Saul Goes Blind and Doesn’t Die
by Eric Engelmann
All content © 2023 Static Force, LLC
When are we?
After Jesus ascended, about 34 AD. Before Saul’s name is changed to Paul. This Saul is much later than the first king of Israel.
Where are we?
From Jerusalem, it's called the road to Damascus. It's somewhere north and a little east of Jerusalem. Saul will go a short distance to Damascus after encountering Jesus.
Where is Jesus Right Now?
Still ascended in heaven. Jesus received Stephen into heaven less than five years ago after Stephen was stoned. Saul was at that event looking after men's cloaks.
Why are we here now?
Saul is going to live out an example of having the Most High write on his heart. That's part of the New Covenant promised through Jesus. We'll make a little comparison between Pharaoh and Saul.
By Way of Background
Remember that the words of Jeremiah promised a new covenant where the Most High would write on the hearts and minds of people. It implies that human hearts might be like the stone tablets Moses carried at Mount Sinai.
Remember also that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a rock that grew and smashed the statue of empires.
Daniel soon told Nebuchadnezzar that the rock represents the Kingdom of God.
By Saul’s time, the kingdom of God is in the process of growing outside of Israel and Samaria to other parts of the world.
Scripture
Acts 9
Listen for the word “suffer”. Talking about Saul,
Verse 3 As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said.
“I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Verse 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. 9 He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.
Note: Not eating nor drinking for three days is probably a sign Saul is taking this encounter to heart. Also note that three days is the number of days Jesus was in the stone tomb.
The Lord talking to a man named Ananias about Saul…
Verse 15 … the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
That's the end of the Scripture passage.
Note: Jesus is saying there's a conversation with Saul that has started about Saul’s future sufferings.
Comparison Between Saul and Pharaoh.
Saul was breathing death to the new church in Damascus. Pharaoh was breathing death to a lot of the Hebrews following Moses. Pharaoh chased Israel into the Red Sea, but stayed down at the bottom. Paul got up from this encounter with Jesus and will preach about Jesus many times.
Pharaoh didn't take the miracles of the plagues to heart. He kept going back on his word to the Most High. Despite Saul’s murderous background, Saul will take both the miracle of his blindness and the miracle of his restoration to heart.
In the Future
Saul’s conversation with Jesus about sufferings will continue.
Saul will be known better as Paul.
Paul will indeed suffer and write a list of some of those sufferings in his second letter to the Corinthians.
The list includes lots of work, sleeplessness, lashes, being beaten with rods, being stoned, shipwrecks, robbers, dangers from his own people, from Gentiles, and among false brothers. And the concern for all the churches.
Being blind is not on the list.
Further in the future, the Most High will warn the Laodicean church against spiritual blindness and becoming useless:
"You say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked."
-- Rev 3:17
Further in the future, may we take to heart the examples given to us in Jesus’ Name.
All content © 2023 Static Force, LLC