When God Does Peripety
“Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.” (Psalm 66:5)
Peripety: a sudden turn of events or an unexpected reversal.
You don’t hear the word peripety used often. It simply means a sudden turn of events or a dramatic twist or reversal in the story. You can find many examples of it in the Bible, because God is a master of peripety!
Examples of peripety in the Bible
Joseph - suddenly released from prison and promoted to 2nd position in power in Egypt “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” (Gen. 41:1-45 NIV).
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thrown into a fiery furnace by King of Babylon - delivered from the fire and unhurt. “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." (Dan. 3:25, ESV) “Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! (Dan. 3:28 NIV)
Daniel - thrown into the lion’s den – released the next day without a scratch, and his false accusers tossed in and devoured by the lions. “The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.” (Dan. 6:23-24 NIV)
Queen Esther, her cousin Modecai, and the Jewish people, are condemned to death through an evil plot by the King of Persia’s chief adviser, Haman. - Esther foils the plan and wins permission from the king for the Jews to kill their enemies, and they do so. Haman is then impaled on the pole he built for Mordecai, then Mordecai is promoted to 2nd command to the king and given all of Haman’s land and fortune. (Book of Esther).
Therefore…
God is the God of peripety, of impossible turn arounds, and nothing is too hard for Him! If you receive bad news from your doctor, if you lose your job, if experience loss, if politics appear corrupt or impossible, don’t give up hope! God is still God and nothing is beyond His control or intervention! He can turn things around! Trust Him!
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jer. 32:27)
Quote:
“The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” -Jesus