SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/24/2018 11:14 AM
My Worship Time Focus: The Plot
Formulated
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts
23:12-15
Message of the verses: “12 When it was
day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying
that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were
more than forty who formed this plot. 14 They came to the chief priests and the
elders and said, "We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath to taste
nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 “Now therefore, you and the Council
notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to
determine his case by a more thorough investigation; and we for our part are
ready to slay him before he comes near the place."”
First of all I want to remind you
the name that John MacArthur gives this chapter in his book that begins at
verse 12 of Acts 23 and goes to the end of the chapter: “Providential Protection.” We have mentioned that there is no doctrinal
issues found in this section with the exception of what we call providential
meaning found here, similar to the book of Ester, a book that is all about the
providential care of God’s people Israel.
The book of Ester has no mention of God in it, but you know he is there
when you read that book similarly to what is seen in this last part of the 23rd
chapter of the book of Acts.
As we can see from this section,
particularly in verse one that the Jews were disappointed that Paul was still
alive, and therefore they formed a plot to kill him, even stating that they
would not eat or drink until Paul was dead.
John MacArthur states “The Greek text reads, “They anathematized
themselves’ (cf. Gal. 1:8, 9), thus invoking divine judgment if they failed to
carry out their oath. They probably
spoke words to the effect of ‘May God do so to us and more if we eat or drink
anything until Paul is dead’ (cf. 1 Sam. 14:44; 2 Sam. 3:35; 19:13; 1 Kings
2:23; 2 Kings 6:31).”
As we look at what is happening to Paul
in this situation we can compare what happened to our Lord Jesus Christ. Both were Jews, preachers of the Gospel to
their people and both were guilty of no crime.
Yet both were plotted against, both stood before a confused Sanhedrin,
and both were prisoners in Fort Antonia.
MacArthur adds “Paul shared in ‘the fellowship of His sufferings’ (Phil.
3:10; cf. Gal. 6:17).”
What was the reason that the Jews
acted in such hostility to Jesus and then to Paul? I have mentioned this in previously SD’s and
that is that there are two kinds of people in this world, only two. Those who are lost and those who are saved
through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the lost
people who are spiritually dead do dead things, and these are two examples of
spiritually dead people doing spiritually dead things.
Luke
goes on to say that there were forty people involved in this plot. It would take forty people to kill Paul
because they knew that the Romans would have a heavy guard on him, and they
also knew that the Romans would not kill him.
Luke
goes on to talk about the role that the Sanhedrin played in this role, and that
was that they were to ask the commander to bring Paul back to the Sanhedrin in
order to question him more thoroughly, and then on the way they would have him
killed. In our next SD we will see the
providential way God works in having this plot found out.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Even though there are no theological themes in
this chapter it is enough for me to realize that God is caring for me in a
providential way, His way.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to
trust the Lord as He leads me so that my life will bring honor and glory to His
Son.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “The rich” (1 Timothy
6:17-18).
Today’s Bible question: “According to Luke, why did Jesus come to
earth?”
Answer in our next SD.
8/24/2018 12:04 PM
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