APPEARANCES
APPEARANCES
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“Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,” (Acts 7:2 KJV)
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“And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,” (Acts 7:30-31 KJV)
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“Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:56 KJV).
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But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,” (Acts 26:16-17 KJV)
The Bible records many “appearances”. The Lord appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Ex. 6:3); Samuel (1 Sam. 3:21); Solomon (1 Ki. 3:5); Elijah (2 Ki. 2:11); Zechariah (Lk. 1:11); Joseph (Mt. 1:20) ; Etc. Following His resurrection Jesus “appeared” to many witnesses chosen before of God (Acts 10:40, 41). Etc. Etc. Etc.
As we consider the four “appearances” mentioned in our printed texts perhaps we can learn lessons that will help us understand our own personal relationship with God. These four are easily grouped together. The first three involve Stephen, and the fourth involves a young man named Saul who heard Stephen preach and watched him die. Hopefully, these appearances will plant a seed in our minds about our own personal relationship with God. Please consider:
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All of these appearances are supernatural. God has consistently “appeared” in ways that insured His identity. If you want to know God, it is imperative that you meet Him!
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While we have no details of how the “God of glory” appeared unto Abraham, we can assume it was supernatural. Abraham’s faith therefore had “substance” (Heb. 11:1). He knew it was God. His faith was real and the city he was searching for had “foundations” (Heb. 11:10).
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Next, note that no two appearances are the same. God is a God of infinite variety. He is always reliable but never predictable. If God should call you into His service it doesn’t have to be the way he called Saul or anyone else.
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Before making a life changing commitment it is always wise to be certain you are dealing with God. When Elijah came to the mount Horeb he witnessed a powerful wind, then an earthquake, and finally a fire. But God did not speak to him through any of these spectacular displays of nature. God chose instead to speak to him in a “still small voice” (1 Ki. 19:12). That “still small voice” was still supernatural and Elijah knew it came from God. That is precisely why he obeyed everything that voice commanded him to do (1 Ki. 19:15, 16).
There is a God! He knows your name and has determined when and where you would be born (Acts 17:26). He did this so that you would reach out and feel for Him though He is not far from every one of us. Since God is Sovereign, He can appear to you any way He wants to. If He has not done so yet, I believe He will. Don’t be like the horse and the mule who have no understanding and must be forced to obey. God wants to guide you with His eye (Ps. 32:8, 9).