The Vindication of God

The Audience of One

The Vindication of God

Numbers 16:28-30

Theme: God will vindicate His people according to His will.

Introduction: Believers will often have struggles with the injustice in the world. We want to be vindicated before the world and the people we know. Vindication means to be absolved from blame or accusation. God will often withhold His vindication so that we will keep coming to Him and pleasing Him as the audience of One.

One day when I was witnessing on campus of the University of South Carolina with a couple of my friends, most were ignoring or making fun of us. My friend who was not a preacher and love the Lord immensely was telling this guy about Jesus and the guy walked away. My friend was so frustrated and he said, “go ahead die and go to hell, then.” He wanted to be vindicated and this was just not the way to handle it.

God told Moses “To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; Their foot shall slide in due time: For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things that shall come upon them make haste.” (Deuteronomy 32:35). This verse is quoted twice in the New Testament Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30. God hates it when we are trying to do His work when it comes to vengeance.

Vengeance refers mainly to punishment. God will punish and deal with sin. He brought vengeance on Israel’s enemies,; He punished sin by allowing disobedient kings of Israel to fall. God’s ultimate example of punishing sin was when He punished our sins in the body of His Son, Jesus Christ. Vengeance is God carrying out justice by punishing wickedness.

Vindication is positive where God absolves one of blame or false accusation. Here Moses was being accused of leading Israel to hurt them. They were falsely accusing him to take over his leadership of Israel. Yet God would vindicate him.

If we are to please the audience of One, we need to understand four principles regarding vindication.

I. Vindication is God’s prerogative

A man named Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron complaining they should share the leadership with more people than only two men. Moses fell on his face pleading with Korah v 5. God will show you who He chose.

In verse 19, the glory of God came upon the assembly. Moses put forth the proposition in vv. 29-30. God not only vindication Moses and Aaron but He also brought vengeance on Korah’s rebellion.

After this the people grumbled against Moses, but this time it was vindication. Moses made twelve staffs that represented the 12 tribes of Israel that they may recognize who God selected 17:12-13.

II. Vindication is sometimes immediate

Elijah was befriended by a widow. When son became ill and died she turned on Elijah I Kings 17:18 “And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?” (1 Kings 17:18)

Soon Elijah raised her son from the dead and God immediately vindicated Elijah.

A similar event took place in Elisha’s life and God gave an immediate vindication II Kings 4:18-37. When Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal, God vindicated Elijah by sending fire from heaven on the sacrifice and the people said in I Kings 18:39: The Lord He is God, the Lord He is God.

When Paul was in Malta and a viper came out of the fire and fastened on his hand, the people accused him of being a murderer. He shook it off and they changed their minds.

III. Vindication will honor God

The entire book of Esther was God vindicating His people through the life of Queen Esther and Mordecai. God was honored as they trusted Him completely. The issue is the honor and glory of God. He wants all the glory. He is a jealous God “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:” (Exodus 34:14)

God is the only one who is right always. Because the God of the Bible is the God of truth.

“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 6:18)

If you are not being vindicated, consider this: truth may not be on your side. All of us instinctively feel that the person who has hurt us, severely criticized us, or made us look bad should be punished. But though they may be wrong to be unfair or unkind, God will vindicate His people. He will get the glory.

Remember: God may be waiting to vindicate the righteousness of His people so that he can get the glory rather than us. Perhaps the possibility that God is withholding His vindication even to refine us.

It is all about His glory and when we live for the audience of One, He is the only One that the gets the glory.

IV. Vindication of suffering brings blessing

Suffering has a purpose in God’s plan. James 1:2: “count it all joy.” Why? Because if you embrace the trial instead of complain, you see that trial is more than gold.

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” (1 Peter 1:7)

We forgive those who cause us to suffer and maintain thanks in the Lord. He is the audience of One we are to look to. Too often I find myself complaining, grumbling, and murmuring. God will vindicate you when His purpose is fulfilled.

There are two kinds of vindication: external and internal. We all want the external where someone will say: “You were right and I was wrong.”

However, the perfect example of vindication was with Jesus. The Pharisees did not say, “ Jesus, we think you are wonderful.” The Sadducees did not say: “You are truly the Messiah.” The scribes did not say, “You are the Son of God.” Herod did not say, “Thank you for performing a miracle for me so that I now see who You are.” Pilate did not say, “I will never sentence a man like you.”

The vindication by the Holy Spirit is a secret, internal vindication. It is between you and God. If God gives you vindication by the Spirit, you can be assured that God witnessed in your life that you pleased Him.

What gives you more satisfaction: when God pleases you or knowing you please God. The internal testimony of the Holy Spirit that you tells you that you are pleasing God.

Jesus was vindicated internally by the Holy Spirit. He had the Holy Spirit always in His life.

“And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

“While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” (Matthew 17:5)

Jesus’s joy was centered in pleasing His Father John 8:29. Jesus was internally vindicated when He went to the cross. He yielded to the will of the Father when He gave His life. Jesus’s external and visible vindication is in the future when He will come one day in the clouds and every eye shall see Him. Every tongue will confess He is Lord

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11)

Conclusion: You may be here wanting vindication from God but remember God may just be maturing you in His image. Pursue the secret internal vindication that comes from the Holy Spirit. This far better than the external vindication from people around you.

This means our focus “How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” (John 5:44)

and heart will be centered in the audience of One.