We have a stupid saying in our culture - "The devil is in the details." Why is God not selected to be in the details, even more, why is the devil? Doing the Biblical research, there is an infinite number of examples or reasons to see God in the details but allow me to highlight a couple.
All the fulfilled prophecies concerning Christ's first visit are proof that God loves details and is in them.
"An article on BibleTimeLines.net expounds on the fulfillment of Christ's prophecies during His first visitation.
'There are over 300 prophecies that point directly to the Messiah. Here is an example of just 8:
- The time of His birth (see the Daniel 8 and 9 Timeline).
- He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
- He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
- He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. (Zechariah 11:12)
- He would be mocked. (Psalm 22: 7-8)
- He would be crucified. (John 3:14)
- He would be pierced. (Psalm 22:16)
- He would die with the wicked, but He would be buried with the rich. (Isaiah 53:9)
Mathematics and Astronomy Professor Peter W. Stoner has made the statement that the chance of just 8 prophecies (like these) coming true by sheer chance is 1 in 10 to the 17th power (100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000).That would be equivalent to covering the whole state of Texas (about 268, 597 square miles) with silver dollars two feet deep and then expecting a blindfolded man to walk across the state and on the very first try find the ONE coin you marked."
(https://www.bibletimelines.net/articles/is-jesus-really-the-messiah) [pages 38-39, Ready Or Not Here He Comes, Pritchard]
When we take a look at the story of Job, the devil is in the telling, but God oversees the details. Later on in Job, when God is describing the Behemoth and Leviathan - God calls attention to not only His supreme creativeness, but how much He loves detail as God described each beast - in detail.
Jesus emphasized He was a God of detail in His lesson on worry.
"Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!" (Luke 12:24-28)
Jumping on that last sentence of Jesus - since God is highly into the details of His nature, how much more then His own image, especially those that believe in Him through Christ Jesus.
Another example of God in the details is His Passover command to not break the bones of the sacrificial lamb. The command became prophetic as soon as God uttered it - speaking of this in Numbers 9:12, the Scripture reads -
"They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations."
The disciple John cited in his Gospel that John the Baptist called Jesus "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) and that when the soldiers came to do as usual and break the legs of those on the cross to speed death's arrival, they saw Jesus was already dead and pierced His side instead (John 19:31-34). After seeing and hearing these things lining up with the commands of God - John says in John 19:36 - “These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken’”
Even the crucifixion itself arranged for this prophetic command to be fulfilled. The hand by the Romans was considered to include the wrist, therefore the nail was most likely placed between the Radius and Ulna bones.
If the nail had been centered in the palm of Christ's hand, the hammer strike would have shattered His bones and if that did not occur then His weight from hanging on the cross would have torn Him off of the nail.
The same concern applies with the feet of Jesus. The nail, therefore, most likely came in from the side, through the heel bone or Achilles Heel area.
There are times in our lives when it is appropriate to credit the devil with a particular detail or two. There are times to ascribe us as being in the details and/or the world. But to give "stupid" or the devil the whole ball of wax, to attribute to him all the details goes too far.
As I have made known, God loves details and is in them. He is the one we should always look for first, in the challenges of life and to give praise for the victories. When I meditate and/or reflect on my past, present and future - I really don't concentrate on seeing the world, myself and certainly not the devil in the details - I see God In The Details.
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