Devotion for Friday 8 July 2011 Anno Domini

Devotion for Friday 8 July 2011 Anno Domini



“ 13Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 15And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.23 Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.” (Acts 13:13-25)



Prefatory note: Henceforth in the biblical account, Saul of Tarsus is referred to as Paul (as indicated in verse 9 of this same chapter). The name means ‘small’ and most likely is attributable to the slight stature of Paul. It also is more suitable to the ears of the Romans and other Gentiles to whom Paul is sent; therefore Paul assumes a Gentile name rather than a Jewish one.

“Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.” It is clear from subsequent verses that John Mark had caused some disappointment in Paul’s opinion of him. (see Acts 15:38). Later on in the narrative of Acts, we learn that the division between John Mark and Paul eventually affected that between Barnabas and Paul so that they separated in their work at a later point as well. John Mark, being a young man, may have lacked the maturity to adhere to the rigorous schedule that Paul was keeping, or it may have been a simple difference in approach. At any rate, the letters of Paul later revealed that they were reconciled wonderfully to one another.

“But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” Worship in the synagogue on the Sabbath Day was liturgical and much like that of the Prayer Book; however, the form of worship is never so important as that Divine Being in whose Person you have placed your faith. The Law and the prophets were read usually followed by an exposition of them. The Jews had only half the truth if they had not Christ – and half is not enough in the economy of heaven.

“The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.” A proper worship of God requires that we must acknowledge His works in our lives. Here, Paul reminds the people of how God guided and protected them in the Wilderness by no man’s power but God’s. “And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.” The people, all along in the Wilderness journey, were murmurers and complainers of, not only God Himself, but those whom God had placed over them. This He did in spite of so many marvelous works of providence and miracles of light, thunder, water, and smoky cloud.

“And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.” It was the Will of God to take from the unrighteous and give to the righteous. Though Israel was often disobedient and stiff-necked, God inclined a tender and forgiving heart to them. Those who so out rightly rejected Him in Canaan, for them He had no mercy. WE must daily consider our standing in God to make our election sure.

“And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.” If God will give the judge, or the magistrate, the land will enjoy justice. When judges are named for political reasons, the system will soon be corrupted and there can be no justice. The Will of the Lord was that Israel should have no king, but judges of His choosing. The issue reminds me of a quote from 44 B.C. by a great advocate of the Republican form of government which I love to repeat: "Power and law are not synonymous. In truth they are frequently in opposition and irreconcilable. There is God's Law from which all Equitable laws of man emerge and by which men must live if they are not to die in oppression, chaos and despair. Divorced from God's eternal and immutable Law, established before the founding of the suns, man's power is evil no matter the noble words with which it is employed or the motives urged when enforcing it. Men of good will, mindful therefore of the Law laid down by God, will oppose governments whose rule is by men, and if they wish to survive as a nation they will destroy the government which attempts to adjudicate by the whim of venal judges." -Marcus Tullius Cicero

“And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.” Just as our modern wonders of legislative process of today wish to emulate all that is European in law and government (a system which our forefathers endured much deprivation in escaping), the people of Israel did not want to have God as their king, but mere men such as their surrounding neighbors had. They didn’t want to be different or peculiar, but that is exactly what the man or woman of God is called to be - “Come ye out from among them and be separate!” The irony of the moment could not have escaped Paul’s notice: the first king of Israel shared the same name of Paul (Saul) and the same tribe as well.

“And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” Saul did not do that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. He ruled in an ungodly manner, consulted with the Witch of Indor, and fell at his own hand on the battlefield. David was an unpretentious, courageous shepherd boy whose heart was given over to God in innocence. David was a man after God’s own heart, but even David sinned shamefully and sought forgiveness (which was granted) of the Lord.

“Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.” Yes, the Seed of Abraham, through David as the royal and priestly line (both sides thereof). It is interesting to note that the lineage of Christ, given in Matthew and Luke differ in some respects. In Matthew 1, we have the lineage given from Abraham down through David and Solomon down to Joseph, the husband of Mary. (Christ is One who came down from Heaven). This lineage in Matthew provides a Royal lineage through Solomon. In Luke 3, we have the lineage given, beginning at Christ and leading up the genealogical COLUMN to Nathan the prophet and finally all the way back to God the Father (Christ not only came DOWN, but He also ascended back up to Heaven). This lineage provides for the priestly lineage of Christ (through Nathan’s side).

“When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.” What a prophet was John the Baptist! Yet, he was not worthy to unloose the shoe laces of Him of Whom he prophesied. We read of him in Isaiah 40:3 - “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” He is also explicitly described in Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, and John 1:23 in precisely the same words of Isaiah. God’s people must repent ere Shiloh come! I believe that we often feel alienated from the world as Christians. If so, that is precisely how we should feel. We are not citizens of this world. This world is perishable and shall surely end in chaotic and cataclysmic ruin. We are citizens of heaven and should deport ourselves as such. Just as John was a “Voice Crying in the Wilderness” so are we who believe the whole counsel of God. There are not a great number of hearers in a wicked and adulterous world. We are, therefore, like voices crying in the Wilderness, yet, even in the Wilderness, there are those who travel far and wide and come to it to hear God’s Word. Such people who come must forsake the things of Egypt – its comforts, its security, its opulence – and come into the Wilderness place to be led of God. We must not only hear that Voice crying in the Wilderness, we must all become that voice in our living, in our associations, in our daily intercourse, and in our very being. Have you yet come to the Wilderness, my friends?