Bible Study on Acts 26, verses 12 to 23, Paul recounts the road to Damascus

 

Acts 26:12 ¶  Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13  At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14  And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17  Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 19  Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 21  For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 22  Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 23  That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

 

There are two possibilities here as this account has some additions to the earlier accounts of Paul’s Damascus road experience with Christ. One possibility is that Paul is embellishing his story as people often do when recounting it. But a second more likely possibility is that this is a more fuller version of the event and the Holy Spirit wants us to have all of the information to see the complete picture. This is done throughout the Bible where you need to cross-reference and review every verse on a doctrine or an event to get the complete picture. So, in essence I believe this account to be accurate simply because the Holy Spirit included it in the Bible and it is not challenged by anyone at the time.

 

Here are the other two examples for you to compare. First, from Luke, presumably having been told by Paul, to the pen and parchment;

 

Acts 9:3  And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

 

Then, Paul, defending himself in front of an angry Hebrew mob.

 

Acts 22:5  As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 6  And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9  And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10  And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

 

We can piece together the full confrontation with Christ that Paul had by looking at all three. Some also assume that Paul is simply merging events and what he was told into one scene rather than two or three.

 

Bible Study on Exodus 25, verses 23 to 30, the table of the shewbread

 

Exodus 25:23 ¶  Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 24  And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. 25  And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about. 26  And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof. 27  Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table. 28  And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them. 29  And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them. 30  And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

There was to be this table of shewbread set before the Lord at all times. This represents the communion that God wishes to have with His people in their hearts. We are to be in constant communication and fellowship with our Creator.

Romans 12:12b  …continuing instant in prayer;

1Thessalonians 5:17  Pray without ceasing.

It is of great importance to keep one’s mind focused on God.

Isaiah 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

And there is a future event that this idea of communion with God signifies, in my mind.

Revelation 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

In symbolism that the Bible gives us bread is compared to God’s words. See the contrast here between being without bread and being without the words of God.

Amos 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

Words and food are contrasted in other places. For instance,

Job 34:3  For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

And Christ is likened to bread.

John 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Whereas the priests were supposed to eat of this bread…

Matthew 12:4  How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

…the believer is a type of priest…

1Peter 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ…9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light…

 

…and we partake of communion with God symbolically memorializing Christ’s death with bread representing His body, broken on the Cross…

1Corinthians 11:26  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

So, there are a lot of symbols associated with bread and I think many sermons could be made about the shewbread in the sanctuary and bread in general as representing our communion with God, Christ as the bread of life, God’s words as bread, and other representations that I have missed here. Of course, there is always the risk of taking a type or symbol too far.

The main point is that the shewbread continually set before God and eaten by the priests represents God’s desire to commune with mankind, one of His apparently prime motivations in His ministry of reconciling sinful man to Himself, the main theme of the Bible.

Why do I say that this is the main theme of the Bible? Well, you will find mention of Heaven in the Bible but not have all of your questions answered about it. You will find mention of science, history, philosophy, and other topics referred to in the Bible but never have all the answers you need. There is no wedding ceremony for Christians, no orders on how we are to conduct church services, no funeral ceremony. We are not told how to conduct the minutiae of living from day to day in the Bible. What we will be doing in eternity or in the millennial reign of Christ even is not completely explained. However, God’s work in drawing man to Himself is thoroughly and clearly laid out for us to see. The Bible is the revelation of God’s efforts at providing a way to be saved from the eternity of death man has chosen. By necessity we learn about God’s nature, His power, His love, His desire for us, and the response of many to Him, favorable and unfavorable, from the words in this book as He reveals His actions toward us.

You will search the Bible for definitive answers on many topics but be frustrated by the lack of information and how topics are dismissed with a casual reference. For example great men of history are given short shrift. Alexander the Great gets a mention as the prince of Grecia and many others are completely ignored. This is why preachers try to make the Bible say things it does not say, because they are looking for answers in it that it does not provide because they are not its subject. The subject of the Bible is God’s ministry of reconciling mankind to Himself and in doing so it provides the key to our salvation. But, it does not tell you how to conduct Wednesday night prayer meeting or even if you must have one. We need to quit misrepresenting God like Job’s friends and twisting the text like taffy to make it mean something that matters to us but just isn’t there.

That being said, you can find yourself in every verse, and God has something to tell you in every passage. We need to be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading. What a verse means to you spiritually and practically may not be what it means to me. Obviously, the Hebrews of the twelfth century BC would see this passage differently than you or I would today in many respects. We have the complete revelation of God’s ministry of reconciling mankind to Himself although we await its final fulfillment. Think about what knowledge and understanding they would have had at that time.

Brief comments on 2Kings, chapter 15

 

2Kings 15:1 ¶  In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign. 2  Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem.  And his mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 3  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done; 4  Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places. 5  And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging  the people of the land. 6  And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 7  So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

 

Azariah has a remarkably long reign and he was obedient to God except that the high places where false worship was offered were not removed. God made Azariah a leper so Jotham, his son, performed his duties as king until his death when Jotham could reign in his own name.

 

On a side note, John Gill has cleared up any confusion about dates and timing of reigns in his commentary so there is no need to rehash that and impede the narrative here. Also, a several house would be a single or separate house as several used to also mean individual and separate and older commentators simply say that the leper king lived in a house on his own.

 

2Kings 15:8 ¶  In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months. 9  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 10  And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. 11  And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 12  This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass. 13  Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria. 14  For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. 15  And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 16  Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up. 17  In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria. 18  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 19  And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. 20  And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land. 21  And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 22  And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead. 23  In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. 24  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 25  But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room. 26  And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 27  In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years. 28  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 29  In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria. 30  And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 31  And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

 

Zachariah, the 4^th generation of Jehu, was another evil king over Israel and was the victim of a coup and assassination by Shallum.

 

2Kings 10:30  And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.

 

Shallum ruled only for a month before he was killed by Menahem, who took the reigns of power. A brutal and evil king, he reigned for ten years. He tried to buy off the king of Assyria. When he died Pekahiah, his son, reigned two years only in these tumultuous times. He was assassinated by Pekah, one of his captains. Pekah reigned twenty years. He, too, was evil and Assyria began dismantling Israel in his days. He was overthrown by Hoshea.

 

2Kings 15:32 ¶  In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign. 33  Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. 34  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35  Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD. 36  Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 37  In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah. 38  And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in

the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

 

Jotham was a good, but not remarkable king. He failed to turn the apostasy of the people away from their idols and toward God.

 

The higher gate is called the new gate according to John Gill.

 

Jeremiah 26:10  When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king’s house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD’S house.

 

Jeremiah 36:10  Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD’S house, in the ears of all the people.

 

War is coming.

 

Bible Study on Acts 26, verses 1 to 11, Paul argues before King Agrippa

 

Acts 26:1 ¶  Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: 2  I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: 3  Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. 4  My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; 5  Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6  And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: 7  Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. 8  Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? 9  I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10  Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11  And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

 

One thing of note here was that it was common under persecution for a Christian to be required to renounce Christ before being released. Usually, this followed a great deal of torture and threatening thus the compelled them to blaspheme statement. This occurred under Roman as well as Jewish persecution and even today a Christian in the Sudan who refuses to renounce his faith in Christ is likely to suffer most horribly. This underscores that persecution in the Bible is not about someone ripping off your magnet sign from your car as much as it is about physical suffering and death.

 

Matthew 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29  Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. 32  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

 

Romans 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

 

2Timothy 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

 

There were contentions in the historical church early on whether or not a Christian who denied Christ under torture could be readmitted into fellowship with other Christians. Fortunately, for us, we know from the example of Peter at Christ’s trial that God has provided a way back for those in places like Vietnam or Indonesia today who face terror and persecution and give in, so to speak. Some early Christians did lose their nerve but then came back and led exemplary lives for Christ even being killed in later persecutions.

Bible Study on Exodus 25, verses 10 to 22, the ark of the testimony

 

Exodus 25:10 ¶  And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 11  And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. 12  And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. 13  And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 14  And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. 15  The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. 16  And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. 17  And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 18  And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19  And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20  And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. 21  And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22  And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

A cubit, according to some authorities, was a measurement that extended from a man’s elbow to his fingertips. There are different cubits in the Bible. There is the cubit of a man which may allow for some estimations without an absolute and precise standard based on the differences in the sizes of men’s forearms.

Deuteronomy 3:11  For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.

But, there could be a more exacting measurement of a cubit that wasn’t dependent upon the length of an individual’s forearm. See in the next verse a measuring reed of a specific length to measure by.

Ezekiel 40:5 ¶  And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.

If the standard cubit was 18 inches long, as some say, then the Ark of the Covenant was nearly four foot long but a little over two foot wide and two foot tall. Of course, a longer cubit of, say, 22 inches, means a bigger Ark. It could have been nearly five foot long and nearly three foot wide and tall.

Going on to describe the covering of gold and the rings and staves by which the ark of the testimony was carried it is stated that God is going to give something to Moses to store in it.  The mercy seat with two winged cherubims on each end was to adorn the top facing each other. It is there that God chose to meet with Moses, to speak to him from, in the tabernacle.

We see here the definition of the ark of the testimony as the place where all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel will be stored and protected.

The ark of the testimony and its description contains good teaching material for many sermons as, like our hearts and minds, a place to hide God’s word, and as a token, as Matthew Henry put it, of God’s meeting with us. The ark of the testimony is like the believer’s heart and mind, complete with God’s word hid inside and the mercy seat where, if God truly dwells in your heart by virtue of your being born again, God meets with you.

Psalm 119:11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

We are God’s temple, remember?

1Corinthians 3:16 ¶  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

1Corinthians 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

If we have the Spirit of God inside of us.

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Romans 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The kingdom of God that Jesus refers to is not a Christian nation with armies and parliaments and policemen and fine church buildings. It is within the believers uniting them as Christ’s church, His body on earth.

Luke 17:20 ¶  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

 

Colossians 1:12 ¶  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church…

 

This is how the God of the Bible meets with His people today as opposed to how He met with Moses and the Hebrews here in Exodus. That is, if you are truly His and didn’t just repeat a magic mantra that someone gave you after emotionally manipulating you.

Bible Study on Acts 25, verses 1 to 27, Paul appeals to Caesar

 

Acts 25:1 ¶  Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2  Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, 3  And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. 4  But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. 5  Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. 6  And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. 7  And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. 8  While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all. 9  But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? 10  Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. 11  For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. 12  Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.

 

Governor Antonius Felix is replaced by Governor Porcius Festus, whom historians tell us with one breath ruled from 59-62 and in another breath say the dates of his rule are not certain. I told you previously to be wary of the dating of the ancient world by moderns.

 

Paul, as a Roman citizen, has a right to appeal to Caesar. This will result in his execution as tradition tells us but that is not revealed in the text. Paul’s rights bind Governor Festus to allow Paul’s appeal and be sent to Rome.

 

Caesar has a judgment seat and Christ has a judgment seat (Romans 14:10; 2Corinthians 5:10). Commentators like Matthew Henry, who were not dispensational-minded or believed in a pretribulational rapture considered this synonymous with the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20:11. Regardless, remember Christ’s statement about His authority.

 

Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

 

Acts 25:13 ¶  And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. 14  And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: 15  About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. 16  To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. 17  Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. 18  Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: 19  But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20  And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. 21  But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar. 22  Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. 23  And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth. 24  And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. 25  But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. 26  Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. 27  For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.

 

It was said about Paul previously;

 

Acts 9:15  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

 

Now he is going to speak before King Agrippa. According to historians this was Herod Agrippa II. He was the eighth and last in the line of Herod, the fifth to bear the title of king. He ruled only over territories outside of Judea as a Roman puppet. Agrippa would be overthrown by his subjects in 66AD and support the side of Rome in the coming rebellion that saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

Bible Study on Exodus 25, verses 1 to 9, part three, that I may dwell among them

 

Linen is a textile made from fibers of the flax plant. The earliest linen industry was founded in Egypt. Fine linen from Egypt was known for its quality apparently.

Proverbs 7:16  I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

 Ezekiel 27:7  Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee.

Goats’ hair will be used for the curtains for the tent over the tabernacle. Modern-day Bedouins have tents, tent-ropes, and rugs made from spun goats’ hair. It was used for pillows.

1Samuel 19:13  And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.

Writers talk about the goat hair of Asia being very fine and long and how it feels like silk. It was combed off, they write, rather than sheared. Of course, there was coarser goats’ hair which was used in the clothing of the poor, according to some writers.

Rams’ skins dyed red and badgers’ skins taken together suggest that they were used for their being impervious to the infrequent rain. However, scientists who study ancient climate patterns say that there were periods of wet and dry and we are in a dry period now. There could have been much more frequent rain storms during the time of the Exodus. Their dating methods, often hinged to assumptions and variables that can be questioned and should be, should not be taken as absolute facts. Evidence is evidence, but remember, evidence is useless unless it is interpreted. The interpretation is where the vagaries of human viewpoints, worldviews, and culturally mandated assumptions interfere, not just education.[1] Just remember that the world is drying out after the Flood of Noah’s time in a process that is still going on today.

Shittim wood, according to Strong’s dictionary, would come from the Acacia tree. The Ark of the Covenant will be made of this wood.

Oil, spices, and incense, as with the other material, all have spiritual significance. They can represent things like the Holy Spirit, remind us of the preparation of Christ’s burial, and signify prayer and sacrifice. Each of these items in some way can point us to Christ and are the fitting subject of their own special study. There are many and varied possible ways to draw all of these items and colors into sound preaching.

Stones, as well, provide an important subject for a Bible study. There is a particular importance for these stones regarding the ephod, which will be discussed later.

Exodus 28:4  And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

With verse 8 it is important to understand that God did not have His Spirit dwell in each and every Hebrew as He does in each and every Jew and Gentile who believes on Christ and God can appear and His presence can be anywhere He wants it to be. But, He has commanded a tabernacle or sanctuary to be built so that He can dwell with these Hebrews in a specific way. Later, His glory will fill the temple that Solomon builds. The tabernacle, temporary as it was, represents the body of flesh while the temple represents our resurrection body. We should be filled with the glory of the Lord.

Exodus 40:34 ¶  Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

2Chronicles 5:14  So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

But, there are no sacred spaces in Biblical Christianity outside of the believer’s own heart, which is now God’s temple.

1Corinthians 3:16 ¶  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

1Corinthians 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

And we should seek to be filled with the Spirit of God and there are certain manifestations in our lives if that truly has happened.

Ephesians 5:18  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 ¶  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

 

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 

God is going to give Moses the instructions for how this tabernacle, this sanctuary, is to be built.

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[1] Abdou Abouelmagd, Mohamed Sultan, Neil C. Sturchio, Farouk Soliman, Mohamed Rashed, Mohamed Ahmed, Alan E. Kehew, Adam Milewski, & Kyle Chouinard, “Paleoclimate record in the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt,” Quaternary Research, 81 (2014) 158–167. http://wrrs.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Abouelmagd-et-al_2014.pdf