Coincidences?

"Coincidence" is defined as 1) "The state or fact of occupying the same relative position or area in space." And, 2) "A sequence of events that although accidental seems to have been planned or arranged."

Carl Jung defined "synchronicity" as "a descriptive term from the link between two events that are connected through their meaning, a link that cannot be explained by cause and effect."

Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."

Oftentimes people say "oh that is simply a mere coincidence," implying that there is NEVER any connection between the two events. Yet, often, the perception of coincidences are of the Holy Spirit, who not only brings about the two seemingly connected events but who also enlightens the person to see in them some divine message. With these thoughts in mind, let us observe some notable "coincidences" in the scriptures and in the lives of people.

"So the king of Israel (Ahab) and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle. But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country. So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria." (I Kings 22: 29-37 KJV)

King Saul, due to his disobedience to the Lord, had been sentenced to be killed in battle by the Lord. When the day of battle came, Saul took every precaution for his life. However, two strange "incidents" occured. First, a bowman shot his arrow "at a venture," that is, he shot it into the air without a specific target in view. Second, King Saul "just happened to be" in the place where the arrow fell, thus killing him and fulfilling the word and prophecy of Jehovah.

Onlookers probably looked upon this whole scene as one of "mere coincidence," falsely thinking that there was no real connection between the two events, thinking it to be simply a weird random event. But, those with spiritual insight saw and understood the connection between the two events.

"Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." (Genesis 22: 6-14 NIV)

What a grand coincidence is here pictured! Father Abraham needs a sacrifice to take the place of his son Isaac. And what happens? Behold he finds, by seeming happenstance, a "ram caught in a thicket" nearby! However, it was no "mere" coincidence, but a divinely intended one!

"Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son (Moses). When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water." (Exodus 2: 1-10 NIV)

Was it MERE coincidence that Pharoah's daughter rescued Moses? Was it a MERE random occurrence that Pharoah's daughter "just happened" to be "at the right spot at the right time"? No! Lord God was the architect and engineer of these events, these incidents!

The number of bible stories that could be offered in this bible study to further illustrate the divine supervision of events, of God's creating coincidences, are many. The ones selected do however show that there are no accidents, only seeming ones. Wrote Solomon:

"The lot (die or dice) is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD." (Proverbs 16: 33 NIV)

"The perception of coincidences often leads to occult or paranormal claims. It may also lead to a belief in fatalism, that events are pre-destined to happen in the exact manner of a prior plan or formula. This lends certain events an aura of inevitability." (Wikipedia)

Of course the occurrence of "coincidences," as the ones cited from the bible in this study, do show that God is in control of the events of life, and that he orders all things to occur in accordance with his will. Paul said that Lord God "works all things after the counsel of his own will." (Ephesians 1: 11 KJV)

What coincidences have occurred in your life that you know were the direct result of divine providence? What is it that God is showing you by these connected events?

Meaningful coincidence is just one of many ways in which we can be sure of the work of the Spirit in our lives. God give to us all the wisdom and insight to see and understand them as they happen in our lives!