We return to the mystery of miracles. Anything God does in nature that nature has not done within its own laws qualifies as miracle–working in that the actions and processes are not originated and carried through within the laws of nature. Anything God does includes a miracle factor in it – origin. Those actions of God that utilize the natural processes I perceive as providences – so to keep clear the differences between variant extra-natural occurrences and natural experiences. These providences we sometimes call miracles. They are not perceived most truly as miracles except through language accepted in analysis related to them. Joseph in prison in Egypt interpreted the dreams recorded to his attention in Genesis. His interpretations turned out to be excellent analysis in the outcomes that he predicted. I presume the dream events were providences given to Joseph for the occasions. If conferring with Joseph at the time, God would likely have said openly that the occasions were miraculous in some way. Most dreams have no specific meaning, as the somnolent brain flits from point to point and creates stories from filing cabinets of memories of emotions and thoughts from the past. (My dreams are often related to frustration that I can’t get from where I am to the speaker’s stand in time to carry through on my assignment. I have always been overly-concerned that I arrive on time for appointments. In my dreams that include my wife, now deceased, she seems like the person I well remember, but her voice is silent although talking to me, her appearance real though diaphanous. There is something out-of-nature in it all. I leave it because I don’t know enough to account for it, even though scholars may offer perceptions.)
There is an important point here that I perceive as significant in human understanding and conduct. We learn how variant nations and societies function in the natural world. Our tendency is to extol our own and reduce others in some way. Americans are firm about freedom, and extol the concept of government formed by the governed. The concept of elections by the citizens of the society, and the divisions of that society from the smallest to the total state and nation are taken as sacred – sacred in that they are guided strictly by various constitutions. Americans are somewhat evangelistic in advancing the democratic process with the electorate the important feature and all entities guided by the appropriate constitution, the contract from the parties. Other entities prefer some other context, and shy away from democracy. During my lifetime, Communism has been the largest competitor to Democracy. Tribalism, known from historical times and met by settlers from Europe invading the western hemisphere was a preferred system of order, and remains so for some peoples in remote areas of the world. Any of them will work if the citizens will accept them and make them work, but citizens may lose them in their thoughts and actions – and evasions. Power becomes arrogant, perhaps restrictive. Business becomes too greedy and the divisions between the haves and the have-nots grow wider. Education, both informal and formal, loses or gains value systems and life formation. Distractions overtake and necessary responsibilities grow or fade. Any system fluctuates. Virtually any system can be made to work if it is guided in righteousness (right/values).
The biblical model, of course, is Israel. Every form imaginable was followed in Israel. There were times when they were free, and times when they were slaves. There were times when their leaders were guided by that fitting to faith in living God and times when they totally forgot there was a personal god. They were family oriented in an otherwise unorganized period in ancient history. They became tribal, then confederate, then democratic under judges with a religious source constitution (made social from the time of Moses). Then they became royal beginning with Saul reaching zenith under Solomon, then civil strife divided the nation, and ultimately taken captive again, with another trial for a new order, only to become a part of a Roman colony with privileges somewhat like those of the American aboriginals (Indians – tribal) after the American Civil War. No systems worked when the citizens of the context did not support them. No system will serve without citizen responsibility, with an affirmative value system (agreed solidarity) of righteousness that includes service, and aided with God’s providences. God touches us in his providences. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020