THE LORD SPOKE (April 21)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: I Samuel 6-8

When the people of Beit Shemesh "looked up and saw the ark they rejoiced at the sight" (I Sam. 6:13). Why? Because it represented the presence of God with them and it had been gone since that terrible battle when the Philistines captured it (I Sam. 4:22). But then the unimaginable happened. In their joy to get it back, some acted inappropriately and "God struck down some of the men" (I Sam. 6:19). Don't waste too much time on the question of how many were struck down. Rather, think of this: "The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them". This One they'd been so longing to have back!

A long time later (I Sam. 7:2-3), Samuel led them to repentance and back to the Lord saying, "If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of ________ [you fill in your blank here] ...and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you...." So they fasted and confessed, "we have sinned against the Lord" (I Sam. 7:6).

"Then Samuel took a stone...[and] he named it Ebenezer saying, 'Thus far has the Lord helped us' (I Sam. 7:12)." Why have they taken that word out of our hymn books? (Do we even use hymn books any more?) Why don't we, instead, remind God's people of what it means?! Even + haezer in Hebrew is "stone of help". That memorial stone was to remind them/later generations/us of God's help. "Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I've come." I need to raise some great memorial so that I never forget what God has done for me!

[Unless you want to be discouraged again, don't even go to I Sam. 8:18-20 and the context.]


New Testament: Acts 22

A lot can be learned about Paul from this passage. Though the purpose is not biographical, consider the following:

1. He was multilingual. In the last chapter (Acts 21:37) the Roman commander was surprised to find that he spoke Greek. They were probably conversing in Aramaic, the lingua franca of the day and the most likely language they would have had in common. When Paul speaks in his own defense, he uses Hebrew to best communicate with his Jewish audience. The text literally says “in the Hebrew dialect” (Acts 22:2) and there’s good evidence that this was Hebrew - not Aramaic as some of our English translations have it. With his travels around the Roman Empire he, no doubt, picked up some Latin too.
2. He was well-traveled. In this brief passage we have mention of Tarsus in Cilicia, Damascus, and Jerusalem. But the ease with which Paul converses with a Roman centurion, who himself was well-traveled, is indicative of a broad perspective.
3. He was highly educated. Besides the multiple languages and extensive travel, Paul had received the very finest formal education. He had been trained in rabbinic law by no less than Gamaliel, the most respected rabbi of the first century and the grandson of the great Hillel (see Acts 5:34).
4. He was well connected. Paul could appeal to his familiarity to “the high priest and all the council”. Being a student of Gamaliel would have opened any Jewish door for him but Paul’s Roman citizenship was a key factor in the secular world. There were three ways to obtain Roman citizenship: (a) win it as a reward for some outstanding service, (b) buy it at considerable price - see Acts 22:28, or, as in Paul’s case, (c) be born into a family of Roman citizens. It brought great advantages throughout the Roman world of occupation (e.g. not being chained or flogged without a trial in Acts 22:25,29).
5. He was hot-wired. Whatever he did, he did thoroughly and with all his heart. From his education to his persecution of “the followers of the way” (Acts 22:4), Paul demonstrated that he had a strong sense of drive. In this instance and many others he spoke boldly and without fear. He gave his personal testimony before a hostile crowd and Roman soldiers. In the end he spread the Gospel more strongly than he had persecuted it.
6. He was called of God. Perhaps nothing else accounts better for his drive. He had met the Lord and received clear instructions from Him on more than one occasion (Acts 22:7-10,18,21). Once Ananias was convinced himself, he told Paul that God had chosen him “to know his will and to see the Righteous One”. And that eventually resulted in his going to the Gentiles.

That was enough to bring the Jewish accusations crashing down around him, calling for his very life. But it was also enough to bring the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth - all the way to America! Aren’t you glad?