Scripture: Acts Denomination: Adventist. Scripture: Acts 9 : 1 - 3. Such a simple story. Nine verses, out of thousands that are in the Bible. Yet, these are very significant verses. Because, it tells us so much about ourselves.
Saul arrives in Jerusalem, an angry and determined man. He goes directly to the Sanhedrin and speaks with the high priest. So he asks the high priest for warrants that would allow him to travel to Damascus and arrest the Christians seeking sanctuary there. Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It lies in a green plain below Mount Hermon. There is a phenomenon in the weather around Damascus. When the hot air on the plains meets the cool air on Mount Hermon thunderstorms are suddenly formed with much electrical activity resulting in lightening.
Now, Damascus is almost miles distant from Jerusalem. Today we can travel that distance in about 30 minutes by air. Three hours by car. Of course, Paul did not have these modern conveyances. Neither did he have a horse or donkey. Nor, could he take a boat since Damascus was almost fifty miles inland from the coast. Paul had to walk. A man in good health probably would take about a week at a quick pace to cover that distance. Incidentally, the way to Damascus from Jerusalem goes through Galilee.
Yet, these men were not Pharisees or members of the Sanhedrin. They could neither talk with him or walk alongside him. Paul had to walk alone ahead of these men. Now when I was a child my family and I would take a three week vacation every summer.
We would hitch our travel trailer RV in todays lexicon to the car and take off. During those years of growing up we traveled all over the west. I saw the majesty of Mount Rainier, and the Grand Tetons. I back packed to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I walked among the geysers of Yellowstone and stared at the faces on Mount Rushmore and witnessed the miles of emptiness in the Mojave Desert. My sister and I would stare out the windows for awhile and then read the books we bought along the way or nap or play games to pass away the boredom of traveling.
