It would be beneficial to read the whole of the text in order to get the whole picture.
Whenever you're doing something for God, you should expect spiritual attacks. They are designed to stop you in your tracks or make you a laughing stock so that you will lose your confidence, integrity and credibility. Here, a girl who had a spirit of divination was following Paul and Silas around the city, harassing them and screaming out that they were servants of the Most High God proclaiming His salvation. There was demonic opposition, hindrance, humiliation, distraction and disruption in her words, which is how the enemy works. Should Paul have left the demon alone, so that he could get on doing what God had sent them to do? It's difficult to know as their reasons for being there had already been exposed. Some people would have left well alone but Paul was not having it and these demonic utterances could cause them further damage. It is interesting to note that Paul and Silas were on their way to prayer when this all happened. Demonic activity usually attempts to cause mayhem at such times.
The girl was being pimped by certain men who were making a good living from her fortune-telling. It's very much like today where evil men and women find vulnerable young people and use them in drug dealing, trafficking and prostitution. They make a fortune out of these poor, unfortunate people who have been misled and had false promises made to them of a better life. When the evil business is brought to the light - which it will be sooner or later - they lose their fortunes. The masters of this girl cared nothing for her, only what she could be used for.
When the masters realised that the girl's usefulness had dried up, they seized Paul and Silas and took them to the authorities with trumped up charges of troubling the city. It's interesting how they didn't give the real reason for their accusations. There was a strong Anti-Jewish discrimination about it all. They assumed that Paul and Silas were Jews, not Roman citizens and they had come to the city to stir up trouble. It is always wrong to make assumptions, we usually get them wrong. Paul was actually a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25) and Silas may well have been too. His name was actually Silvanus which means 'of the forest,' and this was a Roman name. Paul always referred to him in this way, as did Peter (1 Peter 5:12).
They were both brutally beaten with rods. The Jewish legal tradition gave a maximum number of blows that could be delivered but the Roman's had no such limit. They must have been beaten terribly. After this beating, they were taken to prison and placed in the maximum security suite, which was the inner prison and would have been dark, damp and probably rat-infested. Their feet were placed into ill-fitting stocks which may have caused them cramps and further pain. The jailer was told to keep them securely.
They were treated like terrorists but all they had done was preach the Word of God and drive a demon out of someone. Total injustice and terrible suffering and we have the audacity at times to moan when things don't go our way.
This didn't stop Paul and Silas, they prayed and sang hymns at the top of their voices. They would have been in agony and the other prisoners watching, would have realised this too. Things always happen when we act in such a way. Suddenly, there was an earthquake. But it was different - a supernatural one that ripped off the cell doors and broke every chain.
The conclusion to all of this is that, the jailer and his family were saved after asking, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' (v30). Paul and Silas had their wounds soothed at the jailer's home but instead of escaping, they returned to the prison until the next morning. They received word from the magistrates that they were free to go. Paul, however, refused and demanded that the magistrates come and tell them personally. After all, they had been wrongfully arrested and severely beaten even though they were Roman citizens.
This caused the magistrates great fear and they came and pleaded with them to depart quietly. God will always avenge if you allow Him to. So therefore, whatever you may be undergoing at this time, find time to praise God. Don't go round like a bear with a sore head. Praise Jesus and then wait and see what the Lord will do.
Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard
dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com
HAVE YOU A COPY OF MY BOOK?
IT WILL REFRESH YOU EACH DAY WITH GOD'S WORD!
Paperback https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daily-Life-Jesus-Bible-Commentary/dp/B084DFYKHD/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Daily+Life+with+Jesus&qid=1581852824&sr=8-1
Kindle
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daily-Life-Jesus-Bible-Commentary-ebook/dp/B084G9S4FD/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Daily+Life+with+Jesus&qi
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave a message