Acts 9: Highlights and Discussion
Highlights:
Acts 9:1-9: On the road to Damascus, Saul converted
Acts 9:10-19: Ananias baptizes Saul
Acts 9:20-22: Saul preaches Christ
Acts 9:23-25: Saul escapes death
Acts 9:26-31: Saul at Jerusalem and the church multiplied
Acts 9:32-35: Aeneas healed
Acts 9:36-43: Dorcas restored to life
Discussion:
"And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank." {Acts 9:9}
It's easy to overlook this verse in Acts 9:9; where Saul was led by the men who journeyed with him to Damascus because he had lost his sight. For three days, he could not see, he did not eat or drink. This was a time of deep reflection and soul searching for Saul, the pharisee and member of the sanhedrin council. In Acts of the Apostles, pp. 118-120, we find these words from Mrs. White:
These days of close self-examination and of heart humiliation were spent in lonely seclusion. The believers, having been given warning of the purpose of Saul in coming to Damascus, feared that he might be acting a part, in order the more readily to deceive them; and they held themselves aloof, refusing him their sympathy. He had no desire to appeal to the unconverted Jews, with whom he had planned to unite in persecuting the believers; for he knew that they would not even listen to his story. Thus he seemed to be shut away from all human sympathy. His only hope of help was in a merciful God, and to Him he appealed in brokenness of heart.
During the long hours when Saul was shut in with God alone, he recalled many of the passages of Scripture referring to the first advent of Christ. Carefully he traced down the prophecies, with a memory sharpened by the conviction that had taken possession of his mind. As he reflected on the meaning of these prophecies he was astonished at his former blindness of understanding and at the blindness of the Jews in general, which had led to the rejection of Jesus as the promised Messiah. To his enlightened vision all now seemed plain. He knew that his former prejudice and unbelief had clouded his spiritual perception and had prevented him from discerning in Jesus of Nazareth the Messiah of prophecy.
As Saul yielded himself fully to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, he saw the mistakes of his life and recognized the far-reaching claims of the law of God. He who had been a proud Pharisee, confident that he was justified by his good works, now bowed before God with the humility and simplicity of a little child, confessing his own unworthiness and pleading the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. Saul longed to come into full harmony and communion with the Father and the Son; and in the intensity of his desire for pardon and acceptance he offered up fervent supplications to the throne of grace.
Have you had a time of deep reflection such as that of Saul's? Perhaps, we may not have the dramatic encounter that Saul had with Christ, but maybe we can remember the time when we find ourselves struggling with the existence and validity of Christ and whether or not everything that the Bible has to say is true or not. Maybe, there are some who are still trying to answer these questions. Many are quick to argue and challenge the existence and validity of Christ and/or the Bible, but I wonder if we are willing to spend a period of time in deep reflection, Bible searching, and Christ searching. So many have good "challenging" questions, but a few are willing to spend the time to reflect upon their questions and Bible searching for answers to their questions.
