Saul: The Traitor! by Ted Bradshaw

Author:Ted Bradshaw [Bradshaw, Ted]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781514473542
Publisher: Xlibris US
Published: 2016-06-08T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

A New Planting

The next morning, Ananias was at the door. “I have come to open Scripture to you.” When Judah, Shimai, Saul, and a number of Judah’s family and servants gathered, Ananias, beginning at Genesis, showed how Jeshua was the Son of God and had ministry throughout the Scriptures.

“You mean that He was not only involved in Creation,” Saul wondered, “but Jeshua was the ‘Captain of the Lord’s Host’ who confronted Joshua near Jericho?” 112

“You will note that Joshua fell down and worshiped Him. The Captain did not admonish Joshua, but accepted his worship. Contrast that with Daniel. When confronted with the angel Gabriel, 113 he felt his sinfulness in the holy presence and fell down to worship, but Gabriel immediately stood Daniel on his feet, stating that he was a messenger. We therefore recognize the pre-incarnate appearances of the Messiah throughout the Scriptures and distinguish them from the appearances of angels.”

The next day, Ananias appeared early at the door to teach. He left each day after the midday meal. Saul used the afternoon and evening to study Scripture and pray. Ananias did not come on the Sabbath and Judah sent word to the Archisynagogos that due to the indisposition of their visitor they would keep Sabbath at home.

On the first day, Ananias led them to Isaiah and the last of four “Songs of the Suffering Servant”, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” 114

Saul remembered that both Cleopas and Prochorus quoted those verses. It put him in mind of Jeshua of Nazareth on the crucifix. “When I was at the cross,” he confessed to them, “I did not tell anyone what I experienced. When the crucified One was hanging there he cried, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani!’ 115 I had the whole messianic Psalm in my head. I saw in the mockery by the Scribes and Pharisees the fulfillment of a part of that prophetic Psalm. Observing his beaten and bloody body, the wreck they nailed to the cross I heard in my head ‘I am poured out like water, all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; my strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me to the dust of death.’ 116 Then when the guards divided his clothing and gambled for Jeshua’ robe I could see the reality of, ‘They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.’ 117

“Finally, the chilling thought occurred to me, ‘Could it be that this rude man was actually the Messiah?’ But I quickly stifled the thought with, ‘He is a blasphemer, not a conquering king.

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