The beloved physician Luke wrote how Paul's nephew told the chief captain, “The Jews have agreed to desire you that you would bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly. But do not you yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from you. So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See you tell no man that you have showed these things to me. And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night. And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter after this manner. Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sends greeting”, and in chapter twenty-three and verse twenty-seven of the book of Acts Luke shared how Claudius Lysias told Felix in the letter, “this man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them … then came I … and rescued him” where we read:
This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them:
then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.
The verse begins, “This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them:” Luke began with the word, “this man was taken of the Jews” which means “this particular male human being was seized and arrested by the people of the Jewish nation as respects to origin, birth or religion”, “and should have been killed of them” or “and intended and was minded to be destroyed, abolished and removed from the living by the Jewish people”. Luke shared how the “chief captain Claudius Lysias'” letter told “Felix” that “Paul” had been seized and was intended to be “killed” by the Jewish people.
The verse goes on to say, “... then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.” Luke continued with the words, “then came I with an army” which means “at that time arose and appeared I, Claudius Lysias, alongside a band of soldiers or bodyguard”, “and rescued him” or “and drew out and delivered Paul”, “having understood” which means “learning and being informed and apprised” “that he was a Roman” or “that he, Paul, existed as a citizen of Rome”. Luke shared how “Claudius Lysias” continued his letter to “Felix” by telling him that he arose and appeared with a military bodyguard and delivered “Paul” from the hostile crowd after he was informed that “Paul” was a citizen of Rome.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the “chief captain Claudius Lysias” recounted the story of rescuing “Paul” from the hostile Jewish crowd after he knew “Paul” was a “Roman”. “Paul's” heritage became an advantage for his preservation, and God used “Claudius Lysias” to carry out his plan. God's desire is to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and while “Claudius Lysias” was writing this letter, God was unfolding His plan for the entire world to know there is salvation from the penalty of sins, which is death, when a person believes and trusts in His Son Jesus who died on the cross in their place.
Next time Luke shares what Claudius Lysias did when he, “would have known the cause wherefore they accused” Paul, 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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