A confrontation on Mount Carmel made this conflict unmistakable. Before all Israel, Elijah rebuilt the broken altar of the LORD, soaked the sacrifice with water, and prayed a simple prayer that God would make Himself known. Fire fell from heaven, consuming the offering, the wood, the stones, and even the water in the trench. The people fell on their faces and confessed, “The LORD, He is the God.” The prophets of Baal were put to flight, and judgment fell upon them.

Solomon — whose name means peaceful, also called Jedidiah, “beloved of the LORD” — was David’s tenth son and, humanly speaking, far from the throne. Yet God loved him and chose him before he was born. What follows is the fulfillment of a word spoken long before Solomon ever dreamed of kingship. The First Theophany: A Dream at Gibeon

A stained-glass window (German, 1728) at Pena Palace, in Sintra, Portugal. It includes a depiction of the Israelites defeating the Philistines, after Samuel has offered a sacrifice at Eben-Ezer (1 Samuel 7:2-14).--PUBLIC DOMAIN Last week we met Samuel the child , awakened in the night by the voice of the LORD. Today we follow that child across an entire lifetime — from God’s gift to a praying mother, to prophet, judge, king-maker, intercessor, and finally a voice heard even

The theophany we look at now came very close to the last one chronologically, as Samuel was born just six years after Samson, according to Ussher. This means that the judgeships of Eli and Samson were concurrent when the Philistines were still the chief Canaanite enemies of the children of Israel. This period in the history of God’s people is marked by a strange and sobering juxtaposition of blindness and vision, darkness and light.

Samson is one of the most unusual figures in Scripture. He was chosen by God before he was born. He was to live as a Nazirite — separated to God, abstaining from wine, avoiding uncleanness, and never cutting his hair. His life was meant to be a living symbol that Israel belonged to the LORD. And yet, the one set apart for God’s service spent much of his life walking very close to sin

The focus of this theophany is not the fleece itself, but the character of God revealed through it. In Judges 6:36–40, the LORD does something extraordinary: He patiently responds—twice—to a fearful servant who is struggling to trust Him. This moment belongs alongside God’s dealings with Moses, another reluctant deliverer who repeatedly questioned his calling. In both lives, we see not a God who abandons hesitant servants, but One who remains present, reassures, and continue

This is not bargaining. It is reverence mixed with fear. Gideon prepares a costly offering — meat, unleavened bread, broth — the kind of gift a poor man in an oppressed land would not give lightly. He places it on a rock, as instructed. This is already significant. Sacrifices belong on altars — not on bare stones — unless God Himself makes the place holy.

Israel was in one of its darkest hours. The Philistines ruled. The people had grown spiritually dull. The judges were failing. And heaven, it seemed, had gone quiet. But God does some of His greatest work in hidden places.

Joshua, the seasoned commander, walked alone near the city, studying its defenses, planning strategy… yet burdened with the weight of leadership. Then suddenly—He was not alone. A Man stood opposite him, sword drawn. Joshua stepped forward with the courage of a servant of God: “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” — Joshua 5:13

As Balaam rode his donkey, the Angel of the LORD — the same divine Presence who spoke from the burning bush and led Israel in the pillar of fire — stood in the path with a drawn sword. Balaam couldn’t see Him. But the donkey could. Three times the donkey turned aside to save her master’s life: Once into a field, Once pressing Balaam’s leg against a all, And once lying down beneath him. Three times Balaam struck her with his staff, blind to the danger ahead.

Before Israel crossed the Jordan, the people again complained in the wilderness. The Lord sent fiery serpents, and many died. Yet mercy followed judgment: Moses lifted a brazen serpent on a pole, and whoever looked upon it lived.Jesus would later say, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” — John 3 : 14-15

Then, in a moment of holy gravity, “the Lord appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud: and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.”  (v. 15)It was the same Presence that had led them from Egypt — the fire by night, the cloud by day — now drawing near once more to seal the transfer of leadership. God Himself commissioned Joshua. Human hands anointed, but divine glory confirmed.

The people of Israel had come again to the wilderness of Zin.It was hot. It was dry. It was discouraging. They had been here before — forty years earlier, when God had first brought water out of the rock at Rephidim (Exodus 17). Now, at the end of their wandering, they thirst again. And just as before, God was present with them — not as an idea or a symbol, but as a Person. The Rock that followed them was Christ.

In Numbers 14, the LORD’s glory breaks forth in the wilderness after Israel’s rebellion at Kadesh-barnea. The moment that could have been triumph becomes tragedy. The people doubt His word, reject His promise, and face the holy recognition of their unbelief. Here we see that God takes disobedience personally—He recognizes it, names it, and judges it in righteousness.

When we read of Moses asking to see God’s glory, Scripture tells us that he was only allowed to see the “back parts” of the Lord’s glory (Exod. 33:23). After that encounter, the Pentateuch records five occasions where “the glory of the LORD appeared” to the people. These moments are easy to overlook in our reading, but each one teaches us something vital about God’s presence. What does it mean for the glory of the Lord to appear? And what does it mean for us today?

The book of Exodus contains a pivotal moment in the Old Testament where Moses* (1571-1451 BC) profoundly encounters God. In Exodus 33:21-23, God provides Moses with a rare glimpse of His glory.

I see the glory of God as I look out my window. ---His eternal and invisible Glory is clearly manifest in His creation! ---Those who ignore it imperil their souls and risk the wrath of God. ---Ask the Lord to open your eyes and see it. When you do, you will rejoice with Joy Unspeakable and full of Glory! ****************************

This encounter between God and His people was the most important event since the world began. Bishop Ussher dates it as 1491 BC, the same year as the call of Moses and the Exodus. This theophany at Mount Sinai is one of the most significant events in biblical history. , this divine encounter marks a momentous occasion for the Israelites, just three months after their exciting escape from Egypt. It reveals not only God's power & presence but also establishes but also establ

As Moses approached the rock, he was guided by the presence of God, who appeared in a cloud. This manifestation aimed to direct Moses precisely where to strike. The rock itself must have been an extraordinary sight, one that was potentially familiar to Moses from his time in the Sinai region. When Moses struck the rock, water gushed forth, providing refreshment to the thirsty Israelites. This event was a powerful demonstration of God's ability to provide for His people in t

Hearing the Israelites' complaints, God responded with compassion rather than anger. In Exodus 16:4, He tells Moses about His plan: "I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day." This promise was not just about providing food but also aimed to test the people’s obedience and dependence on Him. Even amid doubt, God wanted to reaffirm His commitment to meet their needs.