Good Friday May Fifteenth as we come before the Lord by opening His word.
The great oath-
The apostle Paul has made his way before the Jewish community and has proclaimed the gospel. Paul went to the temple with four men being asked by James for the purpose to allow those who struggled religiously to hear the works of the Holy Spirit in the gentiles and know Paul’s commitment to obey the commands of the law. The Christian’s in Jerusalem were struggling to define their faith because they had many years in the law. Like many today who have roots in religion, although they may not be attending services or following the rules set by the religion, when push comes to shove many revert back to how they had once witnessed religion before and seem to be drawn back to the works required to feel they are obeying. As Paul is resting safely after the trial, the Lord comes to Paul at night in a vision, understand the grave is empty Jesus is alive and like He has always been, He is the Son of God, the Angel of the Lord, who has always come to bring answers and prophecies to His people like to Jacob, Genesis 31:11”Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.” Now Paul has had a personal relationship with Jesus of Nazareth, hearing Him on the road to Damascus, speaking to Him as he walked on the road before going to Jerusalem and now in the room at night with words to keep Paul focused. Let’s read together from Acts 23:12-15 “And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near.” Some forty plus Jewish men meet with the Sanhedrin “saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.” These Jewish men had heard the gospel preached how do I know that, Jesus said to Paul “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem”. They just could not believe that God loved simple people as gentiles. So they strike a deal with these very religious supposedly men of God, you get the commander to bring Paul to you for questioning, and we will make sure to kill him as he is being brought here. They said we will not eat till this is done. These men made an oath, which meant that they were calling to be, cursed themselves if they did not complete what they vowed. The Sanhedrin agrees as before when Judas came with the plan to betray Jesus, Luke 22:4-5 “So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.” Just as they wanted Jesus dead but did not want the blood on their hands they also want His messenger Paul dead but not the blood. It’s important to know our actions to the gospel separate the blood that saves from blood that kills. Has His blood saved you? Remnant
