Don't Argue With God

At the close of Acts 7, Stephen is killed by the Sanhedrin and we are introduced to a man named Saul, who agreed with putting Stephen to death and held on to everyone’s coats while they threw stones at them. Then he began persecuting the church in Jerusalem, imprisoning as many as he could. This causes everyone to scatter, which took Philip to Samaria, where he preached the gospel and then traveled to the desert road toward Gaza where he witnessed to the Ethiopian eunuch. Meanwhile, Saul continues his work against the church capturing some and murdering others. He is one bad dude. He goes to the High Priest and gets letters to take to the synagogues in Damascus commanding them to hand over anyone found to be members of “The Way,” which was what Christianity was called at that time before it was formalized.

On his way to Damascus, Saul is blinded and Christ Himself reveals Himself to Saul asking why he is persecuting Him. Paul asks who is speaking to him and Jesus answers that it is he. He instructs Saul to go into the city and then he will be told what to do. Saul has no idea what now awaits him in Damascus, but the men he traveled with brought him to Damascus.

Meanwhile, the Lord speaks to a man named Ananias, and that is where we pick up in verse 10.

Acts 9:10–19 NASB95

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,

When we read this story it is helpful to try and place ourselves in Ananias’ shoes. He was living in a time and place where it was dangerous to proclaim faith in Jesus and His resurrection. He could lose his life for it. Here God is telling Ananias to go to Saul and restore his eyesight. So Ananias hears the news that Saul is blind. That might sound like good news! The greatest threat to followers of Jesus can no longer see them! Then there is the call to go to him and restore that sight. There is a part of me that wonders if Ananias entertained the idea of leaving Saul blind. Wouldn’t that be nice? Problem solved. Saul is blind and he can no longer carry out his threats against the church. But God already told Saul a man named Ananias was coming. Ananias was called out on a mission: face your enemy. Go to the man who hates you the most and restore his eyesight. Ananias was not excited about his new assignment.

Ananias replies to God by saying, “But Lord I’ve heard from many people about this man. I heard about what he did to your followers in Jerusalem. I already know he comes with authority from the High Priest to come here and lock us up. Do you really want me to go to jail or worse?” This seems like a reasonable response if we put ourselves in his shoes. God is asking Ananias to walk into the same room as the most dangerous man in the world for Christians and restore his eyesight. It does not say it here, but you have to wonder if Ananias said, “Lord, are you nuts?” This is a major risk. Ananias is risking his safety, his freedom, and maybe his life. But not to do what God has commanded is a sin against God Himself.

All followers of Jesus Christ have to come to grips with the fact that they have signed their lives over to Him and follow in obedience.

What Ananias is doing here is not uncommon. We have seen people do this in the past. Moses was called to stand against Pharaoh and command him to let Israel go. When Moses spoke to God through the burning bush, Moses was not jumping at the opportunity. Moses fled Egypt because the Pharaoh was out to kill him, but God was calling him to go back. He wanted him to march into enemy territory and face his enemy. Moses made a number of excuses. He said he was not eloquent, that the people wouldn’t believe him, and then he simply asked God to send someone else. Moses did not get his way. Moses went to Egypt and became one of the most revered men in all of history. Moses argued with God and lost.

Consider also the prophet Jonah. God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capitol city of Assyria, who was one of Israel’s greatest enemies. God sought to send Jonah to Nineveh to preach the need for repentance or God’s judgment would fall on them. Jonah decided to run in the opposite direction and jump on a ship to Tarshish. You know the story. A storm came up that threatened to sink the ship and the crew threw Jonah overboard because it was determined that the storm was a result of Jonah running from the Lord. When he gets tossed in the water, a large sea creature swallows him and he spends three days there. After he repents, the fish vomits him up on shore and Jonah goes to Nineveh. He does his job and prophesies the coming judgment of God unless they repent. Then something interesting happens. Nineveh repents! And instead of Jonah being glad, he’s upset. He says to God, “See! I knew you were going to have compassion on them!” Jonah didn’t want Nineveh to be spared. They were the enemy. But God got His way. He used Jonah to accomplish His purposes even though Jonah didn’t like it. Jonah argued with God and lost.

Sometimes we don’t understand why God does things the way He does things or why He would call us to place ourselves in danger to do His work. There are people out there who are hostile to God and the truth. Yet he is calling them to Himself and chooses to use us in the process. What if the person that gives you the most dread could be saved? How would that change things? Ananias had to realize that what God was asking him to do was help the scariest person on earth who had already responded to the gospel. God told him the reason He needed Ananias to go and do this. “Ananias, I’m going to use Saul as my chosen instrument before the Gentiles and kings. But it won’t be easy. He will know what it means to suffer for My name’s sake.” Ananias gets to take part in experiencing the change in Saul from persecutor of the church to one of the greatest agents of the church ever. Would it not be a blessing to have even a small hand in leading the person who causes you the most dread come to faith in Jesus and live a radically changed life?

When we are faced with obeying God in ways that make no sense to us, we have to remember that we were enemies of God yet He still sent His Son to die for us. Romans 5:8 says,

Romans 5:8 NASB95

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Saul was the greatest enemy of the early church in Acts 9. Yet God sent Christ to die for him as well. Sometimes we feel like Jonah and we don’t want God to have mercy on the people who mistreat us. We want vengeance. But vengeance belongs to the Lord. Jonah did not want God to have mercy on his enemies. When God told Ananias to go to Saul he could not imagine why. In this instance though, God told him. Saul was to be God’s chosen instrument to carry His name to the Gentiles, kings, and the sons of Israel. And Saul would know how much he must suffer for the Lord.

From Ananias’ perspective, he may not have understood what God was up to. Sometimes we feel that way when God calls us to take action and we can’t understand why or discern what He is up to, yet we know we are supposed to be obedient. God calls us to face our enemies and He reminds us of the words He spoke to Moses in Exodus 33:19:

Exodus 33:19 (NASB95)

“...I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”

God chooses to save whoever He wills and He employs us to join in the work of redemption He is carrying out. We ought to be grateful when He chooses to be gracious and compassionate toward those who mean us harm because it means that He is calling them to Himself. When God calls me to do something that doesn’t make sense or might be a bit dangerous, I remember the words He spoke in Isaiah 55:

Isaiah 55:8 NASB95

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

God’s commands don’t always have to make sense for me to follow them. I simply have to trust Him and do it anyway. Arguing with God never works out. Moses and Jonah did and they lost. Ananias objected and he lost. Instead, trust that the same God who is the giver of every good and perfect gift has good planned for you through your obedience to Him.