PT-2 "The Sovereign Work of the Spirit" (Acts 8:25-26)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/17/2017 9:01 PM

My Worship Time                                              Focus:  PT-2 “The Sovereign Work of the Spirit”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                      Reference:  Acts 8:25-26

            Message of the verses:  “25 So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.  26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)”

            In our last SD we only looked at the introduction to these verses and so in today’s SD we will look at these verses.

            In verse 25 we see that the two disciples, Peter and John left Samaria and headed back to Jerusalem, and as they were on their way back they were preaching the gospel to many of the Samaritan villages on their way.  I suppose that seeing the results that Philip had they were then encouraged to stop and preach in the different towns along the way back to Jerusalem.  Perhaps God not only did a work in the hearts of the Samaritans, but also did a work in the hearts of Peter and John, something that as we continue to look at Acts we will see more of.

            Verse 26 moves back to talking to what was going on with Philip, as Philip hears a message from an angel of the Lord who tells him to “go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.”  As we will look at who Philip will meet on this road we can be sure that the circumstances that were to lead to the eunuch’s salvation were sovereignly and also specifically arranged by the Spirit of God. 

            John MacArthur writes “Gaza was one of the five chief cities of the Philistines, along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath.  Old Gaza had been destroyed early in the first century B. C. and a new city was built nearer the coast.  A road from Jerusalem to Egypt, however, still ran through the ruins of old Gaza.  Luke’s footnote that this is a desert road underscores the strangeness of the Spirit’s command to Philip.  There were two roads from Jerusalem to Gaza, and the Spirit commands Philip to take the one that was seldom used (Simon J. Kistemaker).  It is possible to translate the Greek phrase kata mesembrian (toward the south) ‘at noon’ (I. Howard Marshall).  That rendering would ‘make the divine command to Philip all the more unusual and perplexing:  at noon the road would be deserted of travelers because of the heat’ (Marshall).”

            As we look at these directions that the Holy Spirit gave to Philip we have to believe that who he found would not be some kind of accidental encounter.  I have to say that this is what is called “A Divine Appointment,” and I can truly say that there is nothing that thrills my heart more than having a divine appointment with some sinner whom God has brought into my life in order to tell them about their need for the Savior.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “James.”

Today’s Bible question:  “What prophecy did Elisha make regarding food after the Syrians had besieged Samaria for a long time?”

Answer in our next SD.

12/17/2017 9:21 PM