Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city. - Acts 8:4-8
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” - Acts 8:26-29
It may seem to some people that it was not worth it to take Philip away from the great work of an entire city and region being transformed by the gospel just to go meet one stranger in the middle of nowhere. But the truth is that God does not see things the way we see them. Jesus makes this point clear when He told the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15.
What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. - Luke 15:4-7
But the truth is that it was not just the salvation of a single soul only that was involved in this story from acts 8. The Ethiopian eunuch was a great dignitary (the C.F.O. of the entire nation), next in rank to the Queen; and the influence which the conversion of such a man would be immense and far-reaching. In fact, Christian tradition holds that he was responsible for the conversion of Queen Candace herself and many of her subjects.
Archaeologists and historians tell us that there is evidence of Christian communities in North Africa (Ethiopia, Nubia & Sudan) as early as the middle of the first century A.D. It is very likely that this Ethiopian Eunuch was the beginning of this ancient Christian community that lasted for nearly 1,000 years!
God used Philip to reach him and God used him to reach an entire region of North Africa (Ethiopia in ancient times included the modern countries of Eritrea, Sudan, and northern Somalia). The conversion of this one man on a desert road prepared the way for the wonderful work which took place among the Ethiopians at a later period, when the whole nation became Christian, and the ancient prophecies of Scripture, that Ethiopia would yet lift her hands to God, were fulfilled (Psalm 68).
The point of all of this is that you and I cannot possibly know all that God is doing, but we can trust that He is up to good and great things, and in His amazing grace, He chooses to us if we will trust and follow Him!
Jeff Frazier
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