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Acts 8:26-40 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%208%3A26-40&version=NLT
The apostles head back to Jerusalem, and Philip continues travelling around preaching and helping people as the Holy Spirit directs him. What I love about Philip is that he is listening. He must be because, he gets remarkably clear instructions in this story. Go to the desert road that runs south from Jerusalem toward Gaza. Then, go walk beside that chariot. In both cases these are weird instructions. He has fled Jerusalem and is working well north of there. But the Spirit tells him he needs to be south of Jerusalem now.
And let’s be honest. The situation with the chariot was potentially very awkward. This Ethiopian official was obviously wealthy and influential. Just casually walking beside his chariot was going to raise questions no matter how discreet you tried to be. But the Holy Spirit gave him instructions and he said, “Ok.” If I were Philip, I imagine I would have asked why. I’m guessing I would have wanted some confirmation that it was actually God telling me what to do and I wasn’t just having some kind of episode. I’m just not sure that I know God’s voice as well as Philip did. God tells him to do something, Philip does it.
I want to be more like Philip. I want to recognize God’s voice and direction in my life better, but I also want to trust God that completely. Philip didn’t need a reason. He could have said, “Are you sure God? I’m really getting stuff done up here in Samaria. There are people already in Jerusalem. You could send one of them. It would be quicker.” He also didn’t say, “That chariot? He looks pretty important. He’s going to think I’m trying to rob him. There’s a lot of chariots on these roads. Why don’t you tell me where I’m going and I’ll find a ride?” He didn’t even say, “Ok, I’ll walk near that chariot, but what’s next? What am I supposed to do?”
Philip knew something that I very often forget. When God directs me to do something, he always gives me enough information. Even when it doesn’t feel like it, he never leaves me hanging. He already has the plan and all the pieces in place. All I need to do is the thing he is asking me to do. If there’s more, I will know when I get there. But if he didn’t tell me to pack a bag, it’s because my pjs and toothbrush are already waiting for me wherever it is that he’s sending me.
And sure enough, as Philip is walking near this chariot, he hears its occupant reading a passage from the Jewish prophet Isaiah that explains how the Messiah will suffer and die. We find out the man is a Gentile who is a convert to Judaism. He was worshipping in Jerusalem and is trying to understand some of the things he saw while he was there. He had likely seen or heard about the persecution of this new group who were claiming the Messiah had come. Someone had probably pointed him toward the passage in Isaiah and told him to look into it for himself. He’s trying, but the poor guy is really confused.
Can you imagine being Philip in this moment? Ok God, I’m walking south of Jerusalem into the desert beside an impressive looking chariot, now what? And instead of the voice of God responding, he hears scripture being read. Even better, it’s scripture that is talking about Jesus. In that moment it made sense. He asks the guy if he understands what he is reading, the conversation moves quickly and notice, on a desert road, the Ethiopian official notices a pond of some kind and wants to be baptized to symbolize his belief in this Jesus to whom Philip has just introduced him. God’s timing is wild. And if we want to enjoy watching all the pieces fall into place, we just have to move when God says move whether or not he has explained all the travel arrangements.
You gotta smile at God’s timing. Philip hasn’t fully stepped out of the pond and he’s just gone! The timing was perfect, just as God orchestrated. This Ethiopian man returns home full of joy and no doubt, excited to spread the message he had received. But Philip, who had to walk all the way from Samaria to south of Jerusalem for this little divine encounter, presumably in moments finds himself 25-30 miles away in Azotus. So what does he do there? He travels around preaching the gospel all the way to Ceasarea.
Philip is so underrated! Dude knows the voice of God, obeys without question and never quits. And that’s about all we hear of him because the curtain is about to rise on maybe the most amazing conversion story in all of scripture if not of all time. Let me just say this before we move on. I am grateful eternity is a very long time because Philip is one of many people I need to get to know when this life is over. I bet he has some great stories.
