Text: Acts 8:26-40
Title: Divine Guidance
This account of the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch is interesting. It is
interesting for a number of reasons, but I think particularly because this is the first instance
since Pentecost that we read of a one on one conversion. Up until this point we have
witnessed the growth of the church in leaps and bounds as the conversions have come in
masses. But now, we have a record of a one on one evangelism and the entrance of a sinner
into the kingdom of God. At the end of the day, we are left to witness the ways of God as he
works through his word and we are left to stand in awe and wonder that the good news of
Jesus Christ is for all who believe unto the ends of the earth.
God’s Ways
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be
my witnesses through Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and unto the end of the earth.” We have
been watching the unfolding of these words of Jesus of Acts 1:8 before our very eyes as we
have progressed through the first 8 chapters of Acts. We have witnessed Pentecost itself
where the Spirit was poured out and about 3000 souls were saved on that day. But the
gospel did not stop there, Luke tells us that the “Lord was adding to their number day by
day those who were being saved.” We watched as Stephen was stoned while Paul stood by
holding the clothes of those who cast the stones, thus causing the young Christian church to
be scattered through out Judea and Samaria. While in Samaria, they preached the word and
the crowds with one accord were paying attention to the word that Philip preached. We
also have the warning of Simon Mangus, that not all who profess faith are truly saved. True
conversion is a matter of the heart. This story of the Ethiopian is probably meant to be a
direct contrast to the false conversion of Simon, an example of a genuine heart.
But what becomes apparent is even though God uses men and women of faith to
accomplish his purposes, the building of the church is his work. The advance of the
kingdom is done at his commands at the direction of the Holy Spirit. It becomes crystal
clear that God will build his kingdom at the direction of his Holy Spirit guided by Christ
Jesus who is now seated upon the throne. We have already witnessed this through the
death of Stephen, which was used to scatter God’s witnesses throughout Judea and
Samaria… But notice the way that Luke has made it known that none of the events
surrounding the conversion of the Eunuch were by chance. It is the angel of the Lord in
verse 26 who tells him to go In verse 29 it is the Spirit of Lord that directs him to the
chariot. Again in verse 39 it is the Spirit who leads him away. Nothing has happened by
chance. Everything has been directed by the hand of God as Christ Jesus is building his
church through the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit.
Put yourself in Philip’s shoes for a moment and it becomes even more apparent. You
can almost hear him saying, “What?” Imagine, you are in Samaria where people are with
“one accord paying attention to him from the least to the greatest.” Who could have blamed
Philip if he had desired to stay where the action was, to remain where people were hungry
for the word where the gospel was going forth powerfully. But that was not God’s plan. He
is sending him miles away to a desert. You can almost hear the amazement in Luke’s voice
as he adds his own commentary in v26, “This is a desert or a desolate place.” But this was
God’s way and God’s church and his desire was that this Eunuch of Ethiopia hear gospel
message, and Philip was to be his messenger. I don’t know if there is a direct connection to
Philip, but many prominent church fathers came from North Africa. Theologians such as
Cyprian, Tertullian, Augustine all came to prominence from Africa, which is the location of
Ethiopia, maybe influenced by this Eunuch? Our duty is not to understand the when, where,
why and how. Our duty is simply to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit as he leads and guides
and directs. God’s Spirit works in mysterious way and God’s word tells us his ways are not
our ways. The lesson is, don’t harden your ears when the Spirit is leading, even if it may not
make sense to you. After all, I am standing here preaching to you today, and there was
nothing that made less sense to me. But this was God’s desire, and God’s direction.
God’s Word
As Philip is obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit, he comes to the desert and is
led to a chariot where this Ethiopian Eunuch is reading from the prophet Isaiah. Specifically
he is reading from Isaiah 53:7-8 that great prophesy of the suffering servant who would
deliver God’s people. Again we see the hand of God at work. Even though Jesus said the
whole of scriptures were about him, there was probably no better Old Testament scripture
to explain Jesus and his work than Isaiah 53. But the problem was prior to Jesus, this
prophesy had been largely debated and never understood by the Jewish theologians. There
were three main interpretations; that the servant was Isaiah himself, or a reference to
nation of Israel or another unidentified person. This helps us to understand the Eunuch’s
response to Philip’s question, “how can I unless someone guides me or leads me? About
whom is prophet speaking, himself or someone else?”
Here is what I believe is of extreme importance for our purposes, and that is that the
leading of the Holy Spirit is not to be disconnected from the word of God. Yes, Philip was
led by the Holy Spirit to this location, to this chariot and to this man, but it was here that
the Holy Spirit directed them to he Word of God. Philip, though filled with the Spirit and led
by the Spirit did not commend himself as having some sort of special revelation for him. No,
Philip only guided this man to understand that this Word that he read was pointing to
Jesus. The Holy Spirit did not give any type of special revelation to Philip or the Ethiopian in
order to save him, he worked through illumination of the meaning of the Scriptures as they
tell of the work of Christ Jesus to save sinners. Too many people today think of the work of
the Spirit as some type of new revelation or new age guidance, but the primary task of the
Holy Spirit is to open our eyes and our hearts to understand what the Bible teaches
concerning Jesus. Yes, Philip was obedient to the leading of the HS, and we are to listen to
that inner voice as we are led, but not to the neglect of Word of God.
The Apostle Paul, quoting Isaiah writes, “How are they to call upon him in whom
they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom never heard? How are
they to hear without someone preaching? How are they to preach unless they are sent? As
it is written, ‘How beautiful are feet of those who preach the good news!’ Faith comes thru
hearing, and hearing through the word of God.” It is in God’s word that the good news is
found as we open his word with people and show them how Jesus is the Messiah as
prophesied in the Old Testament. What greater passage to tell of Christ than to explain to
someone the prophesy of Isaiah, and how it points to the good news of Jesus coming and
sacrifice for us?
Can you imagine how his heart must have burned within in him as Philip showed
how Jesus never answered a word to Pilate or his accusers, as prophesied in verse 32? Can
you imagine what he must have thought when Philip told how Jesus was denied justice by
that generation. Imagine hearing that Pilate said I found no guilt in this man, he washed his
hands at his trial. What must he has thought when Philip related how they crucified him,
cutting him off from the land of the living but God raised him up on the 3rd day vindicating
him. Ho whis heart must have burned when he read Isa. 53:4ff “he has borne our griefs and
carried our sorrows… wounded for our transgressions, crushed our iniquities… by his
stripes we are healed. As the Spirit led Philip to him, as the HS opened his heart to
understand that this man Jesus was fulfillment scriptures, how it must have all made sense?
Jesus said in Jn. 15:26, “When the Helper comes… the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the
Father, he will bear witness about me.” Where do we find that testimony about Jesus? In
God’s word.
God of Wonders
After Philip opened his mouth and told him the good news concerning Jesus, they
came upon some water which led him to ask what prevents me from being baptized? This
is where a text may not give us the full import as it would hearing it with our own ears and
hearing the voice inflections and emphasis. I think the emphasis here is on the word “me” –
what prevents ME from being baptized? Luke has set him up from the get go as the most
unlikeliest candidate to come to faith and be converted and enter the kingdom. He is from
Ethiopia, which the Greeks considered the ends of the earth, as far away from Jerusalem as
one could get. He is obviously wealthy, it would have been highly improbably for one to
make journey to Jerusalem from Ethiopian if not a lot of resources, and the gospel of Luke
has continually portrayed those with wealth and power as those who naturally oppose
Jesus. He is returning from worship confused and not understanding and in a desert where
out of the blue Philip happens upon him, how unlikely was that?
The biggest clue that we have that this man was unlikely to enter the kingdom of
God is found in the fact that he is a Eunuch. The fact that he was a Eunuch by definition
meant that he had been castrated, probably willingly to gain status. To be castrated meant
no threat to royal harem. But, the fact that he had been castrated meant that he had been
cut off from the Temple according to Deut. 23:1. He could learn from rabbis and he could
come into outer courts but he was considered the same as a Gentile because uncircumcised.
I don’t know what else Philip taught him, but Luke says that he began his teaching
with Isaiah 53:7-8, which of course implies that it did not end there. Imagine if he had
continued on to Isa. 56:4-5, “To the Eunuchs who keep my Sabbath, who choose the things
that please me.. I will give in my house and within my walls… a name better than sons and
daughters; I will give an everlasting name, they shall not be cut off.” Imagine him explaining
that the sign of the New Covenant in the blood of Christ was no longer circumcision, but as
Paul explains in Col. 2:11ff. “the circumcision of Christ is baptism.” What prevents ME from
being baptized, from being united to Christ and dying with him and being raised with him?
Oh wonder of wonders that God saves all who come to him, who call upon the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ, even a Eunuch who had been cut off from the presence of God prior to
Christ.
But here is the greatest wonder of wonders. This account appears to be marvelous
as Philip leads this Ethiopian to faith, and it is a great picture of the conversion of a sinner.
But here is the greatest wonder of wonders, this story is not about what Philip has done, or
about what this Eunuch has done. This whole account is about God pursuing one who
belongs to him! Everything about this whole story is about the lengths that God will go to
call one of his own to faith. Yes it is a story of a man in search of God, but even more it is a
story of God in search of man, even into the midst of a desert land and desolate place. Even
a Eunuch who had been cut off from worship, now had the paths opened to God in Christ
Jesus. He was an Ethiopian, who lived in what was considered the ends of the earth, yet God
sent one of his own to go to him and open the scriptures and share the good news of Jesus
to his heart. Your story may not be as dynamic as this Eunuchs, but it is no less an act of
God pursuit of you and a testimony to his pursuit of one of his own.
After all is said and done, Philip is led from there by the Holy Spirit to Azotus. There
is possibly something supernatural implied, but not necessarily. He continues to follow the
lead of the Holy Spirit and proclaim the good news of Jesus as he went from town to town
until he comes to Caesarea. We find him in Caesarea some 20 years later where it appears
he has settled and has daughters who were prophesying (21:8). The Ethiopian Eunuch saw
Philip no more, but that was ok because he went away that day having been lost but now
found by God. He went away as all do who come know or rather be known by the Lord,
rejoicing – the same as those Christians in Samaria who paid attention to Philip as he
preached the good news concerning Jesus. (8:8) Do you know this joy? If you know Christ,
then you know this joy. If you don’t know this joy, I suggest to you that it is because you
don’t know Jesus.