard this, he tore his robes and sent for Elisha.
Elisha said “Hear the word of the Lord, tomorrow about this time, a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria”.
An officer said in response to Elisha, “Look here! Even if the LORD were to open a window in the sky, how could this happen?”
Now, logically, one would imagine and ask, how is this going to happen Lord? Is there going to be a sudden increase in supply of goods from a neighbouring country perhaps, that would push down the prices of goods? But no…our God does not do economics but He had a better plan. He made it so that 4 leprous men risked their lives to go to the camp of the Arameans.
God being the master planner, had caused the Arameans to hear sounds of chariots, horses and a great army. They got scared and fled, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys and possessions.
The lepers were stunned to say the least; they took silver, gold and clothes and hid them. They thought it was too good to keep to themselves so they informed the king’s palace.
Realising it was true, they plundered the camp of the Arameans and a seah of the finest flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, as the LORD had said.
2 Kings 7
The sun stood still
He can also suspend the laws of nature for His word to be fulfilled…all by Himself!
The Lord was helping the Israelites defeat the Amorites on a particular day and Joshua prayed, “Our Lord, make the sun stop in the sky over Gibeon, and the moon stand still over Aijalon Valley.”
And it happened just as Joshua prayed, the sun and the moon stopped and stood still until Israel defeated its enemies.
It is recorded that never before, and never since has the Lord done anything like that for someone who prayed.
Joshua 10
The Israelites and the Red Sea
In leading His people out of Egypt, God opted for the longer route through the desert and towards the red sea. Knowing the condition of their hearts, He knew that they may return to Egypt if attacked on the shorter route.
The Lord had a plan all along and He told Moses to instruct them to turn back and camp between Migdol and the red sea. Imagine this, the Israelites were trying to get far away from the King of Egypt and he had now caught up with them by the red sea.
You can imagine the distress of the Israelites, they cried and said to Moses, “Were there no graves in Egypt? … Why did you bring us out of Egypt anyway? While we were there, didn’t we tell you to leave us alone? We would rather be slaves in Egypt than die in this desert!”.
Then the Lord said to Moses, tell the Israelites to move forward, then, hold your walking stick over the sea. The water will open-up and make a road where they can walk through on dry ground. Moses stretched his arm over the sea, and the Lord sent a strong east wind that blew all night until there was dry land where the water had been. The sea opened-up (imagine the scene) and the Israelites walked through on dry land with a wall of water on each side.
God could have allowed them to go through dry ground from the very beginning but no! God decided that He wanted to show His power and take the Glory… and logical wasn’t going to cut it.
Exodus 14