Acts, Chapter 28

Please, in your Bible read the chapter..

Verses 1, 2, 3 “Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand”

Paul went from threatening disaster of shipwreck to an equally dangerous viper. The powers of evil and darkness did and will never cease, one way or another, to stop the servants of God and the spreading of the Gospel. But . . . GOD!

Verses 4, 5, 6 “When the islanders saw the snake, hanging from his hand they said to each other, ‘This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea justice has not allowed him to live’. But Paul shook the snake off into the fire ad suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up, or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god”.

Verses 7, 8, 9 “There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him”.

Did Paul ever ask ‘Why?’ Why this drifting past Malta and the shipwreck ? Whether or not Paul was asking, is less important for us to know. It may have been a question to Paul, but … God! In a few lines we have His answer to the question.

Verses 9, 10 “When this had happened the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honoured us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

Surely, not Paul’s predicament, but the glory of God was of much more importance

“THE LORD stood near Paul and said ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (23:11).

The powers of evil and darkness may turn Paul’s world upside down. They may invent a thousand sidetracks in the road. Obstacles galore! Oh yes! BUT . . . GOD!

Verses 13, 14 “From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up and on the following day we reached Puteoli. There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome”.

It should never cease to amaze us. How far, how fast and how wide did the Gospel of the Lord Jesus travel through the then known world.. Wherever Paul travelled, in most towns he found ‘ some brothers’. Sinners saved by grace.

Verses 15, 16 “The brothers there (in Rome) had heard that we were coming, and they travelled as far as the forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier to guard him”.

He ‘thanked God and was encouraged’! Some 2000 years later, reading this, it encourages me. Paul too was a man of flesh and blood. He too had his very human emotions. Many times he must have been more than tired and much in need of encouragement.. Bu t . . . GOD!.

Verse 17: “Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews . . . . “

‘The leaders of the Jews’. Paul grabbed the bull by the horns. And after much debating and arguing finally faced them with that ages old prophecy by Isaiah.

Verses 25, 26, 27: “They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement:

“The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when He said through Isaiah the prophet”

‘Go to this people (the Jews) and say,

You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

You will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts and turn,

and I would heal them’.”

For the fourth time God confronted His people Israel with His mind over them. First through Isaiah ( Isaiah 6:9,10 ). Then through the Lord Jesus ( Matthew 13:13-15 ) . Followed by John (John 12:39,40). Now through Paul (Acts 28:25-27).

Today that prophecy is as valid as it was on the day when Isaiah uttered it.

Verse 28: “Therefore” says Paul, “I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they WILL listen”.

After multitudes of miracles by their powerful, merciful God, Israel was and is determined not to see and not to hear. God’s salvation went to the Gentiles and He saw Israel dispersed from their promised land. Their name means ‘ ‘struggle with God’. In wilful and reckless self-determination Israel did return to the land, causing enormous hurt and harm to innocent people. When in His counsel and wisdom His time comes God will bring them back. That will be so altogether different (read the numerous relating passages in the Book of Isaiah).

“For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ”.

Apart from this Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, not one other man, has, by the grace of God, been as powerful in my life, as the man Paul. He too was a sinful man – BUT . . . GOD ! Endless glory be to HIM and HIS Name !

Henk C.Kalkman.