-
Acts 11:19-21 – Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
“Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews.” When the Jerusalem was overcome by invading nations, they scattered to avoid being killed. This scattering was referred to as the diaspora. Its meaning is to sow “sow throughout” or “scatter abroad.” It was God using the Babylonian and Roman rule to spread His people abroad. Usually the Jews kept to themselves, but wherever they went they attracted Gentiles who were interested in this One God religion which was so different from the religions of the world that believed in many Gods. Family, it is true that the one true God attracts people to Himself. Non-Believers see a difference and want to know the difference between this One God religion and the false religions of their lands. This is not something that happens only within Christianity, but to the surprise of many, it happened with the Jews. The Jews served the one true God and that attracted people. God does not originate or promote evil (James 1:13), but He can bring about His purpose by using what men do, whether good or evil (Genesis 50:20). So Rome had caused the Jews to scatter abroad. God used this situation to spread the truth of Him to the Gentiles wherever the Jews went. That is commonly referred to as the Diapora, when the Jews were scattered to avoid persecution. Yet God was sowing them among the nations to bring about His will. The Jews may have walked away from God’s purpose for them to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6), but God did not. He used the Roman Empire to seed the Jews in strategic places for His use.
Now He spread the Jews and they were used by God wherever He placed them. Now God used evil Roman Empire to accomplish His goals. Now remember that God did not cause the evil, but He did allow it and then used it for eternal good. How wise and wonderful is our God! He did not stop the Jewish persecution of the early Christians. However, He did use it just as He had used the diaspora to seed the Jews outside of Israel, so He used the Jewish persecution to sow the seed of The Good News as His church spread outward. So we see that the will of God is not stopped by evil. From eternity past He knew saw the evil in the hearts of men and how it would manifest and He knew how to ruin the plan of evil as He would turn the actions of evil to something of eternal good. God is so amazing beyond our comprehension!.
The Christian Jews, as they fled from persecution, spread the Gospel news to the Jews of the dispersion as they encountered them. Thus The Gospel was being spread to all the Jews who likely had heard of Jesus, but were in need to hear that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Oh the wonderful plans of God! God’s timing is perfect and His plans revealed as we look back at His mastery and sovereignty. God had spread the Jews. Through the Jews many Gentiles were saved. The Jews were strategically placed. Jesus came to save at just the right time in just the right circumstances that word of Him would spread through Jerusalem and to the world. Galatians 4:4-5 proclaims “But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent His Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that He might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law.” (The Msg.) See the timing of the arrival of Jesus was perfect in every way and one part of that is that Jews were scattered and He would use that dispersion to spread the news of Jesus. Wow! God is so incredible. When the Christians were dispersed because of the Jewish persecution (Notably the pre-Christian work of Saul) they travelled out along the same routes as the Jews had fled. As they did, they spread the news of the risen Messiah Jesus and as a result souls were saved wherever the persecuted Christians were dispersed.
For the most part the Jews only spread the Word among fellow Jews. They still did not get that God is the God of all, first to the Jew, and then to the world.
God used the Roman Empire to spread the Gospel. He placed the Jews throughout the Roman Empire that in His timing, they would be used to teach people who was God. This He did as all descendants of Israel were called to do. Being a Jew was never, in God’s eyes, about being a Jew and disdaining the non-Jew. So the Jews had moved away from their purpose of revealing God to the world, but God would bring them back to it, as they spread the Gospel. Family so we should remember that we are first called to love God and each other (Mark 12:29-31) and we are also commanded to spread the Word of God (Matthew 28:18-20). Let us do these things wherever we are. Wherever we are He is and so we should point people to Him. It is what Jesus told us to do.
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.