Acts 23: When God Places the Right Person in the Right Place

Suddenly when the sound of one word, a single word hit their ears, rage filled the very atmosphere as they screamed "Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!" That one word that exploded the whole place into an uproar was "gentile".   We are starting in Acts 22, but we'll end up in chapter 23. 23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,  24 the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him. 25  But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?"   When they were realized that Paul was a Roman, they were frightened. 29 At once those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains. No beating this time.   The next morning the commander ordered the chief priests and Sanhedrin to assemble to find out why the Jews were accusing Paul. That interrogation quickly turned into a violent quarrel between the Sadducees and the Pharisees.   Acts 23:10 The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.   11The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome."   Take courage. The cruelty of a savage mob cannot overpower the COURAGE OF GOD in the heart of a believer. I want to say to you… TAKE COURAGE, dear child of God. You may not have seen the Lord, or a vision, (Or maybe God has given you a vision. God still gives people visions.) But if you haven't had a vision, you have promises in SCRIPTURE that God has given you. NEVER underestimate the power of the Word of God. Take that promise, that nugget from Scripture, that God has quickened in your spirit. Stand on it. Grip it. Celebrate it! Voice it!   If you don't have one that comes to mind right this second, let me share this one with you. 2 Chronicles 15:7 But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded." You may feel like it's too late, but I want to remind you… It's not over until it's over. And it's not over until God says it's over.   God was preparing Paul for what would come next. Paul's enemies gathered early the next morning. "I'm not going to eat a bite of food until Paul is dead," one man determined. The others agreed. They vowed with a curse that they wouldn't eat a bite of food until Paul was dead.   "Hey, I have an idea," another suggested. "We'll, get the council to ask the chief captain to bring Paul down for questioning. We'll be waiting for him. When he passes by, we'll jump him and kill him."   16 But when the son of Paul's sister heard about the plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.  Right time, right place to hear their diabolical plan. There are no coincidences, when you are a child of God!   17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him."   18 So the centurion took him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you."   19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, "What do you need to tell me?"   20 He answered, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him.    21 Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent."   22 So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, "Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me."   Quickly, the commander called for two centurions. With hurried instructions, he ordered 200 soldiers to prepare to go to Caesarea. They would be guarded by 70 horsemen and 200 spear men. "Put Paul on a mount and guard him carefully until he reaches Felix, the governor. You are to leave at 9:00."   I get so happy when I see how lavishly God takes care of situations. Those 40 men thought they had a big group ready to kill Paul the next morning, while the commander had 470 seasoned military men rescuing Paul before they ever woke up!   It was a brilliant plan, but before Paul was even born, God was orchestrating a piece of His divine protection plan for Paul. Paul's parents, were living in Tarsus when Paul was born. In Acts 22:28 Paul told the commander, "But I was born a citizen".  Because Paul was a Roman citizen he could not be flogged or executed without a trial, which explains the extreme security measures that were taken to get Paul to Caesarea.   Oh, what a big, BIG God we serve! God loved Paul, but I want to remind you that He loves and cares for you too! He knew all about you before you were ever born! He knows the number of hairs on your head. If you only realized how much He tenderly loves you, you wouldn't be worried about anything right now. He's bigger than your biggest problems. 2 Chronicles 15:7 BSB "But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded." Dear Father, thank you for showing us your amazing protection plan that you designed precisely for Paul. Thank you that you are our shepherd. You protect us. You guide us in paths of righteousness for YOUR NAME'S SAKE.  Help us to be aware of your tender love and constant presence. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.   Want To Be Stronger?   Join me every Saturday for faith-filled encouragement, inspiring articles, and helpful resources delivered right to your inbox. I'd love to connect with you! Or subscribe to this podcast on your favorite Podcast Provider.