The physician Luke wrote how Cornelius sent men to Joppa after receiving a vision from the Lord, and “On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew near unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour. And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth. Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air”, and in chapter ten and verse thirteen of the book of Acts Luke shared how a voice said, “Rise, Peter; kill, and eat” where we read:
And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
The verse begins, “And there came a voice to him, ...” Luke began with the words, “and there came a voice” which means “and there arose and appeared a sound or tone of uttered words” “to him” or “to Peter”. Luke shared how “Peter” heard “a voice of uttered words”.
The verse continues, “... Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.” Luke added the words, “rise, Peter” which means “stand and get up, Peter whose name means a little rock or stone” “kill, and eat” or “immolate, sacrifice, slay, consume and devour”. Luke shared how the “voice” told “Peter” to “slay” the animals let down in the sheet and “devour” them.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn more about “Peter” upon the rooftop. After seeing the “large sheet” with various “four-footed animals, wild beasts, creeping things and fowl” descending toward him, “Peter” heard a “voice” instructing him to “slay” the animals and creatures he was seeing and “eat” them. We shall see how “Peter” responds in our next verse, but for now let us understand this was all part of God's plan to extend the “gospel” of His Son Jesus Christ to more people in the world. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17) “Peter's” trance and the “voice” were God's way of moving “Peter” to a new ministry, and those who are reading these words are the benefactors to what he “saw and heard” from God.
Next time Luke shares how, “Peter said, Not so”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
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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