"The Action by the People" (Acts 22:22-23)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/15/2018 9:15 AM

My Worship Time                                                                       Focus:  The Action by the People

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 22:22-23

            Message of the verses:  “22 They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!" 23 And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,”

 

            What we see here is prejudice, and it is rooted a long way back in Judaism as the Jews had missed what God wanted them to do right from the beginning.  The Jews thought and many still do that God only speaks to them, and that they are saved just because they are children of Abraham.  Therefore the Gentile nations are lower class and they want nothing to do with them.  One of the reasons that God began the Jewish people was so that they could spread the goodness of God to all nations and peoples, but they missed out on that blessing.  Because of this when Paul mentioned the word Gentiles they thought that he should be killed, and thus the riot began again. 

 

            John MacArthur writes “Anyone who dared place Gentiles on an equal footing with Jews in God’s saving purpose should not be allowed to pollute the earth with his presence.  Over come with rage, ‘they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air.’  The Jews may have removed their cloaks in preparation to stone Paul, torn them in an expression of horror at his ‘blasphemy,’ or thrown them and the dust into the air as an expression of outrage.  In any case, racial prejudice had pushed their passions further beyond the bounds of reason.  They stopped Paul before he could defend himself against the charge that had sparked the riot in the first place—that he had brought a Gentile into the inner court of the temple (21:28).”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Sometimes when I look at my life I find that there are prejudices in them and have to confess them to the Lord.  I suppose that this is a part of the old self raising up its ugly head, but I know that God loves all people groups and so that is what I am to do to.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Keep a closer eye on any prejudices that I may have before they come out and I sin.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “John” (1 John 4:3).

 

Today’s Bible question:  “How many children of Adam and Eve are recorded?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

8/15/2018 9:33 AM