By Isaiah Ogedegbe
The English term ‘intervention’ originates from the Latin word ‘intervenire’, which carries a dual meaning: (1) To come between and (2) To interrupt.
The Latin word ‘intervenire,’ meaning ‘to come between,’ is where we will begin. Essentially, divine intervention refers to God positioning Himself between us and the obstacles, thereby removing them. The presence of God guarantees the nullification of every challenge that stands between Him and us.
In Exodus 14:19-20, the angel of the Lord came between the Israelites and the Egyptians, creating a distinction or exemption where light for the Israelites became darkness for the Egyptians, thus God’s intervention thwarted the enemies’ plans to prevail over Israel.
Just as the Israelites faced obstacles at the Red Sea, believers often find themselves confronted with daunting situations that require divine intervention, necessitating God’s presence to intervene and remove the impediments.
In Isaiah 64:1-4, the words of Prophet Isaiah are recorded, expressing a deep longing for divine intervention. It is noteworthy that this prayer was made at a time when Zion was a wilderness and Jerusalem a desolation, a situation highlighted in verse 10. Prophet Isaiah was aware that unless God intervened, the desolate state of Zion and Jerusalem would persist, leading him to pray: “Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence.”
It is crucial to recognize that divine intervention is God’s direct response to our prayers. If a person prays, a divine responder exists. In other words, for every petitioner there is a divine responder. Unflinching faith and intensity in prayer can precipitate divine intervention, as exemplified by Prophet Isaiah’s supplications.
Our God desires an individual like Jacob, willing to engage in determined prayer, insisting, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Genesis 32:26). He also desires an individual like Jabez, one who is discontent with their current circumstances and fervently petitions for a transformative shift. 1 Chronicles 4:10 declares, “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”
Let us proceed to the second meaning of the Latin word ‘intervenire,’ which implies interruption. Divine intervention involves God interrupting, stopping, ending, or destroying the works of the devil.
The purpose of the Son of God’s manifestation is clearly outlined in 1 John 3:8, where it is stated that He appeared to destroy the works of the devil. An examination of John 10:10 reveals the devil’s works to include theft, murder, and destruction, as it is written, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” In stark contrast, Jesus proclaims His mission as one of bestowing life in abundance, saying, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The phrase ‘I am come’ is a hallmark of divine intervention, highlighting Jesus’ role in intercepting human lives to interrupt or thwart satanic schemes and foster abundant living.
It is essential to acknowledge that divine intervention aims to improve our circumstances. When God intervenes in the affairs of His people, miraculous events occur and numerous testimonies emerge. Miracles and testimonies are direct results of divine intervention, serving as tangible outcomes. Through divine intervention, sorrow is transformed into joy (Psalms 30:5) and obstacles become opportunities.
According to Isaiah 64:1-4, Prophet Isaiah prayed that upon God’s descent after rending the heavens, the mountains would flow down at His presence, an event that necessitates a miracle to transform the solidity of mountains into a flowing state, thereby signifying that divine intervention would cause the obstacles we encounter to dissipate.
Psalms 97:5 declares, “The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD of the whole earth.” In addition, Psalms 114:5-6 poses the question, “What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.”
With God’s intervention, obstacles symbolized by the ‘Red Sea’ or ‘mountains’ will inevitably dissipate or melt away. Heartfelt prayers offered in faith and with fervent passion, much like those of Prophet Isaiah, can facilitate such occurrences.
