KNOWING GOD – THE GOD OF MIRACLES – Lesson Thirteen
KNOWING THE GOD OF MIRACLES AS THE VINDICATOR:
Isaiah 50:8 – He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!
New Testament description of THE VINDICATOR: 1 Timothy 3:16 – Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
He appeared in a body – Isaiah 50:8 is a part of the prediction of this. Note: Isaiah 50:4-9 (AMP) – 4[The Servant of God says] The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught].
5The Lord God has opened My ear, and I have not been rebellious or turned backward.
6 I gave My back to the smiters and My cheeks to those who plucked off the hair; I hid not My face from shame and spitting.
7For the Lord God helps Me; therefore have I not been ashamed or confounded. Therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. Vindicate
8He is near Who declares Me in the right. Who will contend with Me? Let us stand forth together! Who is My adversary? Let him come near to Me.
9Behold, the Lord God will help Me; who is he who will condemn Me? Behold, they all will wax old and be worn out as a garment; the moth will eat them up.
Thanks to THE VINDICATOR, we are beneficiaries of Isaiah 50:8, as the following passages show. Romans 8:31-34 – 31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
John 1:14 – The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
1 John 1:2 – The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
Was vindicated by the Spirit – Matthew 3:16 – As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
Romans 1:1-4 – 1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God– 2the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Was seen by angels – At His birth: Luke 2:13-14 – 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
At His temptation in the desert: Mark 1:12-13 – 12At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, 13and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
During His agony at Gethsemane: Luke 22:41-43 – 41He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
At His resurrection: Matthew 28:2 – There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.
Mark 16:5 – As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
Luke 24:4 – While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
John 20:11-14 – 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
At His ascension: Acts 1:10-11 – 10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world – Acts 8:4-5 – 4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.
1 Corinthians 1:21 – For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Was taken up in glory – Luke 24:51 – While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
Acts 1:1-2, 9 – 1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Let us also thank THE VINDICATOR for the hope encompassed in: Psalm 35:24, 27 – 24Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me.
27May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
Psalm 43:1 – Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.
Psalm 135:14 – For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
Isaiah 54:17 – no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 51:10 – “`The LORD has vindicated us; come, let us tell in Zion what the LORD our God has done.’
The LORD has vindicated us – New Testament parallel: (a) Romans 10:4 – Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
(AMP) – For Christ is the end of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the Law leads up to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the purpose which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him.
Note: Romans 7:4 – So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
Galatians 3:10 – All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
(b) 1 Corinthians 1:30 – It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
(c) Philippians 3:9 – and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.