Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Acts 22 and Psalm 90

At first glance it might seem as though everything got completely out of control for Paul in Jerusalem in Acts 22. But the sovereign hand of the Lord was at work behind the scenes.

Despite his best efforts to clearly honour his Jewish responsibilities to the rules of Temple worship and purity (Acts 21:17-26), rumours and false reports about him had led to a mob of overzealous, misinformed people trying to kill him (Acts 21:27-31).

As chapter 22 began, the local Roman commander, whose troops had extracted Paul from this life-threatening situation, gave him the opportunity to address the angry mob. In making his defence, Paul gave a clear witness about his dramatic encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. The angry mob seemed to be calming down, until Paul bravely testified that Jesus had said to him, “Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” (22:21)

This mention of ministry to the Gentiles once again enraged the Jewish mob, who “raised their voices and shouted, ‘Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!’” (v.22). And just when one feels it couldn’t get much worse for Paul, the Roman commander reacted to all these threats of violence by ordering that Paul be flogged and interrogated to get to the bottom of it all.

But what happened next is an “Aha!” moment for us as Bible readers. Suddenly, God’s eternal plan and sovereign hand started to shine through. Paul “played the card” that would ensure his safety from Jewish persecution in Jerusalem, and would ultimately ensure (as the rest of Acts unfolded) that he would be provided for fully and transported safely at no cost to himself, from one Roman authority to the next, until he reached Caesar himself – all the while sharing the Gospel fearlessly and effectively with these powerful people and their households. That “card” was the Roman citizenship into which he had been born. He had done nothing to earn it, but the dramatic effect of his birthright is clearly seen in v.25-29, as the soldiers immediately withdraw from the flogging and the commander changed his tune completely. It strikes me that God had been planning for Paul’s ministry from before he was born.

Life application: Where and to whom Paul was born were powerful instruments in God’s hand, which He used to ensure that the Gospel was preached even in the City of Rome and to Caesar’s own household (See Philippians 1:13 and Philippians 4:22). Likewise, God has been preparing us for the exact ministries and missions to which He has called us. So, even when times get tough and your desire to serve God appears to have been thwarted, stay focussed on obeying His call and being the person He has called you to be. He does have a plan and He will use you for His glory!