“Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.”
(1Sam 14:15 NIV)
One friday afternoon I was just about ready to leave work and walk home. I had packed up my briefcase and was turning off the lights and everything was normal. Then I heard a thud and there was a shake, like somebody fell out of their chair or dropped a paper box down the hall. I had half a second to wonder about it then the whole floor shook. My desk began banging against the wall and as I stood there I felt like I was on a boat getting hit with some waves. There was nothing to hold on to or step to that was stable, everything was moving, and then it was over.
Another day I was in the bathtub. Our shower doesn’t work so we have a plastic scoop with which we scoop up water and pour it over our heads to rinse soap off. I was rinsing off my face and felt a little dizzy. That seemed normal enough, you know how you tilt your head around with your eyes closed and sometimes feel dizzy. Then I opened my eyes and saw water sloshing out of the bathtub and the hot water heater banging against the wall. From the other end of the house I heard Cindy yell ‚ÄúEarthquake!‚Äù
In both of these cases, the Earthquake had such an effect on me that I felt trembly the whole walk home, and dizzy for most of my morning. I can only imagine a bunch of Philistines running around, a little (or a lot) nervous about this Jonathan guy, and then there is an earthquake. That would just be the icing on the cake to send them all into a tizzy. Nothing makes you feel absolutely powerless like a natural disaster or phenomenon. God’s a genius.