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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

“‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”

Acts 13:40-41

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Paul had just finished sharing a message of exhortation with a group of Jews and God-fearing Jews gathered for worship in a Pisidian Antioch synagogue. This message wasn’t unsolicited for we read in the text from Acts 13 that the synagogue leaders had invited Paul to speak and he used his time wisely, showing how God had delivered His people, the Israelites, during the times of the old covenant and then provided a way for all people to gain deliverance and salvation through His Son Jesus.

How was Paul’s message received?

Well, let’s just say that the Gentiles approved but the Jews, especially those in leadership, didn’t. We’ll look at their reaction as we close out chapter 13 but before we get there, we find Paul sending a warning, tagging these words onto the end of his assurance that the Gentiles were just as entitled to salvation as the Jews:

Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

“‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”  Acts 13:40-41

Paul had a feeling that his words would stir up conflict with the Jews in Pisidian Antioch and so he drew from the words from the prophet Habakkuk to caution his listeners so they might not repeat the mistakes of the past.

What happened in Habakkuk’s time?

Well, the book bearing his name begins with the prophet having a conversation with God and voicing his frustration with the sinful behavior of the Israelite people, specifically mentioning injustice and wrongdoing, strife and conflict. So God responds with foretelling of judgment that would fall on the southern kingdom of Judah. That judgment would come at the hands of the Chaldeans which was another name for the Babylonians.

Why would this be something that people would never believe, even if a prophet told them?

Because the Babylonians were a Gentile nation who worshiped multiple gods (small “g”). There would be no way that any Israelite would believe that God would allow a pagan nation to invade and destroy them but that’s exactly what happened. The Babylonians followed the Assyrian attack on Israel’s northern kingdom with an all out assault on Judah, destroying Jerusalem and its surrounding land before hauling off the Israelites into a seventy year exile.

So how did this relate to Paul’s words of warning?

The Israelites were once again in disbelief over something that God might do. They refused to accept that the Gentiles had the same opportunity for being saved by Jesus as they did. They still viewed the Gentiles as unworthy and subordinate to them when it came to a relationship with God.

But Jesus said that God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The world meant the world and that included everyone, Jew or Gentile. It was a truth that the Jews still rebuffed but they did so at their own peril. That was Paul’s point.

In the end translation, no one should ever doubt what God can do. Ever. For He moves in His perfect ways and in His perfect time. We have no right to question Him. We only need to fully trust Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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