"... confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22)
- " ... even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace." (Philippians 1:7)
"For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us ..." (Hebrews 6:16-18)
In searching the scriptures, it is critical to understand that there is always a confirming scripture (at least one) to validate the Word. Interpreted, this means there are no contradictions within the scriptures because there is always a second scripture to confirm the first. Obviously, there can be many more scriptures. It is for this reason that we search the scriptures wherein the Lord has said, "Lo, behold, the volume of the book is written of Me!" (Psalm 40:7; Hebrews 10:7)
In Hebrews 6, for example, we also see that God's oath is unchanging -- "for when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself." (Hebrews 6:13; Luke 1:73)
Why is this important? Because "God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man, that He should repent; hath He said, and shall He not do [it]? Or hath He spoken and shall He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19) " .... for He is not a man that He should repent." (I Samuel 15:29)
Or, as apostle Paul said in writing to Titus, "according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; but hath in due times manifested His Word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour." (Titus 1:1-3)
Similarly, Zacharias, filled with the Holy Ghost confirmed the same oath when he prophesied about his son John (the baptizer).
"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people; and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David: as He spake by the mouth of the holy prophets, which have been since the world began; that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; the oath which He sware to our father Abraham, that He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life. And thou child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shat go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways ... to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us!" (Luke 1:67-80)
For those who may not know, God said previously to Abraham, "Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee." And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath -- that by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us; which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec." (Hebrews 6:13-20; Genesis 22:17; Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 5:6)
"And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of the heaven the second time, and said, "By Myself have I sworn," saith the Lord ..." (Genesis 22:15-16)
Abraham (by faith) was called out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:8-9)
In the new testament, we see Peter (standing with the eleven) on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, wherein the risen Jesus had instructed them to tarry. There, Peter speaking freely states: "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on His throne; he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption." (Acts 2:29-31)-18
Hebrews 7 adds even more clarity and insights for those interested in learning more. Nevertheless, the point today is this -- the Lord God confirms His Word throughout. Thus, when we search the scriptures, we see evidence of His promises -- each verse supported by a second (or even more) within the scriptures.
"He hath remembered His covenant for ever, the Word which He commanded to a thousand generations, which covenant He made with Abraham, and His oath unto Isaac; and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant ..." (Psalm 105:8-10)
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us -- looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us -- looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)
So, with all these scriptural confirmations and so many witnesses around us, what will we who believe say when we meet the King of kings and Lord of lords face to face -- for not searching the scriptures for His clarity and truth. It's an interesting question.
Indeed, "O Lord our God, other lords beside Thee have had dominion over us; but by Thee only will we make mention of Thy name!" (Isaiah 26:13)
More to come on this topic. In the interim, stand in the offering plate.
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