Which Old Testament miracles parallel the healing in Acts 3:7? The scene in Acts 3:7 “Taking him by the right hand, Peter helped him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were strengthened.” (Acts 3:7) Instant strength, public wonder, and a messenger of God—those same elements appear repeatedly in the Old Testament. Old Testament miracles that echo Acts 3:7 • Numbers 21:8-9 – The bronze serpent “When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live… If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.” – Immediate bodily cure at God’s command, witnessed by the camp. • Numbers 12:13-15 – Miriam’s leprosy healed “So Moses cried out to the LORD, ‘O God, please heal her!’… Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days.” – A prophet’s intercession brings visible restoration, affirming divine authority. • 1 Kings 13:4-6 – Jeroboam’s withered hand restored “The king’s hand, which he had stretched out against him, withered… the king’s hand was restored to him as it was before.” – Instantaneous healing through the word of a man of God. • 1 Kings 17:22 – Elijah raises the widow’s son “The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.” – Complete physical restoration, demonstrating God’s power working through His prophet. • 2 Kings 4:35 – Elisha raises the Shunammite’s son “The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.” – A dramatic, observable recovery, confirming the prophet’s God-given authority. • 2 Kings 5:14 – Naaman’s leprosy cleansed “His flesh was restored and became like that of a little child.” – A hopeless physical condition instantly reversed after obedience to prophetic instruction. • 2 Kings 13:21 – A corpse revived by touching Elisha’s bones “When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man revived and stood up on his feet.” – Power of God bringing sudden life and strength, witnessed by onlookers. • 2 Kings 20:5 – Hezekiah’s fatal illness healed “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you.” – Divine promise followed by tangible, complete recovery. Shared themes between Acts 3 and these Old Testament accounts • Humanly impossible situations meet God’s limitless power. • God works through chosen servants—Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Peter. • Healings are immediate, complete, and publicly verifiable. • Each miracle points beyond the messenger to the Lord who “heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3). The takeaway Acts 3:7 stands squarely in the long, unbroken line of God’s miracle-working deeds recorded in Scripture. The same Lord who strengthened the lame man’s ankles had already been revealing His compassionate, sovereign power throughout the Old Testament, preparing hearts to recognize His hand again in the early church—and still today. |
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