“These men are the servants of the Most High God

.... who proclaim to us the way of salvation: (Acts 16:7). Paul, Silas and Luke had just that moment planted a church in Philippi (verses 13-15). We read  “a slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us (hence Luke), who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.” She was the one speaking the words in the title,  and she did this for many days (16, 18).  Paul greatly annoyed cast out the spirit.  This  greatly annoyed her masters,  now being deprived of their profit seized Paul and Silas, brought them to the authorities. The multitude rose up tore off their cloths,  beat them with  rods and  “many stripes,”  and thew them into prison. The jailor put them in the inner prison with their feet in stocks (18-24).

Too much to say, many things to ponder. Was the girl crying out because she hoped for deliverance, or was the spirit  crying out of torment (Mark 5:7)?  Why was Paul annoyed?  Was he annoyed with the spirit,  or with the girl?  Was the annoyance based on compassion for the girl, or was he afraid there would be some association of the gospel with demons (see Matthew 12:24)?

When Paul and Silas prayed and were singing  hymns at midnight there was a great earthquake and all their chains fell off (25, 26). So here is another question, would the earthquake have happened if Paul and Silas were sitting sucky in the cell? “Lord we followed Your ways, and look what it got us?”  May the Lord give us the grace to be like them and respond to undeserved pain with joy (James 1:2). The jailor,  supposing they had all escaped and knowing he would be held responsible,  was about to kill himself,  when Paul assured him they are all there. Shortly afterwards the Philippian jailor cried out “What must I do to be saved?” Paul told him “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (27-31).

The phrase that jumped out at me from this last bit was “you and your household.”  If ever there was a confirmation of the importance the Lord puts on families (households) it is this.  Over and over, for a number of reasons,  even in the last few days,  the promise has come to mind “raise up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Many of us have grown children that are not following the Lord, and I am grateful that it says “when they are old,” not saying anything about in between. As one having the oversight I also declare over and over my family  “as for me and my house,  we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).  I remember a dear old saint (lady) saying of grown children “leave them alone, and they will come home!”

Father, thank You for both the depth and  the simplicity of the gospel “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Thank You too that You are so very, very interested in the reconciliation of families, and that You promised in these last days to turn the hearts of the fathers (and mothers) to the children and the hearts of the children to the mothers and fathers (Malachi 4:6 ).And we praise You again for these things  in Jesus Name Amen