The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 9:1-5a,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' Saul asked."
We are introduced to Saul at the beginning of chapter eight where Saul attended the stoning of Stephen as a participant in witnessing his death. Following, we read that Saul "began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison." Acts 8:3. After the killing of Stephen, Saul had become obsessed with crushing this new movement in its infancy. In my own speculation, I suspect Saul (who would later be renamed "Paul", selected by the Lord to be an apostle to the Gentiles and would go on to establish fellowships throughout the Mediterranean and southern Europe and write half of the books of our New Testament), was beguiled by the experience he had on the day Stephen was martyred.
We are told on that day the Sanhedrin looked "intently at Stephen" and saw his face was like the face of an angel, Acts 6:15. Stephen very boldly indicted the entire leadership of the nation of Israel and all of its forefathers: "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers…" Using their own Scriptures against them he proved incontrovertibly they had persecuted every prophet God had sent them. Not only that but they had betrayed and murdered the very one the prophets spoke of who was to come! We read that Stephen exclaimed to Saul and the others that he was looking into heaven itself, seeing the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand! As they stoned Stephen Saul heard him ask the Lord not to hold this sin against them – a plea for Saul's own benefit.
I don't think you just go home after a day like that and not reflect on it. As I say, I think it must have been something that Saul struggled with and at some point it became the source of his obsession with destroying the church. Either everything Stephen said was true or he represented a very malicious new threat against the leadership of Israel. Either way Stephen represented something very dangerous from Saul's perspective. Unfortunately for Saul, he interpreted things exactly the wrong way and set out to crush the church. And now this! In his further efforts to rape the bride of Jesus Christ he is brought to his knees as a bright light flashed around him and a voice spoke to him from heaven!
When Saul asks the pregnant question, "Who are you, Lord?" it becomes the question of the ages. Many may assume they know who Jesus Christ is, but as Saul found out, all assumptions will be confronted with the truth, either today or at the end of the age. Woe to the man who does not gain the truthful answer to this all-important question while it is still today!
We are introduced to Saul at the beginning of chapter eight where Saul attended the stoning of Stephen as a participant in witnessing his death. Following, we read that Saul "began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison." Acts 8:3. After the killing of Stephen, Saul had become obsessed with crushing this new movement in its infancy. In my own speculation, I suspect Saul (who would later be renamed "Paul", selected by the Lord to be an apostle to the Gentiles and would go on to establish fellowships throughout the Mediterranean and southern Europe and write half of the books of our New Testament), was beguiled by the experience he had on the day Stephen was martyred.
We are told on that day the Sanhedrin looked "intently at Stephen" and saw his face was like the face of an angel, Acts 6:15. Stephen very boldly indicted the entire leadership of the nation of Israel and all of its forefathers: "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers…" Using their own Scriptures against them he proved incontrovertibly they had persecuted every prophet God had sent them. Not only that but they had betrayed and murdered the very one the prophets spoke of who was to come! We read that Stephen exclaimed to Saul and the others that he was looking into heaven itself, seeing the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand! As they stoned Stephen Saul heard him ask the Lord not to hold this sin against them – a plea for Saul's own benefit.
I don't think you just go home after a day like that and not reflect on it. As I say, I think it must have been something that Saul struggled with and at some point it became the source of his obsession with destroying the church. Either everything Stephen said was true or he represented a very malicious new threat against the leadership of Israel. Either way Stephen represented something very dangerous from Saul's perspective. Unfortunately for Saul, he interpreted things exactly the wrong way and set out to crush the church. And now this! In his further efforts to rape the bride of Jesus Christ he is brought to his knees as a bright light flashed around him and a voice spoke to him from heaven!
When Saul asks the pregnant question, "Who are you, Lord?" it becomes the question of the ages. Many may assume they know who Jesus Christ is, but as Saul found out, all assumptions will be confronted with the truth, either today or at the end of the age. Woe to the man who does not gain the truthful answer to this all-important question while it is still today!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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