Acts, Chapter 9

Please, in your Bible, read this chapter.

Verse 1, 2: “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the High Priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.”

Letters from the High Priest! Saul had them in his pocket. In the Damascus synagogues he would be a man of authority. But there was a mistake! Saul and his letters would need to deal with a Higher Authority. One Who would laugh at his letters and, in spite of a thousand high priests, stop him in his tracks.

Verse 3: “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.”

A very peculiar light it was. It never placed Damascus in view. ‘A light from heaven.’ A light, stronger than man’s strongest X-ray machine. Showing up the deepest and darkest places in Saul’s heart.

Verse 4: “He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him: ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

Saul? Did you never see any of My miracles through My servants, the Apostles? Were you stone-deaf to the hymns of praise and gratitude by all those who were healed by My power? ‘Why do you persecute ME?’.

Verse 5: “ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am JESUS whom you are persecuting’ He replied.”

One day, still in the future, the whole world, every tongue, will confess Him as LORD. That day still is firm, rock solid firm, in God’s plan.

Verse 6: “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

You may now tear up your letters Paul. Now you must wait. Wait for instructions from Him Who you were persecuting.

Verses 7 - 9 “The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless, they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three says he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.”

Three days were necessary for Saul to receive spiritual sight. Three days to be physically helpless and spiritually experience new life, the eternal life of the Jesus Whom Saul was persecuting. Saul was being turned into a totally new direction.

Verse 10: “In Damascus a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called him in a vision ‘Ananias!’ ‘Yes Lord’ he answered.

On the road to Damascus or in the city proper, our Lord has no problems finding any one He desires to use. Some one whose heart is filled with bitter hatred or some one with a heart filled with His compassion. He, by now, has found millions of each kind.

Verse 11, 12 “The Lord told him: ‘Go to the house of Judas on the Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

Who knew the house on the Straight Street? Who knew who was living there? Who knew the right man for one of His tasks? Knows you and me and where we are at?

Verses 13, 14 “ ‘Lord’ Ananias answered, ‘I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your Name.’ “

Would you blame Ananias? I can’t! He was honest and still did not know that the authority of the living Lord Jesus had ruled out the authority of dead priests.

Verse 15, 16 “But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is My chosen instrument to carry My Name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.

I will show him how much he must suffer for My Name.”

Amongst all His instruments God chose this one for the carrying out of His specific and eternal purpose. The Christians in Damascus may have been much disturbed when they knew that Saul of Tarsus was on his way to take them captive, to Jerusalem. Just imagine their rejoicing when they heard about the Lord’s message to brother Ananias.

Verse 17: “Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said: ‘Brother Saul, the Lord – JESUS, Who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

All Saul’s plans and intentions had by now vanished into thin air. If at all any doubts did still remain in his heart, Ananias made short work of that. ‘Saul, it was the Lord Jesus Who appeared to you’. The Lord Jesus has sent me to you so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Truth immediately wiped away any possible doubt.

Verse 18: ‘Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.”

The first verse of this chapter depicted Saul as ‘breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples’. BUT . . . GOD!

Verse 19: “and after taking some food, he regained his strength, Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.”

The hymns of praise and worship must have raised the roof. The exuberant Christians could not stop singing about the glory of God.

Verse 20: “At once he (Saul) began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Verse 21: “All those who heard him were astonished and asked: ‘Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this Name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests.’ “

Yes, that was his plan, and he was well on the way. Yes, but God! He spoke and the light of His countenance, and the sound of His voice, struck Saul with blindness. God emptied Saul out of all his evil plans and filled him with His Holy Spirit. Now, instead of taking people captive Saul, now the servant of God, was useful to Him, in the Name to bring spiritual deliverance from dark, spiritual captivity.

Verse 22: “Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.”

No doubt this highly educated Jew, now filled with God’s Holy Spirit, knew the Old Testament back to front. Was reminded of all the prophecies that predicted the coming of the Messiah and were literally fulfilled in Jesus, the Christ. Many who carefully read the Bible will know that many of those prophecies today are still waiting fulfilment.

Verse 23: “After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan.

Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.

He who once was the hunter has become the hunted one. The Jews still did not want the message about the Person and the Name of Jesus. To them He was a fake. They wanted a king and him to get rid of the hated Romans.

Verse 25: “But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the (city) wall.”

Our Lord still had much work to do for His servant Saul. Today you and I may thank Him for those followers, who in that night honoured Him with their risky act.

We have the privilege of reading the letters Saul, now named Paul, did write for the blessing and growth of the Church of the Lord Jesus

Verse 26, 27: “When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the Name of Jesus.”

Damascus! Not a Jewish town, but Syrian, a town of Gentiles. Already in the days of Abraham it was an important trade centre (Genesis 14:15). Abraham’s servant came from Damascus (Genesis 15:2). What happened in the synagogue of Nazareth when the Lord Jesus spoke about the healing of a Gentile, Naaman the general of Damascus? (Luke 4:27). In Damascus Saul ‘began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.’ In those synagogues he was still preaching to Jews but the message was changing. It still was a message the Jews needed to hear. But the Jesus they had crucified was here and now presented to them as Jesus the Son of God. As the Son of God Jesus is the God-given Saviour, not only for Jews, but for the whole world of non – Jews, the Gentiles. That transition period between Jew and Gentile is running to its end. ‘For . . . God so loved the world . . .’.

Verses 28, 29 “So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the Name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.”

Saul, in Jerusalem you were in the lions’ den. And some of those lions wanted to kill you. Oh yes, BUT GOD !

Verses 30, 31 When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Ceasarea and sent him off to Tarsus. Then the Church through out Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

Verses 32, 33 “As Peter travelled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bed ridden for eight years.”

Lydda, a Jewish town where the apostle Peter was used by God to still attract Israel by one of His miracles. Soon Peter also is going to learn that God’s emphasis is moving from Israel to the Gentiles. In the following verses we see why God turned Peter’s steps to Lydda.

Verse 34, 35 “ ‘Aeneas’ Peter said to him ‘Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat’. Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.”

Verses 36, 37 “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.

Verses 38, 39: “Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, ‘Please come at once!’ “. Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.”

How often did I, with many others, stand around an open grave, and heard about the many good things by a loved one, who was now returning to dust. And there, how often did I weep and rejoice. Weep about a loss and rejoice because heaven gained. That dear one did go Father’s house, with the many mansions. There will be no intrusions or limitations. Our loved one has entered an eternity of praising God and His glory.

Verse 40: “Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning to the dead woman, he said: ‘Tabitha, get up’ She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.

Verse 41, 42: “He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.”

And Dorcas? Was she happy to be called back into a world full of problems and pain, a world of sadness and strife? We don’t know, the Bible does not tell us. We may be confident though, the Lord had some further work for her to do

Verse 43: “Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon”.

For Peter in Joppa also, there was more work to do for his Master, until He would call Peter to a different task.