“while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (Hebrews 2:4 ESV).
The word “wonder” represents the next entry in our survey of signs, wonders, and miracles from Hebrews 2:4. In this context, a “wonder” refers to something that produces a sense of awe, amazement, and/or astonishment. We can find one such example in the experience of Moses, the great Old Testament patriarch…
“Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. So Moses thought, ‘I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?'” (Exodus 3:1-3 CSB).
So, God attracted Moses’ attention through this wondrous sight as the initial step in His plan to deliver the people of Israel from the oppression of the ancient Egyptians. As one Biblical scholar comments…
“The Greek for ‘wonder’ is teras. ‘Wonder’ is the right translation, since one purpose of a miracle is to attract the attention of people. In a miracle the God who constantly runs the world does something dramatically different. This gets our attention. If miracles are commonplace, as some fringe groups in Christendom claim they are, such occurrences would not be wonders. Consider Israel in the wilderness. They ate manna for forty years. Their shoes and clothes did not wear out. After a while it no longer seemed wonderful and miraculous. Only when something is exceptional do we see it as a wonder.” (1)
Nevertheless, we should recognize that every purported “wonder” doesn’t necessarily originate with God. Consider this cautionary message to the nation of Israel, a message that also applies today…
“Prophets or interpreters of dreams may promise a miracle or a wonder, in order to lead you to worship and serve gods that you have not worshiped before. Even if what they promise comes true, do not pay any attention to them. The Lord your God is using them to test you, to see if you love the Lord with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 13:1-3 GNT).
Much like the signs mentioned earlier in this verse, a spiritual wonder that points to something or someone other than Jesus is likely to be invalid. Therefore, we would be wise to prayerfully examine such things before we accept their legitimacy.
(1) Sproul, R. C. Before the Face of God Book 4 A Daily Guide for Living from Ephesians, Hebrews, and James [Page 44] © 1994 by R. C. Sproul, Published by Baker Books a division of Baker Book House