You have heard the saying … “He bites like a bulldog.” The extension of that is … “When the bulldog bites, it never lets go.” Someone wants speaking of another said … “She is like a bulldog. She does not let go.” Depending on what it is this could be a good or a bad thing. The person who said this to me knew that the person would fight for the good, not giving up until she achieve what was right. That’s good. There are those though who do the same, but for evil purposes. We shall see this in the text today. Please read:
Ac 24:27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison. 25:1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3 They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. 4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong.” 6 After spending eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him.
1) Paul had been held in prison by the order of Felix. He could have released him because he knew there was no case against Paul. Yet as we saw yesterday he was after a bribe he never received.
Ac 24:27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.
2) Felix was relieved of his responsibilities … Felix was succeeded. He was a cruel man, always after a bribe. These were so well known that it led to a huge increase in crime throughout Judaea. This led to internal feuds and disturbances which he stopped with violent force. The Jewish historian, Josephus says the Felix was recalled to Rome and indicted for the brutality he spearheaded against a riot in Caesarea between Jews and Gentiles. What is so strange is that his parting gift to the Jews was to keep Paul imprisoned, yet the Jews themselves prosecuted him for the way he had treated them. When perpetrators of crime do “good” to their supporters, their supporters do not necessary commit to total allegiance. As believers, we know this to be true. We are called to do good works and all too often those who are the recipients of our good deeds tend to turn on us when we need their help and support. Never the less, we do not stop helping because in some way we are serving the Lord when doing our good deeds.
3) A new governor. Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. His appointment as governor was in 60 AD. Josephus describes him as a more ethical judge than Felix or his own successor, Albinus. His administration lasted less than two years, due to death. His rule included stopping huge disturbances to public peace as well as an imposter seeking to lead people in a rebellion against his reign (or that of Rome).
4) Festus visits Jerusalem. Due to Caesarea being the base for the Herodian Navy, which aided the Roman Empire up to the Black Sea, it became the capital of the Roman Province of Judaea in 6 AD. Three days after landing in Caesarea from Rome, he visited Jerusalem, which was the headquarters of the Jews.
Ac 25:1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
His visit could have been a goodwill one.
5) The bulldog never lets go. As soon as the chief priests and Jewish leaders found out that the new governor’s was in Jerusalem, they arranged a meeting with him.
Ac 25:2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him.
Why would they be so eager to meet the Roman Officer? They never forgot about Paul! So they … presented the charges against Paul. As we shall see, they added charges to their original ones.
(1) A favor requested. Interestingly they seek to influence the new governor’s inexperience with regard to Paul and the charges previously brought against him.
Ac 25:3 They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them.
(2) The favor requested. It was … to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem. In other words, the pretense is to relieve him of the duty of going through a court hearing in Caesarea, they would finalize matters in Jerusalem. After all, the case was all about them and Paul … their Law and Paul following “the Way”. They were suggesting the new governor ease himself into his new role … after all, this was the first week of his appointment.
(3) Their true intension … for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. You recall those forty men who vowed not to eat or drink until Paul was dead? They failed to kill him on his way to Caesarea from Jerusalem. Now two years later (I’m certain they had been eating and drinking during this period) they want to try and kill Paul while he is brought from Caesarea to Jerusalem. The bulldog won’t let go. Just as satan tried every trick in his evil book to destroy Jesus, so he is active trying to have Paul removed from the face of the earth. Yet we know, as did Paul, God had plans for him. He needed to reach Rome safely to proclaim the risen, reigning Jesus there. Bringing it home to you and me … God shall never permit anything to happen to you that will prevent you from completing His will for you from happening.
6) The new broom sweeps clean. Just because Festus was new in the region and mostly unfamiliar with how legal and procedural matters worked did not mean he would easily be conned by the religious fraternity in Jerusalem.
Ac 25:4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong.”
(1) Since he will be in Caesarea where Paul is imprisoned, he would hold a hearing there.
(2) He invites the chief priests and elders to send a delegation to accompany him back to Caesarea to lay charges against Paul.
(3) In a diplomatic way he refused their request. It seems that he smelt a rat.
The chief priests and elders were too eager to relieve him of Paul. However, we know that behind it all is our sovereign God who is working everything out for the good of His Cause. Tucked away in our reading today we see the antiques of the devil. He never lets up … yet irrespective of his cunning schemes, he is unable to outfox God. May that comfort you as you go through challenges in your daily life.
Our Father, Thank You that You use even the unsaved to protect the saved. Thank You that we may trust You to protect us from not achieving Your will for our lives. Amen.