The rescue of 33 miners in Chile has been described as “the mother of all reality shows.” All of the men who were trapped in a gold and copper mine near the town of Copiapo have emerged safely from over 2,000 feet below ground. Never have miners so hopelessly trapped been raised to safety. This will be one of top stories of 2010, the century, the millennium or perhaps the top rescue story of all time.
The stunning feat produced a roller-coaster of human emotion, and it involved amazing technology and choreography, cooperative effort by local and overseas companies, and psychological determination. But beyond all that, the elements of faith and, more directly, biblical truth are focused clearly.
The miners were unable to save themselves. The miners were helplessly trapped by a landslide 69 days before the first rescue. If there was a self-made way out, they would have found it. All the well-wishing, all the denial of the problem and all the personal toughness of the men could not deliver them. Mankind’s similar spiritual entrapment of incurable sinful mortality is outlined in Ephesians 2:12. “…at that time you were without Christ … having no hope and without God in the world.”
Help had to come from above. Expert deliverance lay with saviors who were separated from the men by half a mile of solid rock. The Bible outlines God’s help from above in Christ: “…He also descended into the lower parts of the earth…He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens…” (Ephesians 4:9b, 10) “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man…” (John 3:13) An Old Testament precursor of this principle is written in God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery. “So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…” (Exodus 3:8)
No cost was spared in the rescue. Estimates are that the operation cost between $10-20 million provided by private firms and the Chilean government. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera had declared that cost would not be prohibitive, and he personally pledged his presence and legal leverage to provide every equipment need. In reaching down to fallen man, God gave his best and Christ gave His all. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age…” (Galatians 1:3-5)
Life before the rescue was not normal. During the 69 days that the miners were trapped, we saw that life was possible but not permanently sustainable or even normal. The men were able to see their loved ones by way of video, and one man even watched his child being born. Just because life may exist or even temporarily have its joys, doesn’t mean it is normal. In our world of unbelieving men, some opt to merely endure or enjoy the present, not knowing there is an eternally satisfying deliverance from above. Christ said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Rescue was by willing participation. Not one miner refused to put himself into the slim and confining capsule, exercising deliberate personal faith in the cable hooked to the powerful winch above. It would seem strange if any, when offered the saving ride, had refused. Yet millions reject the solitary way out of sin’s personal condemnation by rejecting Christ, who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) And sadly, many a home is fractured when a dad, mom, son or daughter opts out of familial unity in refusing to be joined to the rest of the spiritual family by rejecting Christ.
The rescue brought men from darkness to light. They had spent so much time in artificial light that sunglasses were necessary to protect their eyes, but none would have chosen to remain in the dark. The Apostle Paul describes it this way: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14) Peter wrote of those who are born again, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
A strong cable made deliverance possible. While watching the cable draw the willingly rescued from the dark depths to the sunlit heights, a further spiritual illustration came to me. Hebrews 6:19-20 uses maritime terminology to show how Christ draws the ship of faith into the final harbor. “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” The forerunner was a small ship that carried a larger ship’s anchor attached by a long rope into the snug harbor. Unable to directly sail in on its own, the larger ship was then slowly but safely winched into the secure anchorage.
In doomed Jericho, believing Rahab was to hang a scarlet cord from her window, a sign of faith and guarantee of protection (Joshua 2:18). There is a scarlet cord of redemption running through the Bible. It represents the shed blood of Christ, which when grasped, draws one to safety.
There was a type of rebirth. Recurring phrases and actions reminded me of spiritual salvation: “back from the dead” … “another birth” … “like they are born again” … “reborn.” The “rebirth” concept did flavor the entire operation, but there is a spiritual rebirth that is even more important. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:5-7)
God was at work in a wrenching situation. Already, there are reports of decisions for spiritual salvation among the miners below ground and their families on the surface above. Perhaps their stories will bring others to a saving knowledge of Christ. The psalmist wrote, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry, He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 40:1-3)
God’s role in the rescue was acknowledged. The men wore t-shirts with “Thank you Lord!” on the front and “Jesus” on the sleeve. On the back was Psalm 65:4: “In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also,” and the phrase “To God be the honor and glory.” Some miners fell on their knees in prayer as soon as they left the capsule. Others waved small Bibles. One miner wrote that there were 34 in the mine, not 33, meaning God was present making hope and endurance possible.
There were messages of love. While in the mine, the men wrote love notes to their families. Observers at the top of the rescue shaft, the site of “rebirth,” report that every delivered miner said to the family members designated to greet them, “I love you.” In three words, that could be the theme of the entire Bible. God simply says, “I love you.”
There was rejoicing over each rescued man. As each of the 33 miners and then the six rescue workers was pulled from the depths, there were cheers and shouts. President Pinera stood there for 24 hours and welcomed each man. Joyous tumult complete with echoing cheers was heard across Chile and around the world. It is a comparative whisper when we consider the “joy in the presence of the angels” over one repenting sinner (Luke 15:10)!
The mission wasn’t complete until all were rescued. As I began writing this blog, not all the men were safely above ground. No one would be completely relieved until the last man was out. I thought of the completion of the New Testament church. We cannot rest in reaching out with the Gospel until the last person to be saved is saved. God is taking out a people for His Name (Acts 15:14). Each reborn believer is delivered into the Lord’s kingdom one person at a time. The individual raising of those 33 miners is a fitting expression of the Lord’s personalizing the spiritual rebirth experience for each newborn child. Mass evangelism may be possible, but God saves people one at a time.
Now that all are rescued, everyone is going home. In the aftermath, things are quieting down. Everyone is safe and sound. The families have left with their loved ones. The media are taking down their equipment and crews are going home. The area will revert to the quiet desert it was before the shaft was drilled since the mine will be closed forever. The rescue is complete.
Perhaps very soon, that last person to be saved and be joined to the growing New Testament church will be lifted to safety through personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Christian workers will go Home accompanied by the great throng in whose deliverance they had a small part in sharing the Gospel. There will be a split second shout and a trumpet blast, and the whole family of God will be Home at last.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
I have been reminded of the words of the old hymn by Charles Gabriel:
In loving kindness Jesus came,
My soul in mercy to reclaim,
And from the depths of sin and shame
Thru grace He lifted me.
From sinking sand He lifted me,
With tender hand He lifted me;
From shades of night to planes of light,
O praise His name, He lifted me!
Dave Virkler
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