The beloved physician Luke wrote how Paul began to give defense for himself before a hostile Jewish crowd in Hebrew by saying, “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as you all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest does bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come near unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me”, and in chapter twenty-two and verse seven of the book of Acts Luke shared how Paul said he, “heard a voice saying … Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” where we read:
And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecute you me?
The verse begins, “And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, ...” Luke began with the words, “and I fell unto the ground” which means “and I, Paul, descended and was thrust down to the soil of earth”, “and heard a voice” or “and was endowed with the faculty of hearing, perceiving and understanding a sound or tone of uttered words” “saying unto me” which means “uttering, declaring and proclaiming to me, Paul” the following words. Luke shared how “Paul” told the “Jewish crowd” that he “heard” a sound of uttered words proclaiming the following to him.
The verse goes on to say, “... Saul, Saul, why persecute you me?” Luke continued with the words, “Saul, Saul” which means “Saul, Saul which means desired and was the Jewish name of the apostle Paul”, “why persecute you me” or “for what reason and cause do you, Paul, drive away, put to flight and pursue in a hostile manner, me, Jesus”? Luke shared how “Paul” told the “Jewish multitude” that the “voice” speaking to him from the brilliant light asked him for the reason that he was “driving away and pursuing Jesus in his hostile manner”.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Paul” continued to share the story of what happened to him on the road to “Damascus” when he was commissioned to arrest the Christians there. While the “brilliant light” was shining all around him, unexpectedly a “voice” began to speak to “Paul” and ask him twice by his Jewish name, “Saul”, as to why he was “persecuting” him. It is interesting to note that the “voice” which was “Jesus” said “Paul” was “pursuing” Him in a “hostile manner”. “Paul” was “persecuting” the church or the believers in Jesus, however, Jesus took an attack against His “church or believers” as a personal attack against Himself, and we shall see how “Paul” responds to His accusation against him. God loves people, and even when they “attack” Him and His church, He offers them forgiveness of sins and eternal life when they believe and trust in His Son Jesus. Those who are wise will carefully study God's intervention in “Paul's” life and seek to have the Lord speak to them in a similar manner as He did “Saul” who is known as “Paul”.
Next time Luke shares how Paul says he asked, “who are you, Lord?”, 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".
No comments:
Post a Comment