The Word of God did not describe where Saul stayed during that period

PAUL 2 CHRIST MADE HIM A NEW PERSON.

The Word of God did not describe where Saul stayed during that period. The spiritual awakening was significant, for the change was internal, not external; rather eternal not temporal.

Who could possibly counsel a fellow like Saul? God had His man, as He always does. Ananias was the man, whose name means “ that the Lord has been gracious”. ( v10) The Lord spoke directly to him in a vision. He responded immediately to the call with “ Yes, Lord”. “ Arise and go into the street called ‘straight’ and enquire in the house of one called Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold he prays”. “ Oh, no Lord - not Saul. Anyone else except that blackguard. “

How could he accept that a would-be-murderer was praying to the Father through the risen Son.

Saul was also prepared, for God had shown in a vision that Ananias would visit him, and lay his hand on him that he might receive his sight. ( v12 ). God does the entire work of bringing salvation to a man. . Saul, the brilliant scholar under Gamaliel as mentor needed to see. . He longed to get into the scrolls, searching with a thousand, challenging queries, even though his personal encounter with the living Lord satisfied him. The insatiable hunger for the Word of God was a mark of the new-born An Indonesian high school boy read his New Testament for seven days and nights, resting only when the electric power failed early each morning. “ Could I borrow this amazing book for a few more days?” forced me to write his name in the book. He became a pastor in a city of ten million.

Ananias pleaded with his God , having heard of all the evil he had done to the saints in Jerusalem, and that he was authorised by the chief priests to bind all that call upon the Lord’s Name. ( v13,14 )

Naturally, fear gripped him, as the immense task overwhelmed him. God’s grace is always sufficient, as He promised.

The Lord talked with Ananias, comforting and reassuring His special servant. He did what Nathan did to turn the wayward David with “ You are the man.” The Lord was reassuring to his child, “ Go your way. He is a chosen vessel to me, to bear My Name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my Name’s sake. “ (v15,16 Ananias’ heart must have missed a beat- or two - to hear that God would chose such a ‘beast’ ( as indeed he had been ) to carry the royal Name before such distinguished audiences. He must call Saul to a life of suffering and endurance and chastening - for His dear Name’s sake.

Ananias must have anticipated sparks flying as he laid hands on this person. He addressed him as “ Brother Saul”, showing that he was a child of God and a brother in the faith. Saul must have quivered with excitement on hearing “ the Lord even JESUS “ Who appeared to you in the way ( your sword still dripping with blood ) has sent me.” Little wonder that Saul loved to preached on this powerful name. He was commissioned of God “ that Saul might receive his sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Please notice the early return of natural vision, so that the scholar could immerse himself in the Old Testament, Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word . God’s order was perfect. The Holy Spirit enlightened Saul and interpreted the blessed Scriptures, and filled the life which had been a cesspool of malignant, toxic hatred and contempt for God’s own. Miracle!

Saul recalled David’s cry in Psalm 51 “ Take not away Your Holy Spirit” .

( I must read the whole Psalm, he mused ) while Ezekiel’s prophecy told of God’s creation of a new heart, putting His Holy Spirit into the former heart of stone. ( chapter 36 ) Oh, how he longed to refresh his memory and drink in the glorious scriptures of his beloved Lord. His greatest need was to be filled with the Holy Spirit, Who marvellously was the Spirit of the Father and the Son, Whom Saul had furiously and incessantly resisted. He longed now to be possessed with the gracious Life of the Spirit, which he had strenuously sought to destroy. God changed all things in that dramatic hour.

newly-embraced Saviour and Lord. During my medical experience in the Second World War, I studied God’s Word early every morning for three years in my Arabia, which was actually Egypt, Israel, Papua New Guinea ). Where is your Arabia? He changes not.

Saul arose and was baptised. ( v18) How Baptism would stir Saul, as he was buried with Christ, having been crucified with Him; rising to walk in newness of resurrection life. He understood the meaning deeply, living out the events of the crucifixion, burial and rising again of his now-crowned Lord.

His strength returned after food, remembering that 72 hours had passed since Saul had eaten or drunk. ( v19) Saul knew that natural laws still applied, with sight, hunger, thirst, and strength returning with nourishing food. He remained several days with the saints at Damascus. Who led the Bible studies? Who asked the questions? Who quoted from the Old Testament with a freedom that astonished the saints.? Who hungered and thirsted after righteousness, and was filled, even as our Lord Jesus promised?

What was the first thing that Saul did after the home Bible studies with the disciples? He went into the synagogues ( note that there was more than one ), and “ preached that Christ is the Son of God”. .( v20 ) Christ was the Anointed One, as Prophet, Priest and King. Saul vigourously showed how this anointed one was not only Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem, the Saviour of the world, but also that He was and is the SON OF GOD. All that heard him were amazed claiming “ he, who had destroyed them who called on this Name in Jerusalem, had come here for that intent, that he might bring them bound to the high priest. “ (v21)

“ Saul kept on being endued with power to a greater degree, and he bewildered Jews, residing in Damascus, proving that this very PERSON is the CHRIST. “ (Wuest )

Already the knives were out for Saul, for the Jews conspired to slay him. He knew it would cost him his life to follow the Lamb wherever He led. ( v23)

0God created man from the dust of the earth, so He was recreating Saul, shaking in the dust, to become the mighty Paul as he cries,” Lord, what will You have me to do?” The Lord said to him, “ Arise, and go to the city and it will be told you what you must do.”’ Obey Me, was the Father’s first demand in the garden. Disobedience was Adam and Eve’s first rebellious act. God expected obedience from Saul, even as He requires it from us.

Kruschev, hard-hearted,Communist leader of the former Russia had sentenced his believing wife to Siberia . On his retirement, he spoke to God’s people convening near the Black Sea, and declaring his faith was in the Lord Jesus; and the Scriptures learned during student days in France had remained with him. All were momentarily petrified as he moved to the rostrum, until they saw his gentle face, and knew that the Lord had removed his callous heart, and given him a new nature.

The team accompanying Saul stood speechless, for they heard a voice or sound, but they saw no man. (V7 ) They were dumb, and numb with fear. It was no hallucination. A supernatural, all-powerful God worked to change the life of the renegade murderer. How many of these men were later won for Christ as they heard Saul open the Scriptures, and reveal the mysteries of Christ’s great salvation. When he told of the heavenly light that struck him down, they would shout their agreement, “ We were there. We heard the voice as no earthly person could speak. We saw the change in our leader. It was all true. He met the risen Lord. So did we. “

Saul rose from the dusty earth, and saw no man, even with opened eyes. ( v 8 ) Arrogant, rabble-rousing, hot-blooded Saul was meekly led by the hand as a little child into Damascus. How the synagogue authorities marvelled at the brokenness of this once-monster. How the believers cried to God, not knowing that Christ had produced the inner life change.

How long was Saul sightless and fasting from food and fluid? How long did Abraham and Isaac travel together, planning the sacrifice of Isaac. How long did the Children of Israel wait before crossing the flooded River Jordan. How long after the sacrificial death of our dear Saviour Jesus Christ did He emerge as the mighty Conqueror of death, grave and Satan? Yes, three days. Saul bowed to his God during these seventy two hours, blind, hungry, and thirsty. He must relive in his spirit the mighty events when the Saviour accomplished our redemption. In those momentous hours, the prophecies of the 39 books of the Old Testament were flood-lit by the Holy Spirit. Saul had surely memorised Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, Zechariah 9 , the Passover of Exodus 12 among many passages.

They were now ablaze with heavenly truth. The vicarious death of the Lamb of God was crystal-.clear; while Saul understood the Suffering Saviour of Isaiah as never before. The Old Testament lived. He knew that this despised Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Years later Paul wrote, “ I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet, not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God Who loved me, and gave Himself for me”. ( Gal 2:20 ) The truth had dawned on Saul.

The Word of God did not describe where Saul stayed during that period. The spiritual awakening was significant, for the change was internal, not external; eternal not temporal.

Who could possibly counsel a fellow like Saul? God had His man, as He always does. Ananias was the man, whose name means “ that the Lord has been gracious”. ( v10) The Lord spoke directly to him in a vision. He responded immediately to the call with “ Yes, Sir” . “ Arise and go into the street called ‘straight’ and enquire in the house of one called Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold he prays”. “ Oh, no Lord - not Saul. Anyone else except that blackguard. “

How could he accept a would-be-murderer, praying to the Father through the risen Son.

Saul was also prepared, for God had shown him in a vision that Ananias would visit him, lay his hand on him that he might receive his sight. ( v12 ). The entire work of bringing salvation was God’s, Who does all things well. Sight was essential for Saul, the brilliant scholar with Gamaliel as mentor. He longed to get into the scrolls, searching with a thousand, challenging queries, even though his personal rendesvous with the living Lord satisfied him. The insatiable hunger for the Word of God was a mark of the new-born An Indonesian high school boy read his New Testament for seven days and nights, resting only when the electric power failed early each morning. “ Could I borrow this amazing book for a few more days” forced me to write his name in the book. He became a pastor in a city of ten million.

Ananias pleaded with his God , having heard of all the evil he had done to the saints in Jerusalem, …and that he was authorised by the chief priests to bind all that call upon the Lord’s Name. ( v13,14 )

Naturally,fear gripped him, as the immense task overwhelmed him. God’s grace is always sufficient, as He promised.

Ananias must have anticipated sparks flying as he laid hands on this person. He addressed him as “ Brother Saul”, showing that he was a child of God and a brother in the faith. Saul must have quivered with excitement on hearing “ the Lord even JESUS “ Who appeared to you in the way ( your sword still dripping with blood ) has sent me.” Little wonder that Saul loved to preached on this powerful name. He was commissioned of God “ that Saul might receive his sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Please notice the early return of natural vision, so that the scholar could immerse himself in the Old Testament, Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word . God;s order was perfect. The Holy Spirit enlightened Saul and interpreted the blessed Scriptures, and filled the life which had been a cesspool of malignant, toxic hatred and contempt for God’s own. Miracle !

Saul recalled David’s cry in Psalm 51 “ Take not away Your Holy Spirit” .

( I must read the whole Psalm, he mused ) while Ezekiel’s prophecy told of God’s creation of a new heart, putting His Holy Spirit into the former heart of stone.

( chapter 36 ) Oh, how he longed to refresh his memory and drink in the glorious scriptures of his beloved Lord. His greatest need was to be filled with the Holy Spirit, Who marvellously was the Spirit of the Father and the Son, Whom Saul had furiously and incessantly resisted. He longed now to be possessed with the gracious Life of the Spirit, which he had strenuously sought to destroy. God changed all things in that dramatic hour.

“ Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he recovered his sight.” (V18) Saul was ecstatic when he received the faculty of sight, longing for the beloved scrolls. . Eventually he spent three years in Arabia, presumably poring over the entire Old Testament and seeing the glories of his newly-embraced Saviour and Lord. During my medical experience in the Second World War, I studied God’s Word early every morning for three years in my Arabia

( actually Egypt, Israel, Papua New Guinea ). Where is your Arabia? He changes not.

Saul arose and was baptized. ( v18) How Baptism would stir Saul, as he was buried with Christ, having been crucified with Him; rising to walk in newness of resurrection life. He understood the meaning deeply, living out the events of the crucifixion, burial and rising again of his now-crowned Lord.

What was the first thing that Saul did after the home Bible studies with the disciples? He went into .the synagogues ( note that there was more than one ), and “ preached that Christ is the Son of God”. ( v20 ) Christ was the Anointed One, as Prophet, Priest and King. Saul vigourously showed how this anointed one was not only Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem, the Saviour of the world, but also that He was and is the SON OF GOD. All that heard him were amazed claiming “ he, who had destroyed them who called on this Name in Jerusalem, had come here for that intent, that he might bring them bound to the high priest. “ (v21)

“ Saul kept on being endued with power to a greater degree, and he bewildered Jews, residing in Damascus, proving that this very PERSON is the CHRIST. “ (Wuest )

Already the knives were out for Saul, for the Jews conspired to slay him. He knew what it would cost to follow the Lamb wherever He led. ( v23)

Are we willing to follow the same Saviour, Messiah?