Chapter Five part II: An Unlikely Prophet

Acts 5:17–21 CSB

17 Then the high priest rose up. He and all who were with him, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 So they arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail during the night, brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple, and tell the people all about this life.” 21 Hearing this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. When the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full council of the Israelites—and sent orders to the jail to have them brought.

Jealousy can be a very ugly thing. The religious leaders were motivated by their jealousy to end the Apostle’s ministry. It was this jealousy that motivated them to crucify Jesus a few months earlier, and now it fueled them to imprison the Apostles.

The Quick-Reference Guide to Biblical Counseling: Personal and Emotional Issues 2 Definitions and Key Thoughts

2 DEFINITIONS AND KEY THOUGHTS

• Jealousy and envy are siblings, the perverse children of a toxic mix of anger, anxiety-based insecurity, and an obsessive habit of comparing oneself (usually poorly) with others.

• There is also a root of fear in most jealousy—the fear of losing the love or praise of one’s object of love or affection.

• Envy wants what someone else has.

• Jealousy is being fearful that something one has attained will be taken. Jealousy also involves a triangle—three people, one of which is the jealous person becoming fixated on a (usually misperceived) rival, who is viewed as competing for the attention of the third person.

• Scripture says that love as “strong as death” will produce powerful jealousy that is “as cruel as the grave” (Song of Sol. 8:6).

• Envy may be defined as wanting what someone else has, whether it is status, possessions, lifestyle, relationships, or characteristics.

• Left unchecked, envy can develop into malice, contempt, and destruction of others (see 1 Sam. 18:9 to see envy in the life of Saul).

• Envy manifests itself in the resentment of others’ prosperity.

• Envy will be evident in one’s dislike of another. The envious person will not necessarily be aware that the dislike is prompted by envy.

• Envy is fueled by the expectation of deserving more success and recognition than another person. Envy, therefore, is closely linked to pride and greed.

• Envy is the opposite of love. Love rejoices over the good of another. Envy seeks the destruction of another for the benefit of oneself.

• Envy is ultimately a rebellion against one’s own finiteness and God’s provision. When people struggle with envy, they reject God’s provision as well as how God uniquely created them to be.

• Scripture tells us that the Lord is “a jealous God” (Exod. 34:14), but the Lord’s jealousy is righteous. God is jealous for the church (2 Cor. 11:2). Paul warns us, however, not to provoke the Lord to jealousy (1 Cor. 10:20–22).

Envy is a symptom of lack of appreciation of our own uniqueness and self-worth. Each of us has something to give that no one else has.

Saul’s jealousy against David

1 Samuel 18:1–9 CSB

1 When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan was bound to David in close friendship, and loved him as much as he loved himself. 2 Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much as himself. 4 Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt. 5 David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the fighting men, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well. 6 As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments. 7 As they danced, the women sang: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands. 8 Saul was furious and resented this song. “They credited tens of thousands to David,” he complained, “but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.

David’s envy against Uriah the Hittite

2 Samuel 11:1–5 CSB

1 In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. 3 So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hethite?” 4 David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. Now she had just been purifying herself from her uncleanness. Afterward, she returned home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to inform David, “I am pregnant.”

The Lord’s Jealousy for us

Exodus 34:13–14 CSB

13 Instead, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, and chop down their Asherah poles. 14 Because the Lord is jealous for his reputation, you are never to bow down to another god. He is a jealous God.

Rather than rejoicing that lost souls were finding hope in God, the religious leaders became bitter and aggressive towards the Apostles’ ministry and the Gospel message. They arrested the Apostles, but before they had a chance to stand trial an angel of the Lord freed the men from prison.

Are we motivated by jealousy or by love?

Being a Christian can be difficult. Choosing to do good and choosing to glorify God in the way we speak and act can feel exhausting. For some of us we may feel jealous of others that feel no guilt about the sin in their life or that they seem to have no consequences for their sin. We begin to feel like we deserve a break from following God and we begin to feel like we deserve to sin ourselves. It can be really easy to get burnt out on doing good when we do it for the wrong reasons. When we lose sight of what God has done it is easy to forget that sin, although it appears appetizing, is destructive in our lives. Jesus died on the cross to free us from our sin, and to inspire us to choose the good in every situation. He gives us His Spirit to guide us and comfort us in our pursuit of holiness. Paul says this in Galatians 6

Galatians 6:7–10 CSB

7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

Where the religious leaders were motivated by jealousy, the Apostles were motivated by the love Christ had for them and for the people they were ministering to.

This story is one of three in the book of Acts in which we see God directly intervene to deliver the Apostles out of Jail. Although the hands of the religious sought to hurt the Apostles, the hand of God delivered them and led them to continue preaching the Gospel.

Acts 5:21–24 CSB

21 Hearing this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. When the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full council of the Israelites—and sent orders to the jail to have them brought. 22 But when the servants got there, they did not find them in the jail; so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 As the captain of the temple police and the chief priests heard these things, they were baffled about them, wondering what would come of this.

From an outside perspective there was no doubt that God was at work. Twelve people don’t just disappear over night from jail. Yet the religious leaders were so hard of heart to realize the thing happening in their midst was the work of the Lord.

Have there been times when the state of your heart kept you from being a part of what God was doing?

Acts 5:25–32 CSB

25 Someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the commander went with the servants and brought them in without force, because they were afraid the people might stone them. 27 After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked, 28 “Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people. 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had murdered by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted this man to his right hand as ruler and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Are you able to wrap your mind around how absolutely life giving the message of the Gospel is?

It is something that we so easily take for granted despite the changes it has made in the world around us. The Apostles did not take this message for granted, instead they took every opportunity they had to share this message with those around them.

How would it change our lives if we lived with the same intentionality the Apostles had to share the Gospel?

What does it mean to be intentional?

How does the Christian lifestyle require intentionality?

The religious leaders were angry that the Apostles were preaching about Jesus to the people. They were angry because it made them look guilty. The thing about the Gospel is that it makes us all look guilty, because we are. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. There is nothing we can do to earn our way into heave. We needed Jesus to do what He did so we could be born again. This Gospel may feel like condemnation to some, but in truth it is a message for hope and life for all who believe in Jesus. This is why the Apostles continue in their quest to make the name of Jesus Christ known to all people.

If you were to face the same opposition as the Apostles, how would you respond?

We must obey God rather than men. It is easy to forget how big of a doofus Peter was in the Gospel accounts when we hear him say incredible things like this. The truth is the Holy Spirit was working in Peter’s life just like He works in our life, and when the moment arose, Peter spoke with boldness and precision because the Sprit of God was speaking through him.

The Apostles responded by trusting in God. It was Jesus that called them to share the Gospel and because Jesus has all the authority in heaven and on earth they must answer to Him before any other ruler. The Apostles were accountable to the Sanhedrin as a ruling, governing body, but more so, they were accountable to God in everything they did.

We can be obedient to Christ in any situation because He has died on the cross for our sins, He has been raised from the dead, and He has ascended being made our Ruler and Savior, offering us the gift of the Holy Spirit who serves as a witness to this truth.

Acts 5:33–42 CSB

33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while. 35 He said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful about what you’re about to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following. He also perished, and all his followers were scattered. 38 So in the present case, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of human origin, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him. 40 After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. 41 Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name. 42 Every day in the temple, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while”? this phrase captures the Sanhedrin in Acts 5 perfectly. Gamaliel, a well respected teacher, a man who trained the Apostle Paul prior to his conversion, responds to the ministry of the Apostles with some wisdom. He says if this ministry isn’t for real, it will fade away, if it is for real, and we stand against it, we may find ourselves standing against God. This would prove to be true. Almost 2000 years later, the message of Jesus continues to spread throughout the whole world. Today we carry on the tradition and ministry demonstrated by the Apostles and their unrelenting commitment to the growth of Christ’s kingdom. It is important to remember, when we grow tired of choosing the good, when we feel alone, when we face the opposition of the world, that we do not stand alone. The same Holy Spirit that was with the Apostles is with us today, the same message the Apostles shared we share today, and we are not alone, but have 2000 years of believers just like us that we can learn from, who set the example through the way they lived.

The passage ends with the Apostles being beaten but still continuing their ministry. In fact their beating encouraged them to continue all the more.

Why were the Apostles encouraged by their beatings?

How can we today share in the same suffering Jesus did?

James 1:2–4 CSB

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

James says we can consider any trial a blessing. We can do this when we have an heavenly perspective. God uses those things to make us more like Jesus and to draw us closer to Him. Paul says something similar in Romans.

Romans 8:28 CSB

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

This week take some time and ask God to give you opportunities to share your faith

When you feel discouraged or tempted to do something wrong, remember that you are not alone and that doing what is right is worth the struggle

When things are difficult, take a step back and remind yourself that God is working all things for good, and that you can trust Him.