Acts 9:7-9 – The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
“The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.” The men travelling with Saul were speechless. They had just seen a focused light more powerful than sunlight surround Saul and then they heard a sound, perhaps a voice, from Heaven speaking to Saul. Putting ourselves in their place, they must have been overwhelmed and they didn’t understand what was being said. They guided Saul to Damascus. What was that walk like? Did Saul tell them what had happened or was Saul so in shock from what had happened that he didn’t, or couldn’t, share with them what he had been told? He was likely still processing it all. Still, after seeing what they saw, it makes one wonder what became of them. Later, when they heard what Saul had said had happened, and they could bear witness in some regard, and when they heard him preaching Jesus, did they give their lives to the Lord? One would have to wonder how they could not.
“Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.” What do we all do if an extremely bright light suddenly hit our eyes? Of course we immediately shut our eyes, and likely with our hands give them shade from the light. So did Saul. Yet, when the light was gone and he opened his eyes he was blind. It is natural that after encountering such a bright light that we may not be able to see, or perhaps even that his eyes had been damaged. Paul was blinded, but we shall know that it was not a natural harm to his eyes that had occurred, but that it was a supernatural blindness that was caused by the Lord (Acts 9:18). How apropos that he was physically blinded as he had unknowingly been spiritually blind in his blood thirsty, hateful pursuit of the church. Saul had spiritually blinded himself as he had blindly followed what he had been taught. Jesus blinded him and left him that way for three days. His physical blindness was something that Jesus imposed and Saul could do nothing to remedy it. Saul’s self-imposed spiritual blindness was by his own free will. It was his own sentence of death that he was walking in. However, Jesus brought about his physical blindness to begin the healing of his spiritual blindness. Though many may have cried out to God “You are not a good God! How could you have blinded me?” Saul was not a person of such ilk, and Jesus knew it.
“For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.” In his blindness Saul was forced to humble himself and be led by the hand. Jesus, whom Saul had considered a blasphemer, had supernaturally appeared from Heaven and snatched him from the darkness of his former opinion of Jesus, to a new informed knowledge. Saul had to rethink what he thought was the purpose of his life. It was obvious from what Jesus had told him that he would no longer fight against Jesus. The original language gives a picture that Saul was like an ox harnessed in and was kicking against the goads that were placed behind him so that he would not kick. The goads were sharp instruments so that if the ox kicked up he would hurt himself and would learn to submit and not fight. Saul had devoted himself to studying scriptures. The Truth of Jesus was there for him to learn, but Saul had spent his life fighting the truth to believe a lie. To understand what was happening to Saul, one must view these events through heavenly perspective. Jesus was not harming Saul, He was saving him from filth to purity, from a life of doom to a life of hope and eternal life with God Himself.
We have, and can, act like Saul. Fighting against the grace and the perfect will that God desires we walk in. We can kick against the goads, hurting and harming ourselves and not believing that God has something better for us. Let’s let the bright presence of God shine in our hearts and permeate our being. Let’s heed and be guided by the very voice of God who lovingly calls out to us every day. Family, God is good all the time and He loves us. How wonderful! May we purposely explore His goodness and love all the days of our lives! Praise and honor God through Jesus our Savior and Lord! It is the right thing to do! 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.