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Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 1 * PART 2 * BOOK 19
ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH
It was not a church as we understand the word `church,' but it was a "called-out assembly." It was Israel called out of Egypt and so was an ecclesia. The same way with these believing Jews at Jerusalem. Now it's against these believing Jews that Saul of Tarsus began his rampage when Stephen was martyred in Chapter 7. Now remember, Saul is doing all of this in the name of religion. He thinks he is doing his God a service by stamping out any believing in Jesus of Nazareth. Jews!) whether they were men or women, that he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem."
Damascus isn't all that far from Jerusalem. So Saul has left Jerusalem and is impatiently making his way down to Damascus, probably on horseback.
Now I can't impress enough on people that this man is totally religious. Now, the Lord from Heaven has to look at this man who is like a raging bull. I know that maybe I shouldn't even make the analogy, and forgive me, but if we would have been in God's place, as the Sovereign Almighty God, what would you and I have done with a man like Saul? Here is the epitome, the very high point of the pouring out of God's Grace on a sinful man. Who was fostering his rebellion and energizing this man? It was under the Satanic power of opposition, and yet God in Grace does not wait for this man to have second thoughts, or to stop and say, "Wait a minute. No, Saul never thought like that. He was still intent on getting those believing Jews from Damascus. It didn't make any difference whether they were men or women or children. Where does any religious person normally think of as the abode of his god? Heaven! So as Saul saw this penetrating light coming from above, I think second nature told him that his God was dealing with him (The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph).
When we were teaching back in the Old Testament, what was the synonymous name for Lord? Jehovah! Jehovah was the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And so at least mentally, Saul of Tarsus is saying, `Who are you Jehovah? Who are you Lord?" Now look how the man must have felt when he heard the answer. God is showing him now, that he was fighting a losing battle. Can you put yourself in Saul's shoes? Beginning back in Genesis Chapter 2 verse 4, all of a sudden after reading, "God did this, and God did that, and God said this," in Chapter 2 we have the Lord God. God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity. God's Grace saved him there on the spot. All the way up through Biblical times, through human history, what kind of men did God choose to use? The second man in Egypt was totally educated, learned the wisdom of the Egyptians, the second man in power. King Saul was a proud individual. He was the best looking young man around. Now, the same way with Saul of Tarsus. He was the big man in Judaism. God couldn't use him there. Could the Lord have told him directly? Yes! But what does God intend to do? Saul is going through a death, burial and Resurrection even in his own life. He's going from the big man in Judaism to that lowly servant, which he says in Ephesians Chapter 3 "is a prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles." Saul is now going to become Paul and he, too, is going primarily to the Gentiles. Saul is unique in more than one way. Saul, by birth was a Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee of the Pharisees. Paul would never have fit in. I have read good men, highly educated theologians, who have thought that Peter was totally out in left field by not waiting for Paul to fill Judas' place. This man is going to be the apostle of the Gentiles. And so God chooses and commissions him on Gentile ground. Acts 1 is where Peter lays out the qualifications for the man that is going to take Judas' place. And all I ask is would Saul of Tarsus ever fill the requirement? Saul of Tarsus doesn't come close to any of this. Well, because Peter was the apostle of the Jew and Paul is the apostle of the Gentile. Paul separates himself by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Galatians Chapter 1 beginning in verse 11.
Galatians 1:11,12
"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man." "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
God revealed directly to this man these doctrines of Grace. Galatians 1:13,14
You know the Scripture hates that word `tradition.' Now verse 17:
Galatians 1:17
Because God has revealed something to this man that no one else has heard before. I've been stressing the fact that God keeps things secret until He is ready to reveal them. God saw fit to keep them secret. Whereas the Twelve were apostles of Israel.
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