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Acts 9:23–25
“When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill [Saul], but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.”
Saul of Tarsus engaged in active ministry almost immediately after his conversion, proclaiming the truth of Jesus to the Jews in the city of Damascus and proving from the Scriptures that He is the Messiah (Acts 9:1–22). His work created a stir, angering many of the Jews. As we see in today’s passage, these Jews grew so angry that they plotted to kill Saul (v. 23).
Not all the Jews in Damascus rejected Saul’s message, for we read about disciples of Saul in the city who helped him escape. They did this by having Saul climb into a basket and by lowering him through an opening in the city wall. This was probably done from the house of one of Saul’s disciples, for many people in the ancient world built their homes into the walls of a city. They would have passed the basket through the window to the world outside and then let it down with a rope. It was the only way that they could get Saul out alive, for the Jews were watching all the gates of the city, hoping to catch him as he tried to escape (vv. 24–25).
This episode from Saul’s early ministry gives us some interesting history, but we will also discern from it some vital guidance for our faith and practice when we look a little deeper. First, regarding our practice, this story helps us understand that if persecution arises in a particular place, God does not necessarily require us to stay and simply accept it. Jesus says that we are allowed to flee persecution (Matt. 10:23), and at certain points in His ministry, He purposefully evaded capture when His enemies were trying to kill Him (e.g., Luke 4:22–30). Of course, we must acknowledge Jesus before others if we do suffer persecution and cannot escape it (12:8), but we are permitted to get away from it if we can.
Second, today’s passage gives us an important lesson about our faith. Notice how the rescue of Saul from those who were seeking to kill him occurred through the ordinary actions of his friends, not from a miraculous intervention from the Lord. Saul’s friends saw a friend in need, and they saved his life by hiding him and wisely providing a way out of Damascus (Acts 9:23–25). Our belief in the absolute sovereignty of God over whatsoever comes to pass does not mean that we just sit back and do nothing, waiting for the Lord to act. We know that God works through the ordinary means of our decisions and our works, so we endeavor to act with wisdom, knowing that the Lord will use us to advance His purposes.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
God’s providence incorporates our plans and actions. God’s sovereign will, of course, is always done; nevertheless, we know that He works out His will in and through our actions. Therefore, we seek to do what is right, understanding that in and through our deeds, the Lord is working out His perfect plan for creation.
For further study
- 1 Samuel 17
- Proverbs 16:9
- John 7:1
- James 4:17
The bible in a year
- 1 Samuel 24–26
- Luke 16:14–31