Acts 8:32-35 – This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its 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.
“This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its 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.” There is no doubt that this meeting of Philip and the Ethiopian was a supernatural meeting arranged and effected by God. God, through an angel, told Philip to go to a desert road. He didn’t tell Philip the reason and gave no further details. He just told him to go to the desert road. It may not seem very exciting to us to receive such direction. But Philip knew better. We can be sure that he was ecstatic to receive that direction. He was likely very excited as he prepared for the journey and as he was travelling to the desert road in obedience to God. Remember he was merely told to “go” and Philip went. Philip had obviously learned the excitement and wonder of being used by God. He didn’t know what was to happen, but he was excited and in the knowledge of God, very expectant to be used of God. Family, is there anything better than to be used by God to glorify Him? No, nothing is better than being led by God and then having stepped out in faith, to watch the plan of God unfold before us. At that point, others may say “Oh that was just a coincidence” but these doubters will not rob us of the joy of stepping out in faith and seeing God do what we could not conceive beforehand. Praise God! God asked Philip to do what today He asks us to do. He tells us to go and then He wants us to start walking. He will give us further direction as we walk the journey of faith that we are all called to. And, Family, what a delight above all other delights, to be used of God and to know we have heard from Him and obeyed Him. Thank you Lord to be able to be used to do your will! What an honor! What a delight!
The scripture that the eunuch was reading from is the inimitable Isaiah 53, specifically Vs 7-8. Here, again, we see the providence of God at work. How beautiful and amazing the plans of God! The Lord called Philip to this meeting. He arranged the meeting with this seeker of God and also put upon this man to be reading a perfect verse to tell of the Messiah who no longer needed to be waited for but had arrived and was calling to all who would come to Him. God made this happen. Let’s remind ourselves that God did the same for all of us. God placed someone, more likely some people, in our lives to tell us of Jesus and then, instantly or eventually, we fell on our knees and loved and trusted Jesus to be our Savior and Lord. The “someone” God used may have been a friend, a family member, a spouse, a child, a parent who came to the Lord late in life or even, and perhaps most blessedly, Godly parents who raised us to know the love and grace of God through Jesus. Family, maybe no one ran beside a chariot to talk to us, but the hand of God was just as surely, and just as supernaturally, a part of bringing us to the Lord as He was in bringing Philip to this brother of ours, the Ethiopian.
By The Law the Ethiopian was excluded from entering the temple of God because he was a eunuch (Deuteronomy 23:1). Yet, all of us were, by our failure to keep The Law, were also excluded from intimacy with God. We all had left the fold of God and had been doing only what pleased us or what we thought right, not seeking to please God. It is for that very reason that a Messiah, that Jesus, descended from Heaven to suffer and die for us all (Isaiah 53:6, Philippians 2:6-11).
“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.” Philip was ready to explain from the scriptures that the Ethiopian was reading from that they were speaking of Jesus. We must also work to make ourselves prepared to give an answer for the reason for the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15). Yes, our walk demands us to, under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, be a good student, prepared by God, an expert with the sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would cause us to remember the Word of God (John 14:26). How can He bring up from our memory something that was never there? We must first diligently study and contemplate the Word and the Holy Spirit will remind us of what He has previously elucidated to us. God has a plan. His plans come true each and every time. Praise God!
So let’s be continually in prayer to our Lord. Let us walk with the Spirit. Let’s read the Word of God as we have prayed for the Spirit to explode the knowledge of it and the wisdom of God within us. And this is a prayer God relishes us to pray and He always rewards that prayer.
Let us be quick to follow the leading of the Lord. When God says to do, let us do. When God says to not do, let us not do. When God says to go, let us go. Let us take the steps of faith that please God. If God directs us to a desert road, grab some water and go. Then we too may be used as Philip was used. Then when that ministry is done, let us pray to the Lord “Lord, mission done, what’s next?” There’s always something next. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.