The beloved physician Luke wrote as Paul was making his defense before King Agrippa, he told him, “I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me”, and in chapter twenty-six and verse fourteen of the book of Acts Luke shared how Paul told King Agrippa that a voice said, “it is hard for you to kick against the pricks” where we read:
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecute you me? it is hard for you to kick against the pricks.
The verse begins, “And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, ...” Luke began with the words, “and when we were all fallen” which means “and at the time and moment we, Paul and the men with him, had each, every, the whole and everyone of them fallen down” “to the earth” or “to the ground”, “I heard a voice” which means “I, Paul, was endowed with the faculty for hearing, perceiving and discerning a sound and tone of uttered words” “speaking unto me” or “uttering words and thoughts to me, Paul”, “and saying in the Hebrew tongue” which means “and uttering, declaring and proclaiming by use of the Hebraistic or Jewish language” the following words. Luke shared how “Paul” told “king Agrippa” that he and the men with him fell to the ground after they saw the brilliant light, and he “heard” a sound or tone of uttered words in the Hebrew language declaring the following words.
The verse goes on to say, “... Saul, Saul, why persecute you me? it is hard for you to kick against the pricks.” Luke continued with the words, “Saul, Saul” which means “desired, desired and is the Jewish name of the apostle Paul” “why persecute you me” or “for what reason and cause do you, Saul – Paul, harass, trouble and mistreat me, Jesus”? “It is hard for you” which means “it exists as harsh, stern, violent, rough, offensive and intolerable for you, Saul - Paul” “to kick against the pricks” or “to recalcitrant or strike with the heel towards and in regards to the iron goads which are used for urging oxen, horses or other beasts of burden”. Luke shared how “Paul” told “king Agrippa” that the “voice” called him by his Hebrew name “Saul” twice, and then referred to how difficult it was for him to strike his heels against the prodding tools.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Paul” continued to relay the story of his conversion to “king Agrippa”. He told him about he and the men with him seeing the brilliant light, and the subsequent “voice” that accompanied the light. When the “voice” spoke, it called “Paul” by his Hebrew name “Saul” twice for emphasis, and the question asked was why he “persecuted” him. “Paul – Saul” was persecuting the believers within the church of Jesus, however, the “voice”, who we shall discover was Jesus, took it personally. We can imagine “king Agrippa's” attention to all these details, and one by one as “Paul” was sharing them, He drew closer and closer to letting “king Agrippa” know why his life was so dramatically changed. God loves people, and many times they believe the path they are on is the correct path, however, God knows the true path through His Son Jesus that every person who comes to Him must follow. Jesus confronted and changed Paul, and He is willing to do the same for every person who believes and trusts in His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”.
Next time Luke shares how Paul tells King Agrippa the voice said, “I am Jesus whom you persecute”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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