SALVATION IN A MINESHAFT

SALVATION IN A MINESHAFT

(A FRIEND STORY)

Born and raised in a small Ukrainian mining town during the Soviet era, I grew up in an atmosphere of atheism. One day I came across a book titled Not by Bread Alone. Being an avid reader, I read it in a single sitting. The book offered a simple plan of salvation, followed by a prayer to receive Jesus as my personal Savior. The concepts of God, faith, and prayer were all foreign to my thinking, but something about the book captivated me. When I repeated the prayer, I had a feeling that was both marvelous and a bit scary, as though my soul was being elevated to the ceiling.

Several years later I left my hometown to study at the state university, and there I met some Christians who led me from A to Z into a life of faith and service to God and others.

The next time I visited my parents, I explained how Jesus had changed my life and that He could do the same for them. My mother received it gladly, but my father was skeptical. I promised to pray for him.

At the start of each workday, my father and the other coalminers descended the vertical shaft two by two. Part of their safety gear was a heavy belt that was anchored to the shaft’s wooden framework by a rope. My dad never used that belt, however, as it was bulky and uncomfortable. Instead he wore a lighter one that he trusted would serve the purpose just as well.

One day someone had taken his lightweight belt, so he was forced to use the heavier one. He and his partner went down the shaft and were soon busy mining, my father under their support pier and his partner on the top of it.

Suddenly my father’s foot slipped, he lost his balance, and fell into the black abyss. The safety rope caught him, but for several minutes he dangled under the pier. Shards of coal rained on him, cutting his head, face, and body.

Finally his partner, who hadn’t heard my father’s cries for help over the din of the machinery, stopped working to check on him, saw what had happened, and helped him up.

When my father recounted the incident to me later, he said that his whole life had passed before his eyes as he hung in the darkness. “I felt your prayers holding me tight,” he said, “and that was when I decided to receive Jesus as my Savior.”

My father’s favorite old belt? He thanks God that someone had taken it that day.

—

1. Peter 3:21 ESV / Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Acts 22:16 ESV / And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

Galatians 3:27 ESV / For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Onyedikachi Kingsley Ogbonna (Surv.)

Question: "Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart?"

Question: "Why did God harden Pharaoh’s
heart?"
Answer: Exodus 7:3-4 says, “But I will harden
Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my
miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt he will
not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on
Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will
bring out my people the Israelites.” It seems
unjust for God to harden Pharaoh’s heart and
then to punish Pharaoh and Egypt for what
Pharaoh decided when his heart was hardened.
Why would God harden Pharaoh’s heart just so
He could judge Egypt more severely with
additional plagues?
First, Pharaoh was not an innocent or godly
man. He was a brutal dictator overseeing the
terrible abuse and oppression of the Israelites,
who likely numbered over 1.5 million people at
that time. The Egyptian pharaohs had enslaved
the Israelites for 400 years. A previous pharaoh
—possibly even the pharaoh in question—
ordered that male Israelite babies be killed at
birth ( Exodus 1:16 ). The pharaoh God hardened
was an evil man, and the nation he ruled agreed
with, or at least did not oppose, his evil actions.
Second, before the first few plagues, Pharaoh
hardened his own heart against letting the
Israelites go. “Pharaoh's heart became
hard” ( Exodus 7:13 , 22 ; 8:19 ). “But when
Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened
his heart” ( Exodus 8:15 ). “But this time also
Pharaoh hardened his heart” ( Exodus 8:32 ).
Pharaoh could have spared Egypt of all the
plagues if he had not hardened his own heart.
God was giving Pharaoh increasingly severe
warnings of the judgment that was to come.
Pharaoh chose to bring judgment on himself and
on his nation by hardening his own heart
against God’s commands.
As a result of Pharaoh’s hard-heartedness, God
hardened Pharaoh’s heart even further, allowing
for the last few plagues ( Exodus 9:12 ; 10:20 ,
27). Pharaoh and Egypt had brought these
judgments on themselves with 400 years of
slavery and mass murder. Since the wages of
sin is death ( Romans 6:23 ), and Pharaoh and
Egypt had horribly sinned against God, it would
have been just if God had completely annihilated
Egypt. Therefore, God’s hardening Pharaoh’s
heart was not unjust, and His bringing additional
plagues against Egypt was not unjust. The
plagues, as terrible as they were, actually
demonstrate God’s mercy in not completely
destroying Egypt, which would have been a
perfectly just penalty.
Romans 9:17-18 declares, “For the Scripture
says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very
purpose, that I might display my power in you
and that my name might be proclaimed in all
the earth.’ Therefore God has mercy on whom
He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom
He wants to harden.” From a human
perspective, it seems wrong for God to harden a
person and then punish the person He has
hardened. Biblically speaking, however, we have
all sinned against God ( Romans 3:23 ), and the
just penalty for that sin is death ( Romans 6:23 ).
Therefore, God’s hardening and punishing a
person is not unjust; it is actually merciful in
comparison to what the person deserves.

Question: "What is the Ark of the Covenant?"

Question: "What is the Ark of the Covenant?"
Answer: God made a covenant (a conditional
covenant) with the children of Israel through His
servant Moses. He promised good to them and
their children for generations if they obeyed Him
and His laws; but He always warned of despair,
punishment, and dispersion if they were to
disobey. As a sign of His covenant He had the
Israelites make a box according to His own
design, in which to place the stone tablets
containing the Ten Commandments. This box, or
chest, was called an “ark” and was made of
acacia wood overlaid with gold. The Ark was to
be housed in the inner sanctum of the
tabernacle in the desert and eventually in the
Temple when it was built in Jerusalem. This
chest is known as the Ark of the Covenant.
The real significance of the Ark of the Covenant
was what took place involving the lid of the box,
known as the "Mercy Seat." The term ‘mercy
seat’ comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to
cover, placate, appease, cleanse, cancel or
make atonement for.” It was here that the high
priest, only once a year ( Leviticus 16 ), entered
the Holy of Holies where the Ark was kept and
atoned for his sins and the sins of the
Israelites. The priest sprinkled blood of a
sacrificed animal onto the Mercy Seat to
appease the wrath and anger of God for past
sins committed. This was the only place in the
world where this atonement could take place.
The Mercy Seat on the Ark was a symbolic
foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice for all
sin—the blood of Christ shed on the cross for
the remission of sins. The Apostle Paul, a
former Pharisee and one familiar with the Old
Testament, knew this concept quite well when
he wrote about Christ being our covering for sin
in Romans 3:24-25 : "…and are justified by his
grace as a gift, through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a
propitiation by his blood, to be received by
faith." Just as there was only one place for
atonement of sins in the Old Testament—the
Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant—so
there is also only one place for atonement in
the New Testament and current times—the
cross of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we no
longer look to the Ark but to the Lord Jesus
Himself as the propitiation and atonement for
our sins.

Question: "Why did God strike Uzzah dead for touching the Ark of the Covenant?"

Question: "Why did God strike Uzzah dead for
touching the Ark of the Covenant?"
Answer: The story of Uzzah and the Ark of the
Covenant is found in 2 Samuel 6:1-7 and 1
Chronicles 13:9-12 . As the ark was being
transported, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled,
and a Levite named Uzzah took hold of the ark.
God’s anger burned against Uzzah and He
struck him down and he died. Uzzah’s
punishment does appear to be extreme for what
we might consider to be a good deed. However,
there are the reasons why God took such
severe action.
First, God had given Moses and Aaron specific
instructions about the Tent of Meeting and the
movement of the Ark of the Covenant. "After
Aaron and his sons have finished covering the
holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and
when the camp is ready to move, the
Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But
they must not touch the holy things or they will
die. The Kohathites are to carry those things
that are in the Tent of Meeting” ( Numbers
4:15 ). No matter how innocently it was done,
touching the ark was in direct violation of God’s
law and was to result in death. This was a
means of preserving the sense of God’s
holiness and the fear of drawing near to Him
without appropriate preparation.
Notice how David took men with him to collect
the ark, rather than allowing Abinadab and his
sons to bring it to him. That was a great
mistake, since it ought never to have been put
upon a cart, old or new. It was to be borne upon
men's shoulders, and carried by Levites only,
and those of the family of Kohath ( Exodus
25:12-14 ; Numbers 7:9 ), using the poles
prescribed. Failing to follow God’s precise
instructions would be seen as (a) not revering
God’s words when He spoke them through those
such as Moses, whom He had appointed; (b)
having an independent attitude that might
border on rebellion, i.e., seeing and acting on
things from a worldly, rather than a spiritual,
perspective; or (c) disobedience.
Second, the ark had stayed for a period of time
at Abinadab’s house ( 2 Samuel 6:3 ), where his
sons, Uzzah and Ahio, may well have become
accustomed to its presence. There’s an old
saying, “familiarity breeds contempt,” that could
apply in this case. Uzzah, having been around
the ark in his own home, could very likely forget
the holiness that it represented. There are
times when we, too, fail to recognize the
holiness of God, becoming too familiar with Him
with an irreverent attitude.
Third, the account tells us the oxen stumbled.
The cart didn’t fall and neither did the Ark, just
as the boat carrying Jesus and the disciples
rocked fiercely in the storm, though it wasn’t
necessarily in danger of sinking ( Matthew
8:24-27 ). And yet, just as with the disciples who
failed to put their faith in their Master, Uzzah,
for a moment, felt it was his responsibility to
save the integrity of God, and that our almighty
God somehow needed Uzzah’s assistance. He
presumed that, without his intervention, God’s
presence would be dealt a blow. As Job asks,
“Can you fathom the mysteries of God?” ( Job
11:7 ). “His greatness no-one can
fathom” ( Psalm 145:3 ). “His understanding no-
one can fathom” ( Isaiah 40:28 ). Moses lost his
right to enter the promised land because he felt
his intervention was needed when he struck the
rock, instead of speaking to it as God had
commanded ( Numbers 20:7-12 ). We need to
listen carefully to what God has to say to us,
and in obedience strive to do all He commands.
Yes, God is loving and merciful, but He is also
holy and He defends His holiness with His
power, and affronts to His holiness sometimes
bring about His holy wrath. “It is a dreadful
thing to fall into the hands of the living
God” ( Hebrews 10:31 ).
Something of God’s presence in the Ark of the
Covenant seems to be lost in the church today.
In the time of Moses, the people knew the
awesomeness of God’s absolute holiness. They
had witnessed great miracles when the ark was
with them. They respected that God’s ways and
thoughts are much higher than ours ( Isaiah
55:8-9 ). In truth, the more we try to bring God
down to our worldly way of thinking or
reasoning, the further away He will seem to us.
Those who would draw near to God and have
Him draw near to them are those who approach
Him in reverence and holy fear. Uzzah forgot
that lesson, and the consequences were tragic.

Question: "What can we learn from the life of David?"

Question: "What can we learn from the life of
David?"
Answer: We can learn a lot from the life of
David. He was a man after God’s own heart ( 1
Samuel 13:13-14 ; Acts 13:22 )! We are first
introduced to David after Saul, at the insistence
of the people, was made king ( 1 Samuel 8:5 ,
10:1 ). This choice of king, or even having an
earthly king at all, was against the will of God,
and although Saul was anointed by God through
Samuel, he did not measure up as God’s king.
While King Saul was making one mistake on top
of another, God sent Samuel to find His chosen
shepherd, David, the son of Jesse ( 1 Samuel
16:10 , 13 ). David was believed to be 12-16
years of age when he was called in from tending
his father’s sheep to be anointed as the true
king of Israel. As soon as the anointing oil
flowed down David’s head the Spirit of the Lord
departed from King Saul ( 1 Samuel 16:14 ). The
fact that evil spirits were tormenting Saul
brought David into the king’s service ( 1 Samuel
16:21 ). Saul was pleased with young David, but
this feeling vanished quickly as David rose in
strength to slay the Philistine giant, Goliath, and
win the overwhelming favor of the people ( 1
Samuel 17:45-51 ). The chant in the camp of
Saul was taunting as the people sang out the
praises of David and demeaned their king,
causing a raging jealousy in Saul that never
subsided ( 1 Samuel 18:7-8 ).
If you or someone you know has eked his way
through life amid strife, conflict and continuous
battles, then you might understand how David
lived and felt throughout his lifetime. Although
Saul never stopped pursuing him with the intent
to kill him, David never raised a hand against
his king and God’s anointed ( 1 Samuel 19:1-2 ,
24:5-7 ). He did, however, raise up a mighty
army and with power from God defeated
everyone in his path, always asking God first for
permission and instructions before going into
battle ( 2 Samuel 5:22-23 , 23:8-17 ). Throughout
the life of David, God honored and rewarded this
unconditional obedience of His servant and gave
him success in everything he did ( 2 Samuel
8:6 ).
David mourned King Saul’s death and put to
death the one claiming responsibility for Saul’s
death ( 2 Samuel 1:12-16 ). Only after Saul’s
death was David anointed king over the house
of Judah ( 2 Samuel 2:4 ), and even then he had
to fight against the house of Saul before being
anointed king over Israel at the age of thirty ( 2
Samuel 5:3-4 ). Now king, David conquered
Jerusalem and became more and more powerful
because the Lord Almighty was with him ( 2
Samuel 5:7 ). David was so enthralled with
bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem
that he omitted some of God’s instructions on
how to transport the Ark and who was to carry
it. This resulted in the death of Uzzah who,
amid all the celebrations, reached out to steady
the Ark, and God struck him down and he died
there beside it ( 2 Samuel 6:1-7 ). In fear of the
Lord, David abandoned the moving of the Ark for
three months and let it rest in the house of
Obed-Edom ( 2 Samuel 6:11 ).
After the Ark was in its rightful place, David
decided to build a temple of the Lord around it
( 2 Samuel 6:17 ). Because of David’s bloody,
battle-scarred record as well as his adulterous
relationship with Bathsheba and the slaying of
her husband, God denied his otherwise faithful
servant the honor of building the temple, the
house of the Lord ( 2 Samuel 6:5-14 ). This was
surely a blow to David, but God assured him He
would continue to make his name the greatest
on the earth and forever establish the throne of
David through David’s son, Solomon. Instead of
being angry with God and having a pity party,
David sat before the Lord, praising Him and
thanking Him for all the many blessings he had
received in his life ( 2 Samuel 7:18-29 ).
David’s battles did not end with his kingship but
continued with the surrounding nations and
within his own household. Throughout the life of
David, His sons connived and conspired to take
control of the kingdom and they, as did Saul,
threatened their own father’s life. And as with
the death of Saul, David mourned the death of
his beloved son Absalom, showing a passionate
and forgiving heart (2 Samuel chapters 15-18).
David’s broken heart and contrite spirit are what
brought him the forgiveness of God and are
what will bring him back to be the prince of
Christ during Christ’s millennial reign.

Question: "Why did David choose five smooth stones before going to fight Goliath?

Question: "Why did David choose five smooth
stones before going to fight Goliath? Was David doubting God? Was it because Goliath had five brothers? Or, was David simply being
prepared?"
Answer: Some presume that David took five
smooth stones instead of just one because he
had some doubt. However, there is no indication
in the story of David and Goliath that by picking
up five smooth stones instead of one that David
was doubting God. Rather, David was simply
being prepared. What if the Philistines attacked
him after he killed Goliath? How would he have
defended himself? David was simply being
prepared when he took the four additional
stones. Also, he couldn’t have known that one
stone would be enough to kill the giant. God
had not promised that David would kill Goliath
with the first stone.
David had experience in defending the sheep he
guarded with his sling and stones. It would
seem that the animals David had faced were far
braver than the men with Goliath, because they
all turned and ran away ( 1 Samuel 17:51 ). David
told Goliath that he (Goliath) came with spear
and sword, but his weapon was God the Father
( 1 Samuel 17:37 ). He trusted God with all his
heart, believing that God would tell him exactly
what to do and how. And so He did.
Others speculate that David chose five smooth
stones because Goliath had four brothers, and
David was readying himself to dispatch all five
giants. This theory is based on 2 Samuel 21:15–
22. That passage lists four very large Philistines
who were related to Goliath in some way: Ishbi-
benob, Saph, Goliath, and an unnamed giant
with six fingers on each hand and six toes on
each foot. “These four were born to the giant in
Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by
the hand of his servants” ( 2 Samuel 21:22 ). The
account of 1 Samuel 17 does not suggest that
David knew about Goliath’s brothers or that he
believed he would have to fight the whole
family. What we know for sure is that David and
his men faced four other giants, somehow
related to Goliath, in later battles.
David’s faith was in the Lord, and he knew from
experience God’s faithfulness. David’s faith was
born out of his experience of God’s grace and
mercy in his life up to that point. The Lord had
delivered him out of dangerous situations in the
past, proving His power and trustworthiness,
and David relied on Him to deliver him from the
Philistine. Whether it took one stone or five,
David recognized that the power was not in his
sling but in the Lord of hosts. As David wrote
later in Psalm 21:13 , “Be exalted, O LORD, in
your strength; we will sing and praise your
might.”

Question: "What does it mean that Jesus rose ‘again’?"

Question: "What does it mean that Jesus rose
‘again’?"
Answer: In a few Bible verses, such as 2
Corinthians 5:15 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14
(depending on the translation), and many of the
popular and ancient creeds, such as the
Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed , the
phrase rose again is used in reference to Jesus’
resurrection. As a result, rose again has become
commonly used terminology when referring to
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This can be
confusing, since again often means “an
additional time” or “once more.” Jesus “rising
again” sounds like Jesus rose from the dead
more than once.
While again can mean “an additional time” or
refer to a further instance of an event, it can
also mean “anew” or “afresh.” Again can also be
defined as “in return” or “to a previous place or
condition.” For example, in The Merchant of
Venice , Portia speaks of one who “swore he
would pay him again when he was able” (I:ii). In
describing a business transaction, Portia uses
the word again to mean “in return.” Similarly,
when used in reference to the resurrection of
Jesus, rose again does not mean “arose a
second time.” Rather, it means Jesus rose
anew. He returned to life. He came back to His
previous condition. Jesus was alive before; then
for a while He was dead; now He is back.
Similarly, the English word resurrect comes from
the Latin word resurrexit . Notice the prefix re- in
both the English and Latin words. Normally,
when the prefix re- is attached to a word, it
means the action is occurring an additional
time, i.e., repeated. But, just like the word again ,
the prefix re- can also mean “anew” or “back.”
When we say that Jesus was “resurrected,” we
do not mean that Jesus was “surrected” a
second time. We mean that Jesus returned to
life. He has life anew. What is being repeated is
not the act of coming back to life but the state
of being alive.
Saying, “Jesus rose again,” is simply a way of
referring to the resurrection of Jesus. Any
confusion over the word again should be
dispelled by the knowledge that words often
have multiple definitions. The key point is this:
“Jesus rose again” does not mean Jesus rose
from the dead more than once. Rather, it means
Jesus returned to life. Jesus was, for a time,
dead but now is alive again.