Oracles – Past and Present
He leads me …
Everyone needs to believe that they matter and that they do have a purpose in life. As each one of us pursues what these things mean it is inevitable that we will seek the advice of others in order to find the answers.
As a child, a person initially asks their parents or other grownups who they feel comfortable with what to do, but as they progress into their teenage years the opinion of the people they mix with becomes very important as they look to be accepted by the group. What is important to the group becomes important to them too. It not only affects what they think and say, but also affects what they wear and eat, and generally live.
From here they move into their twenties where they start to identify their strengths and weaknesses and what is really important to them. As they work through these issues they find that their social groups do not have all the answers, so they start seeking for solutions elsewhere. It may be a few respected people, who are likely to be older people, and they will be found at work, or in any of the groups that the person belongs to.
There will be times when the counsel that they receive is not really providing the answers they are looking for, so they look further afield. This is when it gets interesting. They may start looking on line or for books on how we develop ourselves, and if they happen to be at a side show of a circus or market, they may want to see what happens if they talk to an astrologer, have the palms of their hands read, or have the random turning of tarot cards interpreted.
Seekers will go to all sorts of people and places to find the answers to life’s concerns.
Between the 8th century BC, and 4th century AD, the Pythia, also known as the Oracle of Delphi, passed on whatever the god Apollo gave her to say to whoever sought her advice.
Based in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in Greece, the Pythia sat in the inner sanctum of the temple on a tripod throne while vapours rose from a cleft in the rock below her. The chief priest would ask the enquirer’s question to the Pythia who was said to be under the influence of Apollo, while being in a trance induced by the vapour. Some speculate that it would be similar to glue sniffing. Depending on how coherent her answer was, the High Priest would interpret the Pythia’s response if it required clarity.
Typically, those who consulted the oracle were asking for advice, were making simple requests, inquiring about the outcomes of breaking in new land, requiring guidance when several alternatives were facing them, or trying to determine the truth about various points of view.
The Delphic Oracle was the most esteemed and influential oracle among the Greeks and she was among most powerful women of the classical world. Many Greeks believed that the oracle was reliable and credible and so her success was expected. But also, as expected, bad advice did occur. When this happened, the oracle generally defended themselves by blaming the recipient for misunderstanding the advice.[1]
Probably the most interesting oracle was in 302 AD, when the oracle responded to a messenger of Emperor Diocletian that the sect of Christianity would lead to the destruction of the Empire. The actual translation said that it was impossible for (the oracle) to speak the truth because of the righteous men upon the Earth.[2] The term ‘righteous men’ was taken to mean the Christians of that time.
Why is it that people will go to great trouble to look for understanding and guidance from some questionable sources when they can get their own Bible (God’s Word) from a local bookshop quite cheaply and find the correct answers there?
If we look at the relationship that the Lord had with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, this is the type of relationship that He wants with us too. If we spend time reading the Bible, His Spirit will prompt us and guide us. We know this because in Hebrews 4:12 it reads –
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (NLT)
As we read the Bible we get to know what God is able to do for us, and also what He expects from us in return. The more that we read the Bible the more we become familiar with these aspects, and the more He can teach and shepherd us.
We also find that in our lives we get to experience Him in a variety of ways. Like when He gives us a burden to do something. It does not go away and just keeps niggling at us until we do whatever we are meant to.
We see Him at work in what others call ‘coincidence’ and ‘good luck’.
We can also receive His direction when we hear two totally unrelated people say the same thing within a short space of time.
Using these and other approaches, the Lord will work in our lives. But we have to play our part. We are called to do what He wants us to do, and when we respond the right way, the blessings are absolutely amazing. They help us to want to more, which means that we are more responsive to the Lord, and this enables our relationship to grow deeper.
Why look elsewhere when God can personally provide all the answers that we need in a relationship that just continues to grow?
[1] Twentieth-Century Oracles, Anthony F. Franco, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute; https://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/1984/2/84.02.02.x.html
[2] As quoted in The Persecution of Diocletian: A Historical Essay by Arthur James Mason M.A.; Deighton Bell and Co publishers, Cambridge, 1876; page 63
