One of the
enduring mysteries for new Christians (and indeed many experienced ones) is
this: when I read the Old Testament, how do I know what is still part of God’s
“law” for me, and what is simply ceremonial regulation for the ancient Jew? In
the New Testament, the question becomes how much in the way of instruction is
related to the culture of the time, and how much is really applicable in any
time?
In a sense, this passage today gives us the answer to that.
The entire focus of the Bible is Jesus Christ.
·
The Old Testament is the preparation for Jesus Christ. The
ceremonial sacrifices are the forerunner of the sacrifice of Christ on the
Cross. Over and over again, we can look at the Old Testament and see pictures
of our Lord. God was preparing one particular people for his coming.
·
This is the view which allows us to separate the “forever” from
the “now” in both Old and New Testament. The question is, “What does this have
to do with the Atonement of Jesus Christ?” For example, if it is an Old
Testament picture (sacrifices) it no longer applies, for Christ is now our
sacrifice. In the New Testament, we must ask the same question: is it just
something done for the church in that time, or is it related to Christ’s
sacrifice on the Cross? We still celebrate the Lord’s Supper – but our
knowledge of bacteria have caused us to go to individual cups.
·
Of particular importance in today’s lesson is the prophetic
aspect: the Old Testament points to Christ in prophecy. Do recall that
prophecy is not meant to be a road map for investors in the stock market. It
is meant to be the series of clues by which you know the real from the fake.
Bearing these things in mind, we
now find a man who is reading the Old Testament – and needs a guide to explain
it to him.
(Acts 8:26-40 NIV) Now an angel of the Lord said to
Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from
Jerusalem to Gaza." {27} So he started out, and on his way he met an
Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of
Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
{28} and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah
the prophet. {29} The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay
near it." {30} Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading
Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip
asked. {31} "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to
me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. {32} The eunuch was
reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the
slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his
mouth. {33} In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his
descendants? For his life was taken from the earth." {34} The eunuch asked
Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or
someone else?" {35} Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture
and told him the good news about Jesus. {36} As they traveled along the road,
they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why
shouldn't I be baptized?" {37} {38} And he gave orders to stop the
chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip
baptized him. {39} When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord
suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on
his way rejoicing. {40} Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about,
preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
The Original Vanishing Hitchhiker
One of the enduring urban legends
of our time is that of the “vanishing hitchhiker.” Everyone has a cousin who
has a friend who had a buddy who was there; he picks up a hitchhiker and, in
various spooky circumstances, finds that the hitchhiker has vanished upon
arrival – but with some mysterious connection to the place where the
disappearance happened. No such mystery here; Philip is directed and
carried. But in the process we can see the character of an ordinary man of
God. Philip will show up again in Acts, but only briefly. Let us look at his
character before he goes.
The Obedient Servant
This is the same Philip who is
chosen to wait on tables. Evidently he must have been a man of great faith,
for God takes particular care in his instruction.
·
First, he is told by an angel that he is to go down to the desert
road. No particular objective is assigned; nothing is explained. It’s hot in
the desert, but Philip goes obediently. And note, he goes on foot.
·
Next, at the proper time, the Holy Spirit himself commands him to
go up to the chariot. While the presence of the Spirit must have been
comforting, I think my curiosity would have been sufficient to ask, “Why?”
Philip, the obedient one, does not. He is a soldier in the army of the Lord.
The Servant of the Lord
Not only is Philip an obedient
servant, he knows what it is to be a servant of the Lord God Most High.
·
Although this is an important person, he does not flatter him.
The Spirit has sent Philip; no higher authority need apply for homage.
·
Philip takes the circumstances the Lord sends him. He does not
pull out his tract on the Four Spiritual Laws. Instead, he seizes upon the
man’s own curiosity. Something is troubling him; Philip will respond to the
human being. Since every human needs Christ, Philip shows him the way from
where he is to where he ought to be.
The Circumstances of the Servant
Philip, as we will see in next
week’s lesson, leaves Jerusalem in a time of persecution. But we need to see
that he goes as God commands. It’s fairly obvious. Consider:
·
If you simply wanted to leave Jerusalem in a hurry, this is not
the direction you would choose. The “road to Gaza” is a road to nowhere, for
Gaza is a ruin at this time.
·
Indeed, it is the road through the desert – a glance at a map
would tell you that going down the inland route via the Jordan and crossing
over at a more southerly point would be much more pleasant, especially when
walking. Chrysostom tells us (relying on other accounts) that this took place
in the heat of the day. Those who know the desert know that it’s best to
travel at night during this time of year. But Philip not only goes where his
Lord commands but also when.
·
Strangely enough, after this incident, he will wind up in
Ceasaria – which is north of Jerusalem. The Christian life is a
journey, not a destination.
The Ethiopian Eunuch
Of all stories of antiquity, none
is so strange as that of the Ethiopian Jews – a story which continues today.
The legend (if it is such) is that Judaism was brought to Ethiopia by the son
of the “Queen of Sheba” – the Queen of Ethiopia who visited Solomon. The
legend has it that she was pregnant by Solomon, and that the son, upon reaching
adulthood, went back to learn from his father. By legend, he and his followers
stole the Ark of the Covenant from the Temple (you will note that no mention is
made of the Ark after Solomon’s reign)
and took it back to Ethiopia.
The Coptic church in Ethiopia
claims it descends from those Jews, converted to Christianity by this
treasurer. In one of their cathedrals – barred to those who are not members of
the order – is supposed to be the Ark. All this may be the stuff of legend,
but in our own time Israel has airlifted thousands of Ethiopian Jews to
Israel. Just because it’s an old story doesn’t make it automatically false.
Status of a eunuch
We must first understand that
this individual is an unusual human being. He is a eunuch; he has just
returned from worshipping in Jerusalem. This is rare by the test of that time:
·
Being Ethiopian, it is highly likely that he is black. It would
not be hard to decide that he was not native born.
·
He is also a eunuch – and therefore barred from Temple worship by
the Law. He would be, in the eyes of the devout, a “God-Fearer” – but not a
Jew. Think about it: how do you circumcise a eunuch?
·
But he is one who is willing to be taught.
Character of the man
We can deduce a great deal about
this man from this little incident:
·
He is in a chariot – reading aloud (as was the custom of the
time, so that those around could share the scarce resource of a book). This
tells us not only that he was devout – he was “redeeming the time.” Like
someone who listens to Christian radio or tapes in the car, he was making the
best use of the time and circumstances God had given him.
·
He is a man with humility. He does not challenge Philip’s
credentials; rather, he shares with him his immediate problem – “I don’t
understand this passage.”
·
He confesses his ignorance. It wouldn’t surprise me if he even
stopped once in a while to ask for directions.
Studying the Scripture
Your teacher frequently stresses
the value of studying the Scripture – and here we see good reason for it:
·
It teaches you your ignorance. Most of us don’t know what it is
we don’t know – but our eyes are opened when we study the Scripture.
·
It opens your mind to learning, for in the Scripture you always
meet one greater than yourself.
·
It gives God an opportunity to minister to you, in the form of
his servants. If your mind is closed, how can he speak to it?
Some Scripture speaks to us
passionately. Can you imagine how this passage must have hit a man like this?
For the complaint Isaiah prophesies is this: that the Christ would have no
children – cut off, is the phrase. Just like the eunuch. Do you suppose the
passage hit him hard?
It is fitting that the meeting
was on the road. Like Paul on the road, we see that meeting God is on the
journey, not only at its end.
Nature of Conversion
From the evangelist’s point of
view it might seem that this would be a difficult man to convert. After all,
the man has already adopted what was then the world’s greatest moral code – and
this despite his skin color and lack of sexuality. How then would he want to
change and become a Christian?
Two problems with the Law
Any moral code, no matter how
great, has two intrinsic problems:
·
Ultimately, it depends upon force. “God will get you for that!”
This leads to two things:
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First, obedience may become only external – the heart need not be
right.
·
Next, the human sinful nature soon asks, “What can I get away
with?” Legalism sets in.
·
Next, if you fail at any point, you fail. It is no good saying
you are not a thief if you commit arson. That leads to other problems:
·
Guilt must be dealt with, for a moral code provides no way out.
·
In dealing with that code, we must have a method for “covering”
our deficiencies. These are such things as
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Blame. We blame others, we blame society, the moon – you name
it, we blame it.
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Comparison. “At least I’m not the wicked sinner like …” True.
Irrelevant, but true.
·
Making it up. Viewing God as cosmic beancounter, we say, “I’ll
do two good deeds to make up for that one bad thing.”
The answer – we come full circle
from the start of the lesson – is in the person of Jesus Christ.
·
No longer is there a moral code to fear and obey, but a Lord and
Savior to love. The heart can now be right, and the actions follow that
righteousness.
·
The Law can only forget my sins. Only a Person can forgive.
There is one final thing. When
this more excellent way is explained to the man, his reaction is glorious. He
redeems the time; he acts – he asks to be baptized immediately. The Kingdom
of Heaven – the Pearl of Great Price – is before him and he grasps it joyfully.