Receiving An Enduring Name

Philip was open to the divine direction of the Lord.

Like the righteous patriarchs, kings, and prophets.

Like Jesus was open to the direction of the Father by the Spirit.

This was a literal direction of where to travel.

He came along a Eunuch in charge of the Ethiopian Royal Treasury.

This Eunuch was a proselyte

He was sympathetic to the beliefs of Judaism

He had gone to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple

He was denied entry to the Temple

As a foreigner AND a Eunuch

(he could not take upon the physical sign of the covenant in circumcision)

The Eunuch had purchased a scroll of The Book of Ezekiel.

The scroll would have been expensive

It was written in ancient Greek (Septuagint)

The passage he read was confusing out of context.

(Acts 8:32-33 from Isa. 53:7, 8)

He just wanted to know what God said about people like him.

The scroll used a language that was not his own

It made references that he was unfamiliar with

Like the Eunuch, we just want to understand what is being said to us.

This week watching the Olympics

I was trying to understand what was being said by the competitors

But, the English translation was not always included in Closed Captioning

So, I had to wait until someone began to speak English again.

I just wanted to know what was going on so that I could follow the action and be a part of conversations with friends and family about it.

At a meeting of nations, it is important for them to have translators who understand.

When I read Scripture or have an experience of God

I want to understand what is happening

From the text, I want to understand the words themselves and their context.

From the text and my experiences, I want to understand how God would like me to respond differently.

Sometimes, I am just so hungry for what God has to say to me that I shout aloud.

I can either despair thinking none of it is meant for me,

Or, I can accept that there is truth hidden in every word and moment.

The Eunuch was hungry for a word and moment of experience of God.

The Spirit sent Philip to the right place at the right time.

The right place

Along the roadside

The right moment

After seemingly being rejected to return home

While the Eunuch had time to read and ruminate

The Eunuch was both wandering and wondering!

Philip heard him reading the text aloud and asked if he understood it.

Using the Scripture that was read, Philip revealed that it was written about Jesus Christ.

(Isaiah 53:7-8)

The promises, begun here, continue to speak to those in despair.

Barren women, the poor and hungry, and eunuchs.

To Isaiah 56:1-8, a promise to foreigners and eunuchs.

Isaiah 56:1–8 NIV

1 This is what the Lord says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. 2 Blessed is the one who does this— the person who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps their hands from doing any evil.” 3 Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.” And let no eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.” 4 For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— 5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever. 6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” 8 The Sovereign Lord declares— he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.”

God will give him a memorial and name better than just having sons and daughters, that will endure forever.

He was accepted by God as he was.

He saw a puddle along the desert road and asked to be baptized.

Better now than to wait for a “better” place or “better” time.

God’s holy places and God’s holy times are not always our idea of “better.”

He went away rejoicing because he received what his spirit longed for, acceptance of God.

Philip was given a divine appointment to meet the Eunuch

He was led to hear and receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Then, Philip was suddenly led somewhere else.

Whether it was done supernaturally in disappearance or walking on to others.

There were others who needed to hear of the Gospel (God News) of Jesus Christ and live in joy.

They would gain an enduring name the Kingdom of God that lasts forever.

God sends others to us in divine appointment to reveal Jesus Christ to us.

We are given a new enduring name and an eternal life of joy to share.

When we remain open to hearing the direction of the Spirit, God will set an appointment.

May look like coincidence, but they are perfect in God’s timing.

We arrive where people are, connecting each moment to loving God found in Jesus Christ.

Sometimes, these will be obvious, needing interpretation with words.

Sometimes, these will be subtle, but there will always be the opportunity to love.

All are opportunities to reveal the promise of God in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

When and Where are set by the Spirit; How is always done with love.