"And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be ... I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last ... I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star ... And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let him that hears say, "Come." And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:12-17; Revelation 1:8)
It is for this reason that we believe in JESUS the Christ -- being the One whom He hath sent! (John 6:29) Hear ye Him! Indeed, the great I AM from the old covenant made flesh and dwelling among us -- "He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. The fullness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in Him. God manifest in the flesh. To wit, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. (John 1:10-11; I Timothy 3:16; II Corinthians 5:17; Isaiah 9:6)
The first commandment confirmed in both the old and the new states -- "Hear O Israel, the Lord thy God is ONE LORD!" And there is none other God or Saviour beside Him. This reality is made abundantly clear throughout the scriptures, but most particularly when the Word of the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah, foretelling of the ultimate sacrifice that was to come. That is, when God clothed Himself as a man -- the fullness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in Him -- so that He could become our Saviour. (Colossians 2:9) Now that is love of the highest order, when the Good Shepherd laid down His life for His sheep. (John 10:11-18)
From Isaiah: "For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee." (Isaiah 43:3) "Verily Thou art a God that hides Thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour." (Isaiah 45:15) "Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I the Lord? And there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me." (Isaiah 45:21)
"O LORD, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy Name; for Thou hast done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. For Thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built. Therefore shall the strong people glorify Thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear Thee. For Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.
For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under Him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. And He shall spread forth His hands in the midst of them, as He that swims spreads forth his hands to swim: and He shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands. And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall He bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust." (Isaiah 25:1-12)
Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.
For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under Him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. And He shall spread forth His hands in the midst of them, as He that swims spreads forth his hands to swim: and He shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands. And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall He bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust." (Isaiah 25:1-12)
In yet another place, "Yea, truth fails; and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment. And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him. For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon His head; and He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; to the islands He will repay recompense.
So shall they fear the Name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him .... And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob," saith the LORD. "As for Me, this is My covenant with them," saith the LORD, "My Spirit that is upon Thee, and My words which I have put in Thy mouth, shall not depart out of Thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of Thy seed, nor out of the mouth of Thy seed's seed," saith the LORD, "from henceforth and for ever." (Isaiah 59:15-21)
"Ye are My witnesses," saith the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I AM HE: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses," saith the LORD, that I am God.
YEA, BEFORE THE DAY WAS I AM HE; and there is none that can deliver out of My hand: I will work, and who shall let it?" Thus saith the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; "For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King."
Thus saith the LORD, which makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; which brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour Me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, my chosen. This people have I formed for Myself; they shall shew forth My praise.
"Ye are My witnesses," saith the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I AM HE: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses," saith the LORD, that I am God.
YEA, BEFORE THE DAY WAS I AM HE; and there is none that can deliver out of My hand: I will work, and who shall let it?" Thus saith the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; "For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King."
Thus saith the LORD, which makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; which brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour Me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, my chosen. This people have I formed for Myself; they shall shew forth My praise.
But thou hast not called upon Me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of Me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought Me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured Me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. Thou hast bought Me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled Me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made Me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities. I, even I, am He that blots out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put Me in remembrance ...." (Isaiah 43:10-28)
"The LORD hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." (Isaiah 52:10)
Only one Saviour and He is -- the Great I AM -- the Root and offspring of David. Thus, when He declared "this day have I begotten Thee" -- it was so that we (His beloved) could know Him who has loved us beyond measure. In this current dispensation of grace, His Name JESUS -- for He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21-23)
Stand in the offering plate.
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