Do You Have Snake Eyes?
Acts 9:13-19
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
Our last study covered the beginning of Ananias’s vision. His vision was the fruition of the course of events over the three days of investigating and meditating in prayer about the Lord’s will concerning Saul’s intentions with the church in Damascus. We uncovered the Lord’s care for the safety of both Ananias and Saul and that through prayer they both were granted assurance in the midst of multiple reasons to doubt. In the providences of God, signs of reminders are sent, both to assure and test the faith of Ananias, and were placed before him to work in him the confidence to carry out the will of the Lord regarding Saul. It goes against all odds, in the mind of Ananias, to walk right into the house that is harboring Saul, who was commissioned by the high priest of Jerusalem to arrest all citizens of the Way, and claim Saul as the Lord’s possession. Nevertheless that is what the Lord commanded Ananias to do. We approach our study in the midst of Ananias’s doubts about Saul in the meditations of his vision of the Lord.
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
In spite of all we learned in our last study that the Lord said to assure Ananias of safety and to remove his fears, he still questions the Lord. As a brief reminder, the Lord told Ananias that Saul was praying, which is to say that he was seeking mercy at the feet of Christ. The Lord also reminded Ananias that Saul was of Tarsus, who would have been sympathetic to the Hellenists. The Lord also brought to his attention that the house of Judas was on Straight street, reminding him how God makes the crooked houses of betrayal straight again. All of this was said in a providential context to send out Ananias with boldness and assurance of success. Nevertheless he doesn’t hear the Word of the Lord and doubtful questions begin to rise within him. All that Ananias hears is the past intentions and self-righteous reputation of Saul in Jerusalem. Ananias says to the Lord, “I have heard from many.” This is the problem of most of us when confronted by the Lord. We choose to hear the word of men over the Word of God. God has said that Saul is ready for harvest, but Ananias ignores the Lord and accuses Saul, as Satan would, before the throne of God in this vision.
God has said that there is, therefore now, no condemnation of the one who believes in Him (Rom.8:1). But Ananias looks away from Saul’s prayer and pleading for mercy to the accusations of the “saints” against him. Ananias is digging up the past of what Saul did to the saints in Jerusalem before God. But God is saying I have a mission for him in Damascus; therefore look away from yesterday and behold what he will do for Me tomorrow (vs.15, 16). Do you ever find yourself accusing the brethren before God who are praying and seeking Christ? Do you point out the past of those who have been granted forgiveness in God for a reason to disobey the Lord? Do you take on the devil’s role and prevent the little children from coming to Jesus for life (Mk.10:14)? If so, we need to pray against ourselves from being a stumbling block to those who desire to know the scandal of the Lord. Every Christian believer is a scandal of the Lord’s righteousness. Every Christian believer has a sinful past and skeletons in their closet, for we all were once dead in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1-10).
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
Now in response to Ananias’s doubts and fears about Saul, the Lord is very patient and understanding with him regarding Saul’s history. The Lord doesn’t rebuke him for accusing Saul, for it was righteous for Ananias to desire justice, pointing out that the saints belonged to the Lord (vs.13). Ananias recognizes that the ownership of the saints was the Lord’s and therefore it was only Lord’s position to seek justice for what belongs to Him (Rev.6:10). They were the Lord’s saints who were being arrested and put to death as examples of rebellion to ‘the Covenant.’ It is good to bring this out because the Lord does not disregard the prayers of His saints who cry to Him for justice.
Hebrews 10:30 (NKJV)
30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
Romans 12:19 (NKJV)
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
Saul, who was given a new name – Paul is the author of Romans and he warns us not to avenge ourselves, but to seek it from the Lord. The Lord has the right to avenge His children that He purchased with His own blood. Paul understood this because of the sufferings he endured for being a persecutor of the brethren. He understood that because of his own sin and the mercy that was shown to him that he has no right to avenge himself when persecuted for sake of the Lord. The following verse (vs.16) calls to Ananias’s attention that Saul will suffer as a chosen vessel of the Lord (vs.15). In other words, because Saul belonged to the Lord, justice will be mitigated by the hand of Lord for the sake of the gospel. He will be brought before kings and officials of Israel and of the Gentile nations as a representative of the kingdom of God and the “King of the Jews.”
Isaiah 62:1–4 (NKJV)
1 For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. 2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name. 3 You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, And a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.
Jesus was crucified for Zion’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake (Matt.1:21) in the sight of the Gentiles. Saul who will be given a new name in Jesus Christ will be the lamp that burns before the Gentiles giving glory to Zion through Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Jerusalem is the mother of the church in the name of our Lord; and Saul is the chosen messenger to the Gentiles. The Lord is reassuring Ananias that He has a specific plan in mind for Saul, and that he doesn’t need to fear any persecution from him any longer, for he has been changed by the brightness of the Light of Christ (Isa.62:1).
16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
The Lord also reassures Ananias that Saul is not off the hook for persecuting the saints of God. For behold he will ‘suffer’ and bear the reproach and scandal of the Lord. In other words it is going to cost Saul to persevere in the forgiveness of the Lord. The Greek correlative pronoun, οσα [hosos] (how many things), gives Ananias an idea of how the Lord will deal with Saul regarding proper Justice. The pronoun in its simplest form means (how and what) in correlation to the sufferings that will fall upon Saul. But it also alludes to the duration of time and the kind of sufferings he will endure. The Lord is basically saying to Ananias that it is none of his business how Saul will suffer in His hands, but at the same time giving him a little glimpse into the idea that it will not be an easy road for Saul. In other words it is not for Ananias to know how long or how much Saul will suffer for the sake of the Lord’s name; for the Lord says to Ananias, “For I will show him.” It was not for Ananias to pier into the Lord’s business concerning Saul (Jn.21:23). Paul's sufferings were between him and his relationship with the Lord.
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
After careful consideration of the Lord’s words concerning Saul, Ananias immediately obeys and goes on his way to the house of Judas. The Greek verb eiserchomai defines the manner in which Ananias entered the house of Judas. If you remember our previous study concerning Ananias’s vision, he was to ‘inquire’ at the house of Judas. The Greek verb zeteo was used to tell us how Ananias was to inquire concerning Saul. Ananias was to go into the house of Judas and take possession of Saul as payment before the Lord. The Greek verb eiserchomai confirms that Ananias obeyed the Lord. It means to ‘move in with’ and claim ownership over and demand possession as property of the Lord. The negative use of this verb is used in Lk. 22:3 where Satan enters Judas, but carries with it the same principle in our context.
It is much like an arrest warrant for a particular object. The Lord did not command Ananias to seize Saul’s assets nor his bank accounts, only Saul was to be claimed as the Lord’s. Ananias went into the house directly laying his hands upon Saul and called him, “brother.” By calling him brother he is confirming him into the fellowship of the saints of God. By laying his hands only upon Saul, he is receiving all that belongs to Saul. The Lord’s arrest warrant was for the sole ownership of Saul. Through this means the Lord is calling out Saul ‘by name’ for the honorable privilege to serve the Lord’s purposes. Ananias assures Saul that he was sent with the same authority that blinded him on his way into Damascus; and that the Lord has made it known and clear to him what Saul had also seen before the Lord over the previous three days.
18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
Upon the words and physical touch of Ananias’s hands the darkness that was placed over the eyes of Saul was removed and his spiritual understanding returned to him. Then what was physically taken from him, as a correlation to what was spiritually lacking within his heart was healed, his physical eyes were also opened. It is important for us to note that Luke is only giving these events in summary fashion and is not describing every detail of the events that took place between Saul and Ananias. This is a description of a vision between the two of them over the course of three days. We need to remember back where the Lord blinded Saul and why. Why was there something like ‘scales,’ as Luke describes it, over the eyes of Saul? Luke is poetically appealing the reader to the previous nature of Saul. Saul’s likeness (or nature) was more of a snake that has scales over its eyes to dim the brightness of the sunlight. [http://exoticpets.about.com/od/snakes/qt/snakessheyecaps.htm] It was his radically depraved nature that was acting like scales over a snake’s eyes that kept him from seeing the good and pure nature of the light that was to be known in Son of God.
When the Lord appeared to Saul in the brightness of His nature (and likeness) something like scales was placed over his eyes to cause him to look into the depth of the darkness of his own heart (and likeness). He was confronted with the mirror of the Lord and had seen himself, over the course of three days, as a snake, like the one in Eden who deceived Eve, that has been deceiving and was being deceived by the false doctrines of the Pharisees (2Tim.3:13). Before his encounter with the Lord in His glory, he was blinded by his own goodness; until the Lord caused him to look within himself rightly and see the darkness that covered his eyes. Upon examination of his own life and his meditations in prayer about what took place out on the Damascus road, and also now upon the arrival of Ananias to reassure him, the scales immediately fell from his spiritual eyes and his literal eyes were able to take on natural light again in correlation to the inward assurance of the renewed grace of life in Jesus Christ.
The original Greek language gives the reader the idea that Saul ‘arose [already] baptized;’ but a careful remembrance that Luke is only giving this in a summary fashion and that the Greek verb anistemi is in the nominative case, the English translators rightly add the words [and was] to (arose baptized), as a correlation to his inward baptism. Therefore it reads, “. . . and he arose [and was] baptized.” (Acts 21;26)
19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
The interesting thing about Saul’s baptism is that he received food to be strengthened as opposed to the Lord who was driven in the wilderness to fast and be weakened for testing by Satan. This was done so that the Lord would be tempted at all points in the likeness of men, yet without sin to sympathize with men in the weakness of their flesh (Heb.2:18; 4:15). To walk as the Lord walked doesn’t mean to be tempted in the same manner as the Lord; therefore, like Saul, we are to be strengthened by the brethren through ongoing discipleship. Saul was cared for and taken in among the other disciples to lay hold of, by faith, the assurance that was given to the saints of God. Therefore Saul’s reception of the food is also in correlation to his reception of joy in the assurance of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 15:16 (NKJV)
16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.
Isaiah 61:10 (NKJV)
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
What is also noticeable about Saul’s baptism is that upon being filled with the Holy Spirit he did not speak with tongues; for he had already possessed the gift of languages as noted in a previous study of the Lord appearing to him (1Cor.14:18). Therefore the gift of tongues is neither evidence of salvation nor assurance of being united to God by the Spirit. Tongues were for a sign to an unbelieving Israel (1Cor.14:22) and a means for the church to expand the gospel to the Gentile nations. What was it then that Saul needed to be filled by the Spirit with? The answer is the assurance of the Lord’s love and salvation for him (Eph.3:19; Rom.5:5). This equally applies to all of us. It is assurance that we are to seek from the Lord’s throne, not some kind of false assurance and fake application like the Corinthian babes were seeking. It is good to seek the gift of languages but not as a means to assure yourself before men that you are a child of God. Just because you may understand Greek and Hebrew doesn’t mean you have the assurance that only comes through the Holy Spirit’s possession of your soul. Saul would be the greatest example of this as he understood all the common languages and the Law of God, but did not have the love of God abiding in his heart on his way to demolish the disciples of the Lord.
Nothing is said any further about the men traveling with Saul or about those of the house of Judas. Luke says nothing negative or positive about the witnesses of Saul’s encounter with Lord or of Ananias coming into the house of Judas. The only other mention of the men is when they are called upon by Saul as witnesses on behalf of his defense before Agrippa and in Jerusalem (Acts 21;26). However the men are never recorded as to having been confronted by Roman or Jewish officials. Luke records nothing, neither hints of any conversions of the men who traveled with Saul, nor of them ever continuing with the saints in Damascus as Saul did. Therefore if the men continued with Saul we have no way of being dogmatic about the experiences of the other men in the house of Judas. Saul spent a serious amount of time being strengthened by the other brethren in Damascus before he returns to the synagogues of the Jews (vs.20). Therefore he would have either had to leave the other men behind or they continued with Saul into the dwellings of the Lord’s disciples. It is my opinion that they continued with Saul and the other saints because it would be hard to witness the dramatic changes that took place in Saul and not be changed by it themselves. Could you not be changed after following along and understanding such events? I hope you are changed and will continue in the discipleship alongside the brethren in the churches of God that exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and give the gospel preeminence in the age of truth and grace. May the Lord grant you the wisdom to behold the scandalous message of the gospel in face of Jesus Christ.
