And the History lesson began with Egypt

Acts 13:13-23

Do you enjoy history, do you have a good understanding of the history of your family, your neighborhood, the city or state you live in, what about your nation and how it came into being?  What if you were visiting a foreign country and went to the local place of worship and they ask you if you had a word of exhortation and you began to tell them about their history, in that you both shared the same history, you read from the same Bible and had been taught in the same doctrine and precepts.  That is what Paul and Barnabas did in the Synagogue in Antioch in Pisidia.  The apostle Paul began in this way; “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.” (Acts 13:16 ESV)  And the history lesson began with Egypt and how God provided for the nation of Israel as they spent 40 years in the wilderness and how God destroyed the seven nations of Canaan, and how all of this took about 450 years, now that is some history teacher.   Paul went on to tell them how God gave them Judges up until Samuel, and how the people wanted a king like all the other nations and God gave them what they wanted, Saul became their king.  He reminded them that Saul ruled for 40 years and then God picked David to rule.  God said this about David, “a man after my heart who will do all my will.”

It was at this point that the apostle Paul gave them some new information, “Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus as he promised.  Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.  And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.”

(Acts 13:23-25 ESV)  When a man stands and proclaims truth many will receive it and that is what happened as Paul told them about the Savior and how He had been misunderstood by the leaders and how they had turned Jesus over to Pilate and though no guilt was found in Him worthy of death, they ask Pilate to have him executed.  Paul reminds them that they carried out all that was written of him, and they took him down from a tree and laid him in a tomb.  It is at this point we have a “But God” moment as we look at Acts 13:30-40, “But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,

“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:30-39 ESV)

It could be said of Paul that a great teacher has come to town, because the Scripture tells us that many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas.  What happen on the next Sabbath was that almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord, and when the Jews saw the crowds they rejoiced, wrong, they were filled with jealousy.  Now jealousy and religion are close sisters, and the leader began to contradict all that Paul was saying, so Paul made this statement; if you are Gentile you should say amen.  “And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Acts 13:46-47 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice