Loading... DESIRED FAVOR AGAINST HIM - Acts 25:3
Monday, December 31st, 2007Acts 25:3 And desired favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.
Festus came to Jerusalem and the high priest and the chief of the Jews came to him and asked Festus to do a favor for them. They requested that Festus request that Paul be brought to Jerusalem to be tried there. The Jews knew that Festus was the next level of authority and that he should hear the case of Paul.
The Jews knew that they could not kill Paul as long as he was in prison. However, if the Romans were careless when they transported him to Jerusalem, then Paul would be killed and he no longer would be a bother to them. They hoped that by making a request that the trial be held in Jerusalem rather than Caesarea, that Festus would accept so as to cut down on the amount of travel that he needed to do.
Despite the well thought out plan, God foiled the plans of those who desired to harm HIS servant. The Jews had a plan that they thought would rid them of their number one enemy, but God ensured that their plan would not work. Their plan did not work because Festus chose to go to Caesarea and stand in judgment of Paul there.
Festus was not a man that feared the Lord. Nonetheless, God used Festus to protect Paul from the plans of the wicked. God had promised Paul that he would preach in Rome, and thus, it was not time for Paul to die. The enemy could have desired to kill Paul, but Paul was protected as long as he was pursuing the perfect will of God. Paul may have been in prison, but that did not stop God from continuing to guide and direct the steps of Paul. Paul may not have realized that there was a plan to kill him, but God did, and God directed the steps of Paul.
An angel of the Lord came to Mary and Joseph to show them what they were to do about their marriage and the birth of Jesus. An angel came and told Manoah and his wife that they were going to have a son and how they were to raise Samson. An angel came to Elijah and gave him food to eat and commanded him to eat because the journey that Elijah was about to take was to great for Elijah. These stories illustrate how God can use supernatural events to direct the steps of his people. However, God does not always use supernatural events.
When God desired Jacob to return to the Promised Land, God simply allowed Jacob to hear the sons of Laban talking about how they had no inheritance because Jacob had it all. When God was ready to use Joseph in Egypt, HE reminded the chief butler of the fact that Joseph had interpreted his dream. The chief butler could have remembered at any time, but God waited for the right time to remind the butler of Joseph. Two of the disciples of Christ chose to go to Emmaus after the death of Christ. Little did they know that because of that decision, they were going to enjoy fellowship and later dinner with the One whom they chose to serve.
God may chose to lead you by a pillar of fire, but HE also may chose to lead you by HIS still small voice. It is nice when God boldly proclaims HIS will for you in a way that everyone around you knows the direction God has for you. However, the still small voice of God can be deafening if you have trained yourself to hear God. The more time you spend adding knowledge of the ways of God, the easier it will be for you to be directed by God. When you place your life in the hands of God, God will be able to direct your steps by whatever means HE chooses to use.