WEEKLY
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An
international Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday August 13, 2017
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PHILIP
AND THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH
(Called
to break down barriers)
(Acts
8:26-40)
In
Isaiah 56, verses 3-5, GOD promises, through the prophet Isaiah, to pour out
HIS blessings on the eunuchs of the world, who dedicate themselves to serving
HIM and keeping HIS commandments. There the LORD says that HE will reward them
with a special place in HIS house, and that it would be a memorial far greater
than the honor they would have received by having sons and daughters, and, it
would last forever.
In Acts chapter 8, verses 26-40, we begin
to see the first signs of GOD’s fulfillment of that promise. This chapter of
the book of Acts depicts a very significant phase in the history of the
development of the early Church, as it begins to show signs of an initial
shedding of its “strictly Jewish membership status”. Jewish men and women in
the newly formed Christian Church were now being called to break down racial,
economic, and social barriers that have the potential to block a significant
portion of mankind from GOD.
Here in this passage, we see the Church
being compelled by GOD to scatter and flee Jerusalem, as a result of the
Christian persecutions sanctioned by the Emperor Nero that, followed the tragic
death of Stephen. The “Adherents of the Way” of CHRIST were now unwittingly
taking one of the most important steps in the history of the early Church, and,
at one and the same time, were discovering that the ideology of Christianity
was meant by GOD to permeate the whole world. And when they were forced to
leave Jerusalem, they also were forced to spread the Good News of CHRIST JESUS as
they traveled from place to place in the Samaritan and Gentile worlds.
After preaching and teaching in Samaria, an
angel of the LORD came to Philip and instructed him to go south down the desert
road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza. As he traveled on his way he met a
eunuch who was also the treasurer of Ethiopia. He was a man of great authority
under the queen (Candace) of Ethiopia and he was returning from worshiping the
LORD in Jerusalem.
Candace is the name given to the queens
that ruled Ethiopia’s governmental affairs, as the king, or “Royal Son” was
thought to be above those kinds of duties. Eunuchs were used in trusted
positions in royal courts, especially those positions that involved working
around the king’s wives and harems.
This particular eunuch was apparently a
student of the Word of the GOD of Israel (the Holy Scriptures), and had
converted over to Judaism. He was what was known as a “GOD-fearer” in those
days, a person who was non-Jewish, who had converted to Judaism, but did not
accept the ritual of circumcision, since he was, after all, a “eunuch”. A
eunuch, as we know, is a person who has been castrated, or sexually mutilated,
either voluntarily or involuntarily.
However, whatever his circumstances were,
he appeared to be a man who was seeking to know GOD better, and GOD promises
that, whoever is willing to seek HIM through HIS Word, will indeed, find HIM.
And so we see this royal eunuch riding in his carriage reading aloud, perhaps
from the Septuagint (the first Greek translation of the Old Testament), and contemplating
the writings of the prophet, Isaiah, when suddenly the HOLY SPIRIT instructed
Philip to go over to him and walk along beside his carriage.
Philip can now hear what the man was
reading and asks him if he understood. The man replied, “How can I, when there
is no one to instruct me?” he then invited Philip up into his carriage to sit
with him and explain the Scriptures to him. The passage he was reading was that
of Isaiah 53:7-8 which states;
“HE was led as a sheep to slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the
shearers, HE did not open HIS mouth. HE was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of HIS descendants? For HIS life was taken from the earth.” (NLT)
The eunuch asked Philip if Isaiah was
talking about himself or someone else, and Philip began with this same
Scripture and then used many others to tell man the Good News about JESUS and
the gift of Salvation to all mankind who believed. As they rode along, Philip
was able to lead the man to CHRIST, and when they came to some water, the man
requested that Philip Baptist him, and he did.
It is a life-changing thing, getting to
know, and becoming accustomed to practicing the Word of GOD. GOD’s Word has
already come, and in fact, has been with us since the beginning. The Word of
GOD simply cannot be, nor will not be disregarded. The Word of GOD is
synonymous with life, and therefore, the Word of GOD is effective, and
penetrating. It absolutely scrutinizes
all of our thoughts, desires, and intentions.
All things lay naked before GOD, because HE
absolutely sees all, hears all, and knows all that we do. And every one of us
will have to make an account for the deeds done in our own bodies, in our own
lifetimes. And so, whether, or not, we believe that HE exist, therefore,
becomes totally irrelevant.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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