Acts 23:11-24

                                                                 Acts 23:11-24

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.  Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.” Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.”  The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him.  But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.” Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”

No matter what circumstances we might face and how dire they may seem, God is always in control, and He is determined to advance His kingdom.  We can rest assured that nothing will happen to us either good or bad unless He has determined that it will serve his ultimate purpose.  Today’s text is a great example of these truths.  God’s plan will not be thwarted by the plots of evil men.

 

GOD’S PROMISE: God told Paul that he would testify in Rome as he had in Jerusalem.  From that moment forward Paul was guaranteed that he would not be killed in Jerusalem.  God’s control is clearly on display in this passage, and it should assure us that He continues to have the same control over our lives.  God determined that it would be the most beneficial for His glory and the advance of the kingdom for Paul to reach Rome and give testimony there.  We must be careful to recognize that this was a specific promise to Paul.  We don’t have the same promise of immortality util a certain event we may desire occurs.  What we do have is the assurance that whatever does happen to us is under the control of the Lord and is for His eternal glory and our eternal good.

 

JEWS PLOT: A group of forty Jews embarked on an exercise and futility.  If they had been sincere in the vow they made to not eat or drink until Paul was dead, it would have been suicidal.  They were determined to kill Paul and God was determined to keep Paul alive at least until he testified in Rome.  You can always bet on God when it comes to conflicting determinations.  These murderous men took their plot to the high priest and rulers and included them in the plot.  And they agreed.  This demonstrates just how blind and evil the heart of man can be.  They were highly offended because they thought Paul had brough a Gentile into the temple.  Now they were plotting to murder a man.  It seems to me that there is some sort of law against murder.  This is the problem when men are determined to hang on to their power.  The begin to pick and choose which rules they consider important.

 

GOD PROTECTS: It just so happened that Paul’s nephew overheard the conversation about the plot and reported it to Paul.  Once again God’s control is on display.  What are the chances that one of the few people in the city who cared about Paul just happened to hear what was going on?  Since God is in control and made a promise to protect; the answer is 100%.  What may be even more impressive is that the council believed the report and decided to dedicate 200 soldiers to the task of protecting and transporting Paul to stand trial before the governor.  The Lord is in control of the hearts and minds of people who do not know or fear Him.  We truly can rest in His care.

 

APPLICATION: Know that every promise God has ever made will come to pass.  We might not see them all come to pass, and they may take many generations to occur, but they will come to pass.  Do not become discouraged because your timing and God’s timing may be very different.  Though God’s will always takes place, He still uses people to bring it about.  Be faithful to do all He asks of us.  Stop worrying about circumstances and rest in the loving and gracious care of God.