“When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you…”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭17‬-‭23a ‭NIV‬‬

The trap was set…the enemy had his men…armed with lies and false information…ready to pounce!

Paul’s associates in Jerusalem were well aware of the danger Paul was in. After all, was he not the one who had persisted in preaching to the Gentiles? Was he not the one who had abandoned the law the Jews, even some Jewish believers in Jesus, cherished? Was he not the one who was teaching both Jews and Gentiles that Jesus, a Jewish rabbi who had been crucified for blasphemy, was the Son of God and that, because of His death for sin, it was no longer necessary to keep the law to gain God’s approval? Was he not the one, by his message, had brought reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles?

Perhaps Paul could dodge the bullet by pretending to be true to the law…so his brothers and fellow elders cooked up a plan. 

“There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.”

Acts 21:23b-24 NIV

This ruse, this human plan,

 didn’t work! 

“The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭26‬-‭29‬ ‭

Acting on false information and assumptions…always dangerous and the devil’s way…Jews from the province of Asia went crazy. They shouted…they accused…they incited to riot…they grabbed Paul…

“The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭30‬ -31 NIV‬‬

“Where was the Lord in all this?” we ask, appalled at the sudden turn of events. After all, wasn’t Paul supposed to be showing these Jews his faithfulness to the law by following the advice of the elders? Wasn’t he supposed to be under God’s protection? 

How quickly we judge situations by our own assumptions without regard to the bigger picture? We cannot see, from our perspective, that God was right in the mix, moving His plan along, step by measured step, in perfect harmony with His will. 

Our vision and our interpretation are clouded by human reason and emotion instead of giving God space to be God and to finish what He started. As the story unfolds, including the drama and the suffering, the uncertainty and even the fear…we see the absolute sovereignty of the God who works all things according to His will and purpose. 

In the end, despite the many tests of faith and faithfulness Paul had to endure, all the glory went to the God who worked out His perfect plan. 

God has His agents. He  Intervened!

“While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭31‬-‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, Paul was in custody, just as the prophecies along the way had foretold. 

To be continued