Beloved, I am pleased to share with you today the above theme from Acts 8:27. Indeed, Philip had just been the instrument of a great work in Samaria. Also what must have been his astonishment when he was ordered to leave his field of work to go on a deserted path! Strange place really to proclaim the gospel! He obeys, however, without discussion. And here passes the chariot of a noble African minister who has made a long journey to worship in Jerusalem.
But how would he have found God in this city from which His Son had been rejected? This man, however, brings back a treasure infinitely greater than those of his sovereign: it is a portion of the Holy Scriptures. And God led him in his reading to the heart of the book of Isaiah (53:1-12). Thus everything was prepared before the servant of the Lord. For the Ethiopian learns through him to know Jesus. And he can be baptized and continue his “joyful” path to become, it is believed, a messenger of grace in his distant country.
Indeed, evangelists are not only those who address crowds. Let’s start by being obedient, especially in our travels. The Lord will then allow us to also find ourselves, just at the right time, on the path of someone to whom we will have the opportunity to proclaim Jesus. Thus,”An angel of the Lord, addressing Philip, said to him: Rise, and go to the side of the noon, on the path that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza, the one who is deserted.” For the Lord has many ways to direct His servants.
What matters is that the servant discerns and obeys them. Indeed, Philip had a beautiful field of work in Samaria; he seemed to be in a way to work on it again; but the angel, without further explanation, sends him far away on a deserted path. Philip obeyed and soon found the job to do: to proclaim the gospel not to a crowd, but to one man: An Ethiopian eunuch, powerful at the court of Queen Candace and steward of her treasures, had come to worship in Jerusalem. He would turn away and, sitting in his chariot, read the prophet Isaiah.
At this moment Philip came and the Spirit said to him, “Approach and join this chariot.” Philip ran and heard the eunuch reading verses 7 and 8 of chapter 53: “He was led like a sheep to the butchery; and like a lamb, mute before him who shears him, so he does not open his mouth; in his humiliation, his judgment was lifted; and her posterity, who will depict her? for his life is cut off from the earth.” Then the eunuch begged Philip to go up and sit beside him and said, “I beg you, who is the prophet talking about like this? Is it by himself, or by some other?” Everything was prepared so that the servant of God would only have to speak. “Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning with this passage, announced to him the good news of Jesus.”
This pious man, proselyte or Jew by birth, had come to worship the true God in Jerusalem. For there were true needs in his soul that could not be satisfied in Jerusalem: the God whom he came to worship had been cast out in the person of his Son, and put to death. The house remained deserted, the Lord had said in Mt 23:38. But if God’s presence was no longer in Jerusalem in his temple, his word remained; she spoke of “the sufferings of Christ and the glory with which they would be followed.” (1 P 1.11). For God watched over this stranger and sent him the one who could make known to him Jesus of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke here, where he described his rejection, his humiliation, his sufferings, and the results of his death.
Hearing Philip, the eunuch understood that it was Jesus that the prophet was speaking; that he had come into this world for himself, that he had suffered for him, and that if he believed in Jesus, he would be part of this “seed”, that he would be one of the “fruits of the work of his soul”. In this way he appropriated the value of the Savior’s death; so he immediately wanted to be a witness of Christ on earth. As they arrived near the water, he said to Philip, “This is water, what prevents me from being baptized?” For he understood that Christ’s death now separated him from all that marked his previous state and introduced him into an entirely new state. He wanted to declare publicly, through baptism, that he was a Christian, a disciple of Christ, and not just a worshipper of the true God in contrast to idolaters. “They both descended into the water, and Philip and the eunuch; and Philip baptized him. And when they were brought out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took away Philip, and the eunuch no longer saw him, for he continued his joyful journey.”
But this mysterious disappearance could not distract the eunuch; he possessed Jesus; he took with him the source of eternal joy and knew God as a Father whom he could worship in spirit and truth, wherever he was, without the need to come to Jerusalem, the only place where Jehovah was worshipped. So, he went away all joyful, taking with him an eternal treasure.
We are allowed to believe that this man, once back in his country, spoke to others of the happiness he possessed, because in Abyssinia, Ethiopia at the time, traces of Christianity, as well as remains of Judaism, probably imported by the Queen of Sheba in the time of Solomon. For once we get to where all of God’s work will be manifested, we will no doubt see glorious results from these two journeys into the land of Israel.
Then Philip found himself in Azot, the ancient Asdod of the Philistine, on the shores of the Mediterranean, where the ark of the eternal had been carried into the temple of Dagon (1 Sam. 5). He evangelized all the cities of the region up to Caesarea, which included a good part of the sea coast. This is therefore the beginning of the evangelization of the world outside Jerusalem, accomplished not by the apostles, but by Philip and by simple believers. And the conversion of Paul (Saul), the great apostle of the nations, will come and come into play, as the work outside Jerusalem has begun, and the Jews as a nation are rejected until the Church is taken up to heaven.
Then God will resume His relationship with His earthly people. Let us add that Simon the magician had previously listened to the good news of Jesus and had converted and baptized, he did not leave Philip. Our God is wonderful. For all the power of God is at the service of the Son of man for the fulfillment of the testimony of His glory. Philip evangelized the cities as far as Caesarea. A work and a worker of another character then begin to show themselves on the stage.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
- Examples of Worshippers
Gen 22:5 And Abraham said to his servants, Stay here with the donkey; I and the young man will go so far to worship, and we will come back to you. Gen 24:26 Then man bowed and prostrated himself before the Lord; Ex 34:8 Immediately Moses bowed to the ground and prostrated himself. Jos 5:14 He answered, “No, but I am the leader of The Lord’s army, I am now coming. Joshua fell face down, prostrated himself, and said to him, “What did my lord say to his servant? Jg 7:15 When Gideon had heard the account of the dream and its explanation, he prostrated himself, returned to the camp of Israel, and said, Arise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Midian into your hands. 1 S 1:28 So I want to lend him to the Lord: he will be lent to the Lord all his life. And they prostrated themselves there before the Lord. 2 S 12:20 Then David rose from the ground. He washed himself, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; then he went into the house of the Lord, and prostrated himself. Back home, he asked to be served food, and he ate. 2 Ch 7:3 All the children of Israel saw the fire and glory of Jehovah descend on the house; they bowed their faces against the ground on the pavement, prostrated themselves, and praised Jehovah, saying, For he is good, for his mercy lasts forever! Ne 8.6 Then all the people gathered as one man in the square that is in front of the gate of the waters. They told Ezra, the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses, prescribed by Jehovah to Israel. Jb 1:20 Then Job stood up, tore his cloak, and shaved his head; then, throwing himself on the ground, he prostrated himself; Rev 4:10 the twenty-four old men bow down before the one who sits on the throne and they worship the one who lives in the centuries of the centuries, and they cast their crowns before the throne, saying; Ap7:11 And all the angels stood around the throne and the old men and the four living beings; and they prostrated themselves on their face before the throne, and they worshipped God; Rev 11:16 And the twenty-four old men, who sat before God on their thrones, prostrated themselves on their faces, and they worshipped God,
- Acceptable offerings
Lev 1:4 He will place His hand on the head of the Holocaust, which will be approved by Jehovah, to serve as His Atonement. Isa 56:7 I will bring them to my holy mountain, and I will rejoice them in my house of prayer; Their holocausts and sacrifices will be approved on my altar; For my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Rom 12:1 I therefore exhort you, brethren, through the compassions of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which will be on your part a reasonable worship. Phil 4:18 I have received everything, and I am in abundance; I have been filled with goods, receiving from Epaphrodite what comes from you as a perfume of good smell, a sacrifice that God accepts, and which is pleasing to Him. Heb 13:16 And do not forget beneficence and gift, for it is in such sacrifices that God delights. 1 P 2:5 and yourselves, like living stones, build yourselves up to form a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual victims, pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.
- The Bible: it is recommended to study it
Dt 17:19 He shall have it with Him and read into it every day of His life, that He may learn to fear Jehovah, His God, to observe and put into practice all the words of this law and all these ordinances; Isa 34:16 Consult the book of the Lord, and read! None of them will fail, neither will be lacking; For his mouth ordered it. It is his spirit that will bring them together. Jn 5:39 You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life in them: they are the ones who bear testimony of me. Acts 17:11 These Jews had nobler feelings than those of Thessalonica; they received the word with great eagerness, and they examined the Scriptures every day to see if what they were told was correct. Rom 15:4 Now, all that has been written in advance has been written for our instruction, so that by patience and by the consolation that the scriptures give, we may possess hope.
- Meekness of Christ
Isa 53:7 He has been mistreated and oppressed, And he has not opened his mouth, Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, Like a mute sheep before those who shear it; He did not open his mouth. Mt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you and receive my instructions, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls. (Mt 21:5Say to the daughter of Zion: Behold, your king comes to you, Full of gentleness, and mounted on a donkey, On a donkey, the little of a donkey. ) 2 Co 10:1I Paul, I beg you, by the meekness and goodness of Christ, -I, humble in appearance when I am in your midst, and full of boldness towardsyou when I am faraway; 1 Pet 2:23 he who, insulted, did not render insults, mistreated, did not make threats, but relied on him who judges justly;
- Receptiveness
Mt 13:23 He who has received the seed in the good earth is the one who hears the word and understands it; he bears fruit, and one grain gives one hundred, another sixty, another thirty. Lk 10:38-39 As Jesus was on his way with his disciples, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha received him in her house. 39 She had a sister, named Mary, who, having sat at the feet of the Lord, listened to his word. Acts 2:41Those who accepted his word were baptized; and on that day the number of disciples increased by about three thousand souls. Acts 17:11These Jews had nobler feelings than those of Thessalonica; they received the word with great eagerness, and they examined the Scriptures every day to see if what they were told was correct. 1 Thess 2:13 That is why we continually give thanks to God that by receiving the word of God, which we have made you hear, you have received it, not as the word of men, but, as it really is, as the word of God, which works in you who believe.
- Prophecies about Christ
Gen 49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the sovereign staff between his feet, until the Schilo comes, and the people obey him. Dt 18:15 Jehovah, your God, will raise you up from among yourselves, from among your brethren, a prophet like me: you will listen to him! Ps 2.2 Why do the kings of the earth rise up and do the princes join forces with them Against the Lord and against his anointed? -; Ps 110:1 of David. Psalm. Word of the Lord to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your stepping stone. Ps 118:22 The stone rejected by those who built became the main one of the corner. Ps 132:11 The Lord swore the truth to David, He will not return; I will put on your throne a fruit of your bowels. Is 9:2,7 You make the people numerous, You grant them great joys; He rejoices before you, as one rejoices at the harvest, as one cries of joy at the sharing of the spoils. 7 The Lord sends a word to Jacob: She falls upon Israel. Isa 61:1 The spirit of the Lord, the Lord, is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the unfortunate; He sent me to heal the heartbroken, to proclaim freedom to the captives, and to the prisoners deliverance; Is he 63:1 Who is this one who comes from Edom, De Botsra, in red clothes, In bright clothes, and standing up with pride in the fullness of his strength? -It is I who promised salvation, Who has the power to deliver. Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, says the Lord, where I will raise up to David a righteous seed; He will reign as a king and prosper, He will practice justice and fairness in the country. Ez 17:22 Thus saith the Lord, the Lord: I will remove the top of a great cedar, and place it; I will tear a tender branch from the top of its branches, and plant it on a high and high mountain. Dn 2:34, 44 You were looking, when a stone came out without the help of any hand, struck the feet of iron and clay of the statue, and to torn them to pieces. 44 In the time of these kings, the God of heaven will raise up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and that will not pass under the dominion of another people; he will break and annihilate all these kingdoms, and he himself will subsist eternally. Dn 9:25 Know it, then, and understand! From the moment the word announced that Jerusalem will be rebuilt to the Anointed, to the Driver, seven weeks and sixty-two weeks ago, the squares and ditches will be restored, but in unfortunate times. Mi 5:1 And you, Bethlehem Ephrata, Little among the thousands of Judah, From you will come out for me the One who will dominate over Israel, And whose origin goes back to ancient times, to the days of eternity. Za 3:8 Listen, then, Joshua, high priest, you and your companions who are sitting before you! for these are men who will serve as signs. Behold, I will bring my servant, the germ. Za 12:10 Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication, and they will turn their gaze to me, the one they have pierced. They will weep over him as one weeps over an only son, They will weep bitterly over him as one weeps over a firstborn. Ml 3.1 Behold, I will send my messenger; He will prepare the way in front of me. And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will enter his temple; And the messenger of the covenant that you desire, behold, he comes, says the Lord of hosts.
From all the above, we notePhilip’s astonishment at being ordered to leave his field of work to go on a deserted path! Strange place really to proclaim the gospel. For this Ethiopian eunuch, powerful at the court of Queen Candace and steward of her treasures, had come to worship in Jerusalem. He would turn away and, sitting in his chariot, read the prophet Isaiah. For he understood that Christ’s death now separated him from all that marked his previous state and introduced him into an entirely new state. He wanted to declare publicly, through baptism, that he was a Christian, a disciple of Christ, and not just a worshipper of the true God in contrast to idolaters. This man, once back in his country, spoke to others of the happiness he possessed, because in Abyssinia, Ethiopia at the time, traces of Christianity are detected, as well as remains of Judaism, probably imported by the Queen of Sheba in the time of Solomon. For once we get to where all of God’s work will be manifested, we will no doubt see glorious results from these two journeys into the land of Israel. Our prayers sustain you all in your efforts to obey the Lord Jesus.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me as follows:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my Lord and personal Savior. I acknowledge that you died on the cross of Calvary and that you rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me each day to eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal to me and strengthen my heart and my faith so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me in your divine family so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all worship, power, and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you in a while on “Saul, a bitter opponent of Christians.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.