Day #218: Acts 23:12-35

The Lord himself had come to Paul in prison and essentially had promised him safe passage to Rome. Meanwhile, these zealous Jews bound themselves with an oath to neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. They put themselves under a solemn vow, like a curse, if they did not fulfill what they said.

This group of over forty men announced their oath to the leading priests and other leaders. Their plan was to get the high council to have Paul returned to a meeting with them under the guise of examining his case more fully. And, exposing their contemptible character, they planned to kill him on the way. Evidently, the Jewish leaders thought this was a good idea and went along with it! To these leaders, politics and position had become more important than God. They were ready to plan another murder, just as they had done with Jesus.

Verse 16 is the only biblical reference to Paul’s family. Some scholars believe that Paul’s family disowned him when he became a Christian. Paul wrote of having suffered the loss of everything for Christ (Philippians 3:8) -he may have had his own family in mind when he penned this.

Paul’s nephew gave a detailed report of the plot. The lad even knew about the oath. How he obtained the information is unknown, but there is no doubt about its accuracy. Evidently, the ambush was already in place, simply waiting for the commander’s order to send the prisoner to the council chambers. The commander wisely told Paul’s nephew to keep his silence on the report he had given. After this, the only member of Paul’s family mentioned anywhere in the New Testament disappeared into the silence of unrecorded history.

Guarded by an armed escort of almost five hundred Roman soldiers, Paul was transferred to Caesarea and the jurisdiction of Governor Felix. He would be safe there until it was time for him to leave for Rome. God’s sovereignty is visible in both the actions of these secular authorities and in the resulting spread of the Good News.

There were 470 men dispatched to guard one prisoner—two hundred soldiers, two hundred spearmen, and seventy horsemen. The commander knew that the forty assassins would fight to the death, and he did not want to have to explain the assassination of a Roman citizen under his protection. The zealous desire to kill Paul on the part of the Jews in ambush was more than matched by the extent to which the Romans went to protect him.

Felix was the Roman governor or procurator of Judea from a.d. 52 to 59. This was the same position that Pontius Pilate had held. While the Jews had been given much freedom to govern themselves, the governor ran the army, kept the peace, and gathered the taxes.

A man of low birth, Felix rose to power through the influence of his well-connected brother Pallas and his politically expedient marriages. He also married the granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra. The historian Tacitus, however, described Felix’s career with a stinging epigram: “He exercised the power of a king with the mind of a slave.” He was regarded as a poor governor. He dispensed justice arbitrarily and served his own ends. Jewish revolts increased under his administration.

Thus, the platform was set for Paul to speak before the leading rulers of the area. When God has a willing person, there will be no end to the places he or she can be used, with phenomenal opportunities for effective work. But often times it requires a willingness to go it alone.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

I read about the trails and tribulations that Paul endured and I am humbled. Would to God that our generation of Christ followers would have the heart and stomach for the Gospel like Paul did.

Would to God that we would have the passion to go and go it alone if/when necessary.

I read an article by TD Jakes, a pastor from Dallas, Texas. In my battles and struggles, I was comforted when I read it. When you feel alone and deserted - when you feel like your fighting by yourself - remember these words. The battle is the Lord's.

There are people who will walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this; When people walk away from you - let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. The Bible says this in 1 John 2:19: "they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us."

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay… let them go. And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over.

You've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead.You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful - it's that I'm faithful - and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me.

Stop begging people to stay…let them go. The battles is the Lord's.

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to....let it go.

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains .....let it go.

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth.....let it go.

If someone has angered you ........let it go.

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge......let it go.

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction...... let it go.

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents ...let it go.

If you have a bad attitude.......let it go.

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...... let it go.

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him....let it go.

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship.......let it go.

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...... let it go.

If you're feeling depressed and stressed .......let it go.

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to......let it go.

Get Right or Get Left .. think about it, and then ... LET IT GO!!! "The Battle is the Lord's"