God acts.....a man is saved

I was reading in Acts this morning, about how Paul and Silas were imprisoned.

Acts 16:16-34. 16As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17She followed Paul and us, crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation." 18And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour.

19But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice." 22The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. 27When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." 29And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

Paul and Silas. Two Roman Citizens. They had privileges that most people didn't have in their society. They were part of the conquering people. You needed to have a good reason to treat them like criminals.

They sent a demon out of a slave girl because she was annoying them. Paul did this through the power of Christ.

Her owners were rather annoyed by this. Imagine it....this slave girl probably brought them in a good penny or two because of her possession, and now their penny or two was gone because Paul, through the power of Christ, sent that demon packing.

As a result, they were accused of being jews, the crowd got all excited so the magistrates, instead of asking good questions of Paul and Silas, caused them to be beaten and thrown in jail. My assumption is that they were somewhat frightened of the crowd about them and just wanted the problem to go away. So, beat them, imprison them, and then in the morning when things are quieter, send them away.

BUT GOD had other plans.

First he had the slave girl annoy Paul.
Then Paul, through Christ, sent the demon out of the girl.
The owners complained, got the crowd excited and the magistrates beat and imprisoned Paul and Silas (roman citizens).

Paul and Silas spent the night in jail. They were singing hymns of praise to God and praying. The other prisoners were listening. Can you imagine the witness they had? People just didn't do that! Being beaten and imprisoned doesn't tend to leave one wanting to do anything except cope with one's own pain and misery. And here they were, praying to and praising God!

Read on to see what happened next!

26and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.

You need to understand something. If prisoners escaped while under the watch of the jailer, the jailer would be punished. It was failure of duty. Doing so was punishable by death!

"He knew the Roman law in that case, and it was executed not long ago upon the
keepers out of whose hands Peter escaped, ch. xii. 19. It was according to that of the prophet, 1 Kings xx. 39, 42, Keep this man; if he be missing, thy life shall go for his life. The Roman lawyers after this, in their readings upon the law, De custodia reorum--The custody of criminals (which appoints that the keeper should undergo the same punishment that should have been inflicted on the prisoner if he let him escape), take care to except an escape by miracle."
see: http://www.ccel.org/h/henry/mhc2/MHC44016.HTM

So the jailer seeing the doors down assumed that the prisoners escaped and thought to kill himself (an easier death than what he could have expected otherwise). Paul and Silas would have heard the sword being drawn and called out to him not to kill himself because everyone was still there.

The Jailer needed to see this for a fact so he called for lights, saw it was true and immediately wanted to know what he needed to do to be saved.

29And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Paul gave him the answer"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

They spoke further with him and his household. They believed. They were baptized. And the Jailer rejoiced that "he had believed in God".

Isn't it marvellous how God orchestrated that whole thing?

I just find it amazing how God acts. Makes me realize all the more that God does know what he is doing in all circumstances.

I would hope and pray that if God would put me into an untenable situation that I too would be able to pray and praise God. That the circumstances wouldn't beat me down. That I could be a true and faithful witness.