1 “a man of Ethiopia,“
-Ethiopia a massive nation that extended from below Egypt across the African continent.
-The Greeks and Romans considered it the farthest end of the world.
-As a black man., unmistakably not one of the chosen people, the Jews
-We don’t have his name. He is all of us. But we will know his name one day.
2 “an eunuch”
-Eunuch: as a child abducted, stolen from his village his people his family.
-Held down, mutilated.
-Loss of control over your circumstances.
– Never completely feeling safe again.
-No chance of a family, children. No heritage.
-As a eunuch, he would never be allowed in the Temple.
-UNFAIR
-He was strong. He survived.
-It’s amazing our desire for life. The things we can endure. You don’t know how strong you are.
-Our desire to live at all costs, to cling to our life, is also our worst instinct with God.
3 “of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure,”
-He was intelligent and competent and trustworthy.
-Behind his back he was mocked.
-Few if any friends…Only those who wanted to use him.
-Outsider, for all he could make of himself, still a reject
-Everyone knew of his shame.
-With one glance towards his groin and a look of disdain they would put him in his place. They would inflame his shame.
-Castrating that little boy being held down again and again.
4 “and had come to Jerusalem for to worship”
-He had become a convert to a foreign religion. Further isolated and marginalized.
-The journey 1,600 miles. Almost 3 months one way.
-Deserts, dangers
-For all his character and position, secret scars—being a eunuch—prevented him from entering into the temple. Rejected by religion.
-We all have something wrong with us. Something that allows others to discount us and reject us.
5 “Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet”
-Bought a scroll. Expensive. Handwritten.
-He was literate. Several languages.
6 “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
“And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?”
-Can you imagine the humility of this accomplished and intelligent man?
–God’s word humbles us all–we cannot wrest its truths from that book on our own strength, might, intelligence. It is supernatural. We must have God or His agents open it up.
-Are you willing to admit that?
-To ask God to give you understanding?
7 “And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.”
-Do you desire someone to help unpack scripture with you?
-Schools. Years. Knees. Many here who would make the time.
8 “The place of the scripture which he read was this,”
-800 years old
9 “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.”
-He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:10-11
-I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. John 5:43
-And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. Luke 4:28-29
-The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. Psa 128:22; quoted by Jesus about himself 3x; by Peter in acts 4 and twice in his letters; and by Paul in Ephesians.
10 “And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man”
-Whoever this was, the eunuch recognized his own plight.
-He had to know more about him
11 “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”
-Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified. Acts 2:36
-And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Acts 5:42
-explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” Acts 17:3
12 “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?”
-All my life I’ve been an outsider
-Shut out, rejected, isolated, shamed.
-are you at the last going to look on my humiliation and shame and turn me away?
-will this Jesus who was also rejected… will He receive me?
13 “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
NO MATTER HOW HOPELESSLY REMOVED, HE THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN NO WAY CAST OUT.
14 “And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”
-Alongside. Brothers. Family.
15 “And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”
-3 chapters later the Ethiopian man, a eunuch, will read the following:
16 “Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.”
-Don’t you want that? Eternal LIFE?
“The Lord… is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night . . .” 2 Pet 3:9-10
“it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Heb 9:27
This speaks a word to me about not separating myself.