Acts:20 The Wolf of Benjamin - Dadcast

Welcome to another podcast. Dad went through Acts 20 and preached a sermon. Please enjoy!

Paul in Macedonia and Greece After the uproar ceased, (this refers to the riot in Ephesus in the last chapter) Paul sentfor the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. 
When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. Sopater the Berean,
son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These are probably the leaders from the churches that Paul planted in these cities. It is possible that they are carrying the donations of the Gentile churches to the impoverished church in Jerusalem (see the prophecy of Agabus Acts 11:28). [5] These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, [6] but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. It seems that Paul and those with him who were Torah observant stayed at Philippi to celebrate Passover. As a faithful Jew you would want to observe the week long feast of Passover. The Gentile leaders moved on ahead to Troas and waited there for Paul to arrive a few days later. This is because the Gentile believers were not obligated to stay for the Passover. Remember the council at Jerusalem. Jewish believers who follow Jesus the Messiah are to remain
distinctly Jewish; while Gentile believers who follow Jesus only need to adhere to the four restrictions outlined in Acts 15:20 “to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.” Eutychus Raised from the Dead [7] On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. Note that these Gentile Christians didn't meet on the Jewish sabbath to worship, but on Sunday, the first day of the week. Again, they are not obligated to mimic Jewish customs. If you as a Gentile want to be Torah observant that's fine. However, some denominations
today require that their members keep the Jewish sabbath and other dietary laws. This demand is not biblical according to Colossians 2:16-17:
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

The Mosaic laws are a beautiful foreshadow of the reality of Christ. They are not meant to be treacherous, they point to the Messiah. Gentiles should not scoff at them and Jews should not make them a requirement for the salvation of the Gentiles. [8] There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. [9] And a young man named Eutychus, (his name means lucky) sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer.

And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. [10] But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”

Paul echoes the miracles of Elijah and Elisha. Consider the miracle of raising
the dead throughout Scripture. Elijah raised the son of the widow at Zaraphath. Elijah took him to his upper room and stretched out over the boy three times and life came back into the boy (1Kings 17).

Similarly, Elisha raised the young son of the Shunamite woman. She laid him on Elisha's bed in the upper room. Elisha stretched out over him twice before bringing him back to life (2 Kings 4).
Several years later there was a funeral going on where the body of the deceased man was thrown into Elisha‘s tomb. When the dead man’s body touched the bones of Elisha he stood up alive (2 Kings 13).
At Nain, Jesus touched the bier on which they carried the dead body of the son of a widow. He was immediately raised to life (Luke 7).
Jarius' daughter died, when Jesus came and held her hand she came back to life (Luke 8).
Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave (John 11).
Jesus raised himself from the dead (John 10:18).
Peter raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9).
And here Paul raises Eutychus. This is an interesting parallel with Elijah and Elisha: the boy fell from the upper room and when Paul took him up in his arms the boy came back to life. This puts Paul on par with the great prophets of old, and with the miracles of the apostles.
[11] And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long
while, (they were all awake now!) until daybreak, and so departed. [12] And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted. [13] But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. [14] And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. [15] And
sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. [16] For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders
[17] Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. [18] And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, [19] serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; [20] how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and
from house to house, [21] testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. [22] And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, [23] except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me
in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. [24] But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. [25] And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face
again. [26] Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, (Paul is innocent because he has been faithful to his calling. Those who hear his message and reject the Lord are responsible for their own condemnation, their blood is on their own heads) [27] for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. [28] Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you

overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. [29] I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; We need to examine this idea of wolves. Paul may have been recalling the passage in Ezekiel 22:25-27:
The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have
disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain.
This is a rebuke to the faithless leaders of Jerusalem. The prophets tear the people apart like lions, the priest make everything profane (unclean, impure), and the princes devour their own citizens like wolves. Zephaniah 3:1-4 echoes this same theme.
The first mention of a wolf is in Genesis 49 where Jacob blesses his 12 sons before he dies. But curiously, in verse 27 he likens Benjamin to a ravenous wolf: “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.” Centuries later the first king of Israel, Saul from the tribe of Benjamin, in many ways acted like a ravenous wolf. Especially in the way he hunted David. In the New Testament, Saul of Tarsus, known later as Paul, was like a ravenous wolf devouring Christians until his conversion. Guess what tribe he was from: the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5). [30] and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. [31] Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I
did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. [32] And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. [33] I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. [34] You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.
[35] In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” [36] And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. [37]
And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, [38] being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship. (ESV)
Let's revisit the wolf theme I just mentioned. I want you to notice something the Lord pointed out to me: the historical arc of the prophetic picture of the tribe of Benjamin. It starts in Genesis with the word picture of a ravenous wolf. It's not quite a blessing, more of an observation. Over the centuries the tribe of Benjamin had some pretty sordid history. They often acted like ravenous wolves, like during the civil war in the book of Judges. But here in Acts, as the cannon of scripture will draw to a close in a few decades God has done a major redemption story. Paul, who was born a “wolf of Benjamin,” encounters Jesus. He then goes on to write much of the New Testament and spread the Gospel over most of the Roman empire. Do you see it? Benjamin's lineage
is prophesied to become like wolves. And they do. King Saul becomes one. Paul is on that same path; but he meets Jesus. Then Paul becomes a sheep, and a protector of the flock of God.
Now I often contemplate this idea of God redeeming family lineages. Have your
ancestors walked with God? Or did they forsake Him? Where do you fit in the
redemption story of your family lineage? Are you at the beginning, the middle, the end? Are you cooperating with Him? Will those you leave behind follow Jesus? How can you avoid becoming a ravenous wolf like King Saul? How can you become humble like apostle Paul?