Unexpected acts of God
God reaching out to man in unexpected ways.
1.Smoking Furnace and Burning Lamp-God’s unilateral covenant with Abraham
2. Abraham’s three unexpected guests.
3. Jesus healing the man born blind.
4. Jesus healing the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda.
SMOKING FURNACE AND BURNING LAMP: Gen. 15
I AM thy shield & great reward vs.1.
Abraham’s question: Lord God what wilt thou give me? vs 2-3.
God’s answer: vs. 4-7.
Abrahams response: How shall i know that? vs. 8.
God’s answer: A covenant. vs. 9-10. Common practice in that culture.
Smoking Furnace & Burning Lamp only pass between the split carcases. vs. 17-18. God appeared as Smoking Furnace on Mt. Sinai and Burning Bush to Moses.
Unilateral Covenant: Was established dependent on God alone.
ABRAHAM’S THREE UNEXPECTED VISITORS: Gen. 18
Three visitors to Abaham
Abraham welcomes the Visitors. vs. 1-5.
The Visitor’s first question: Where is Sarah thy wife? vs. 9-14.
The Visitor’s second question: Shall I hide from Abraham that thing that I do? vs. 17-20.
Abraham’s question: vs. 23-24. Abraham pleads for the righteous: if 50 will you spare the place?
God’s answer: vs. 26. I will spare all the space for their sake. God is merciful.
There are not 10 righteous even including Lot & his family of 8 including his 2 sons-in law.
The three visitors of Abrham were the pre-incarnate Christ and 2 angels.
Why did they visit Abraham?
To fulfill God’s promise in Gen. 12:1-3…In thee shall all families of the earth be blessd. Sarah will conceive and have a son.
God communicate His will and purpose with His followers and uses them as instruments.
God will Judge the wicked but show mercy to the righteous. God wants his followers to reach out and plead for sinners.
Righteous Lot, Abraham’s nephew & two young daughters will be spared.
JESUS HEALING THE MAN BORN BLIND. John 9:1-12.
Deciples question: “Why was this man born blind?”
Jesus’s answer: “So that the work of God be displayed in him.”
Unusual healing: Jesus spit on the ground, made clay and anointed his eyes with the clay. A focused creative act similar to the creation of Adam.
Optical agenesis: No functioning eyeballs, optic nerves, optic chiasm, optic tracts or occipital cortex.
Optical creative act required creation of all of the optical components.
THE IMPOTENT MAN AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA. John 5:1-11
There was a multitude of impotent folks waiting for the Angel to trouble the water.
A man was there who had infirmity for 38 years.
He had total disability.
He had no one to help him-to move him to the water.
Jesus’s question: “Wilt thou be made whole?” Vs.6.
His answer: I have no hope. Vs.7. Jesus knew his total hopelessness.
Jesus said to him. “Rise, take up thy bed and walk”. Vs 8.
He was totally healed and made whole. Vs. 11. Carried his bed on the Sabbath.
Interesting questions:
Was he the one of greatest need? The most disabled.
Was he born with spinal cord dysplasia or cervical cord injury? Totally disabled for 38 years would be associated with severe muscle atrophy and severe osteoporosis.
How could he stand up, take up his bed and walk away? Totally healed and made whole. No physical therapy or rehab. His spinal cord, his bones & joints and his balance fully restored.
CONCLUSION:
God keeps his promises to his chosen.
God allows testing and trials.
God’s timing is at His discretion.
Jesus’s miracles show He is God becoming man to restore sinful man to God.
Below is the notes pdf