Burning Bush Blogs
Equipping Believers with Biblical Knowledge and Leadership Skills
Category: Personal Study
Thread: Enigmatic Bible Characters Who Changed the World
Post Topic: Deadly Plot Against the World’s Greatest Apostle Exposed
Post in Thread: #1
Next: How the Egyptian Princess Saved the Hebrew Baby
Scripture: Acts 23:12-35
Imagine
“Uncle Saul!” Harel couldn’t believe who stood in his doorway. He glanced nervously past his uncle’s shoulder.
“I prefer Paul now. Don’t worry, I wasn’t followed. Sorry to disturb you at such a late hour.”
“What are you doing here? When did you arrive in Jerusalem?”
“I wanted to see you,” Paul said with a smile. “I hear you’ve been studying under Gamaliel, as I did. I’m told you are the second sharpest student he’s ever had.”
“Where’d you hear that? Nicodemus? His influence has waned significantly.”
“How is your mother? Does she speak of me?”
Harel hesitated. He didn’t like this unexpected visit one bit. “She used to be quite proud of her brother Saul. Now, we’re not permitted to utter your name. Why did you have to join that cult?”
A sorrowful look crossed Paul’s face. “I told you the story. Do you think I would lie to you?”
“No,” Harel said. “I’m sure you really believe you saw this man. A man we all know was hung on a cross. Seems too fantastic to me. These people with The Way have their tricks. You shouldn’t trust them.”
“I assure you, disciples of The Way did not deceive me. How would they have struck me with temporary blindness?”
“Why are you here, Uncle Saul?”
“May I come in? I’d like to talk to you about the prophets. They speak clearly about Jesus.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Harel shut the door in Paul’s face.
~~~
Ananias ushered Harel and Gamaliel into his chambers. Harel nodded at the other leaders and aides to the high priest, noting their serious expressions.
Ananias wasted no time on pleasantries. “Harel, are you aware that the heretic Paul was arrested yesterday?”
Harel’s chest tightened. “How would I know such a thing?”
“You didn’t hear about the disturbance in the temple? He caused quite a ruckus. He is your uncle, no?“
Harel scanned their hard faces. How to convince them of his loyalty?
“I had an uncle once. His name was Saul. I have no Uncle Paul.”
“When’s the last time you saw him?”
“Two nights ago.”
“Two nights ago!” one of the aides burst out.
“He stopped by my home. Wanted to talk about the prophets.”
“What did he say about them?”
“I did not allow him to enter. I have all the teaching I need from Gamaliel. Why would I need a heretic’s ramblings to cloud my judgment?”
“Why did you not report this visit?”
“I just did.”
The men exchanged glances. Quite an insult, to not invite a traveler into one’s home. His answers seemed to placate them.
“Gentlemen,” Gamaliel said. “I believe young Harel has proven his trustworthiness. He will not be a deterrent to our plans.”
“Thank you, Harel,” Ananias said. “That is all.”
~~~
The muscular centurion towered over Harel. “Why do want to see the prisoner?”
“He’s my uncle.”
The Roman nodded and led Harel down a long corridor to an underground room in the barracks.
Paul rose to greet them, clearly surprised. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I have something to tell you,” Harel said. “No matter what I think of you, what they’re planning is wrong.”
“Who?”
“Forty men have taken a vow not to eat until you’re dead.”
Paul stared at him, for once, quieted.
“Gamaliel told me,” Harel said. “He still has a fondness for you, even if you did betray him. He left it up to me to decide what to do with the information.”
“I didn’t betray him. Sometimes I even think he believes as I do, but keeps his secrets.”
“Gamaliel? Never.”
“These forty men,” Paul said. “How do they intend to kill me?”
“Ananias is going to request the Romans to permit another hearing in front of the Sanhedrin. They plan to ambush you on the way.”
Paul grasped Harel’s wrist. “You did the right thing. Thank you.”
Harel nodded, relaxing his shoulders. He missed the days of discussing the law with his uncle.
“Tyrus!” Paul called, and the centurion appeared. “My nephew has urgent news. Please take him to the tribune immediately.”
“Will I ever see you again, Uncle Paul?”
“I fear not, Harel. My next journey will be a long one, and I believe, my last. Please consider the words I’ve shared with you. Promise me that much.”
His uncle seemed to be pleading with him. The man had never been anything but kind and supportive. Harel relented with a nod. “I will consider your words. But no promises beyond that.”
Harel would always remember Paul’s grateful smile. He turned and followed the centurion out of the dungeon, chewing on Paul’s words. How could so many be wrong, and so few be right?
Something burned inside Harel. It scared him. But he resolved to re-read the prophets for himself.
Key Verses:
Acts 23:12-16
12 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”
16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
Enigmatic, Obscure Bible Characters
An enigma is a person that is mysterious or puzzling to understand. The Bible contains many such characters. The writer will drop a name or describe a nameless person, and tell a story about them. As a writer, it always makes me wonder – what makes them tick? Why was that particular name dropped? What’s their backstory?
In this series, I put you in their situations, and describe what we know and what we speculate about these obscure characters from history.
Observations
Context
In the previous chapter of Acts, Paul arrived back in the Holy Land and began preaching in Jerusalem about Jesus. This stirred up the Jews in a mighty way, especially when he told them he’d been told by the Lord to go to the Gentiles. The Jews attacked him, beating him and creating such a ruckus that the commander of the Roman forces in Jerusalem had to intervene. Unable to understand why everyone was so angry, he figured Paul had done something terrible, and went to flog him. When Paul claimed his Roman citizenship, the commander feared he’d gone too far. He tried to resolve the situation by negotiating between the Sanhedrin and Paul, but that attempt failed miserably. He continued to hold Paul, trying to determine the next steps.
Paul wasn’t exactly a prisoner, but he was confined to the barracks for his own protection.
The Plot – Setting up an Ambush
- At least 40 angry Jews took an oath not to eat until they had killed Paul. They involved the Sanhedrin in their plan.
- They asked the Sanhedrin to make a request of the Romans for a request a repeat audience with Paul.
- But it was all a setup. The plan was for Paul to never arrive.
- The Romans would escort Paul from their barracks where he was held to the Sanhedrin. Not expecting trouble, it would be a small force.
- The 40 men in the plot would stake out the route.
- They’d launch a surprise attack and kill him along the way. A classic ambush.
Paul’s Nephew Exposes the Plot
- Somehow, Paul’s nephew learned of the plot. The Bible doesn’t tell us anything else about the nephew – what he did, how he found out, or even his name!
- The nephew took the information to Paul in the barracks. So he at least had to know where Paul was. Was the nephew a follower of The Way, as the early Christians were called? Or was he just a skeptic who cared about his uncle? Tell us what you think in the comments.
- The nephew told Paul about the plot, and then, at Paul’s urging, also shared it with the Roman commander.
- The commander sent the nephew away, warning him not to tell anyone about their secret meeting.
To my nephews: You got my back like this? 😎
The Commander’s Response
- The commander (we now learn his name was Lysias) calls two centurions to gather a detachment to protect Paul. The detachment includes:
- 2 centurions – 2!
- 200 soldiers
- 75 horsemen
- 200 spearmen
- Horses for Paul
- Lysias commands that Paul be taken to Governor Felix during the night.
- Lysias writes a letter to Felix, explaining the plot and the charges. He commands Paul’s accusers to bring their case to the governor in Caesarea.
- The Bible doesn’t tell us what happened to the 40+ men. Guess they went hungry.
Interpretation
Setting
Most of this story takes place in the Roman military barracks in Jerusalem. The commander ended up spiriting Paul away to the coastal city of Caesarea, where he was held by the governor Felix for upwards of two years to placate the Jews.
Genre
Narrative description.
Takeaways
- We don’t know what Paul’s nephew risked to save his uncle. His good name? His position? His life?
- The Bible doesn’t even name the nephew. But imagine if the ambush had been successful? This young man’s heroic act had a big impact on the world.
- The idea that Paul put forth – that he had been called by God to go to the Gentiles – incensed the Jewish leaders. They were so closed-minded and puffy-chested that they refused to be open to the truth.
Correlation
Jeremiah 29:10 – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
This verse was part of letter that the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the exiles being carried away to Babylon. It had to be a terrifying experience. But Jeremiah was telling the not to be afraid, that the Lord had plans for them, and that in 70 years they would return to their homeland.
When studying Jeremiah’s life, we find he was often alone in standing up for righteousness. He was cast in a pit for speaking the words of the Lord to the Judean king Zedekiah, shortly before Nebuchadnezzar’s third and final invasion. But he kept showing courage, trusting that God had a plan for his future, and for his nation’s future. Like Paul’s nephew, he showed courage in the face of opposition. Like Paul, he trusted God’s plan to be fulfilled in whatever way God chose.
Application
Generic Applications
A young man’s courage
Paul’s nephew is not named in Acts, but appears to have served in the religious establishment in Jerusalem when Paul was arrested before his journey to Rome. He rescued his uncle from a murderous plot. Without this brave nephew, the greatest missionary of all time would have been assassinated.
If God calls me to take a stand, will I say “I’m no hero?” Or will I be ready to glorify God in that moment?
Lean not on your own understanding
The 40 men who took a vow to kill Paul decided they knew best. They didn’t seek God’s council. They wanted to protect their own way of life, and were willing to resort to violence to do so.
And the Sanhedrin, who were supposed to be shepherding their people in the light, were complicit in this plot. These 40 were probably zealots, who weren’t always aligned with the more traditional sects because of their violent ways, but the Sanhedrin members joined in this plot, trying to keep it secret. But God refused to allow the plot to remain hidden in the dark. He used this nondescript hero to expose it to the Romans.
And the Roman response? A massive show of force. All for one man. A Jew named Paul.
Am I trying to keep something hidden? Something that I have decided is the right course? Or am I seeking God’s council before acting?
Personalize it
Paul was essentially a prisoner, in the Roman barracks, for his own protection. All he had done was follow God’s instructions, and it got him into this mess where it seemed like everyone wanted him dead.
Have you ever been in situation like that, where it seems like you’re the only one doing what’s right, and your only reward is trouble and hatred? Sometimes the Lord will send deliverance from the most unexpected of sources. In Paul’s case, it was his nephew and the Roman centurions and the Roman tribune. Imagine how his spirit was lifted seeing Gentiles come to his rescue with such a massive show of force! All those soldiers for him?
God’s plan isn’t always what we think it is or should be. But rest assured that God has a plan for us in every situation. The darkness of our enemies will not overcome the will of our Lord.
Bible study methodology adapted from Searching the Scriptures with permission from Tyndale House:
Swindoll, Charles, Searching the Scriptures. Tyndale House Publishers, 2016.