A PROPHECY OF BONDAGE

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In Christ, Mark

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

We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

Acts 21:7-11

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

Paul was wrapping up his third missionary journey and all indications were that it wasn’t going to end well.

We know this because Paul feared the worse in these words to the Ephesus elders:

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” Acts 20:22-23

And then there was the vision the disciples of Tyre had from the Holy Spirit. They foresaw that trouble awaited Paul in Jerusalem and so they urged him not to go (Acts 21:4). But Paul too had received guidance from the Holy Spirit and that guidance told him to go and so Paul, always obedient to the Lord, did. As we closed yesterday’s message, we found Paul set sail from Tyre after praying with the disciples there.

And that’s where we pick up today, with Paul back out to sea and hitting a few more ports before reaching Israel’s capital.

First, he landed at Ptolemais where he greeted the brothers and sisters in Christ while staying the day. He then left the next day and went down the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to Caesarea where he stayed at the “house of Philip the evangelist” who we read was “one of the Seven”.

Who were the Seven?

You have to go back to the sixth chapter of Acts when seven men were selected by the people to assist the apostles with caring for the needs of the people. The goal was to free the apostles up to do the teaching and preaching. The scriptures tell us the names of the seven men. They were Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas.

The scriptures tell us that Philip had “four unmarried daughters” who were blessed with the gift of prophecy but it was a male prophet named Agabus who took center stage. We read where the prophet had come to Caesarea from Judea and he had a special message for Paul, the final confirmation that hardship was right around the corner.

What was Agabus’ prophecy?

We see it in verse 11:

Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

As Paul spent the day as a free man in Caesarea, soon he would be placed into captivity and bondage before being handed over to the Gentiles. You may remember how the same thing happened to the man Paul preached about, the Savior Jesus. Paul knew how much Jesus had to suffer to save him and anyone else who would place their belief in Him, and he was willing to suffer likewise. Paul realized that to be Christian was to be Christ-like and that included sharing in all the things that Jesus experienced to include His persecution and suffering.

And so Paul would carry on boldly with the prophesied threat of bondage looming.

Why?

Because Paul had his own prophecy of bondage to share and the risk of doing so was always worth whatever consequences he would face.

What was Paul’s prophecy of bondage?

It’s the same one that evangelists have been sharing ever since, the prophecy of how all people are under the bondage of sin and as a result face the threat of God’s fullest measure of judgment, a judgment that would bring certain eternal damnation and torment.  

Jesus worked to help people break the bondage of sin through placing their full belief and trust in Him as Savior, even though He suffered bondage and eventual execution for His cause.

Paul carried on the work of Jesus, obedient to the Great Commission even though the threat of opposition, mistreatment, and death always seemed to linger wherever he went. Paul felt the risk was worth it all because he lived a life that was selfless, just as Jesus did.

Today, Christians still commit their energy and efforts to help people break the sin bondage they are under through coming to Jesus, the only One who can set the captives free, and they do so with the bravery and courage of Paul who had this to say about his selfless attitude, one all Christ believers should work to copy:

“I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24

In other words, helping others break away from the bondage of sin was the task Paul was committed to completing as he ran the race of life. Helping the unsaved become saved was of more value than his own life.

How could Paul feel that way?

Because he had already broken free from his bondage. His salvation was sealed through Jesus and so his future was known and secure. His freedom from sin provided him the freedom to do whatever Jesus wanted him to do. And so that’s what he did.

Friends, the same blessed assurance and confidence exists for anyone else who accepts Jesus as Savior and realizes the freedom the Father grants through His Son. I pray you are counted in that number today.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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