This Egyptian ruler was not unlike a later Candace of Ethiopia encountered by the evangelist Philip.
Philip the Evangelist – a first century evangelical ChristianThus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure. – Genesis 41:49 LSB
You know this treasurer of Egypt as Joseph
At first glance of Acts of the Apostles we hardly notice so many parallels in encounters between important men of the past. Men like Philip (who is not even an Apostle) called to meet with a eunuch reading Isaiah. Or similarly a lost son of Israel turning up in Pharaoh’s administration of all Egypt.
The Spirit of the Lord led these men to the places where they obediently follow God’s will and do the Lord’s gracious work.
Today’s Summer Scriptural rerun takes a more detailed look at Joseph’s ascent to power as a leading administrator of Pharaoh doing the LORD’s work by preparing for a great famine millennia before Christ.
A believer in Christ, follower of a false prophet, worshiper of an ancient god or iconic contemporary might easily miss the significance of these four verses from ACTS of the Apostles.
As you may recall from our previous look at ACTS 11:26, we have been in Antioch for a year now.
Antioch was 3rd largest city in the Roman Empire, a commercial center of trade with all the world
‘Christians‘ – a label by outsiders
The followers of Jesus were so different from the culture around them.. Clearly the followers of the Way’ .. people of all cultural backgrounds, weren’t Jews. Gentile observers called them, “little Christs.”
Tony Merida – Christ-centered Exposition – Exalting Jesus in Acts [p. 162]
As we observed last time these events took place around A.D. 40 just a few years after the resurrection of Jesus. But these are also tumultuous times for the Roman Empire ruling over a largely Greek-speaking world once ruled by Alexander the Great just three centuries earlier.
Conquering Roman leaders would march their captives into Rome and be worshiped as gods. These mere men likened themselves to the many idols of Rome and gods of ancient Greece and eastern lands where Jews were also led as captives centuries before.
“Only gods may choose new gods.
Claudius, as he refused the request of Alexandrian Greeks to dedicate a temple to his divinity
Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar Drusus (1 August 10 BC–13 October 54), originally known as Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus, was the fourth Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from 24 January 41 to his death in 54. – source
Claudius
On 24 January 41, Caligula was assassinated in a broad-based conspiracy involving Cassius Chaerea – a military tribune in the Praetorian Guard – and several senators..
The Senate quickly met and began debating a change of government, but this eventually devolved into an argument over which of them would be the new princeps. When they heard of the Praetorians’ claim, they demanded that Claudius be delivered to them for approval, but he refused, sensing the danger that would come with complying.
Claudius was concerned with the spread of eastern mysteries within the city and searched for more Roman replacements.. He expelled foreign astrologers, and at the same time rehabilitated the old Roman soothsayers (known as haruspices) as a replacement..
Claudius forbade proselytizing in any religion, even in those regions where he allowed natives to worship freely. [Freedom from {other} religion – sound familiar?}]
It is also reported that at one time he expelled the Jews from Rome. [SEE ACTS 18]
In the world you will have tribulation..
Claudius restored the status of the peaceful Imperial Roman provinces of Macedonia and Achaea as senatorial provinces.
Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. – Acts 11:1
“And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ – Acts 11:16
27 Now in those days, some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and indicated by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius.
The bold prophesy of future desolation
Who has ever heard of this prophet?
And what brashness to predict some future disaster coming to all the inhabited world!
A POWERFUL prince may predict what disaster he will bring upon the lands he will invade or a lord of legions may cause the devastation of his own citizens, but who can say what the Lord God will do to the whole world?
And who would believe it anyway?
(What can mere mortal men do even knowing of such disasters yet to come?)
Luke’s account of this prediction reveals the power behind Agabus’ prediction of famine is none other than the Holy Spirit of God, Who has already intervened with some frequency in Acts of the Apostles.
From their own history the Jews know that God will certainly do what he reveals through his prophets.
دانيال (Daniel) 5 :: Open New Arabic Version (NAV)
When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he said to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem.. They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand came out and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.
.. Then Daniel was brought in before the king..
“This is the interpretation of the message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.
Daniel 5:2a,4-5,13a,26 LSB
Joseph – a similar prophecy from Scripture
Even though you may not know of Agabus you likely know the preparation of Egypt due to the prophesy of Joseph. The Church, too, will take Agabus at his word through the Spirit and prepare itself from the famine yet to come.
التكوين (Genesis) 41 :: Open New Arabic Version (NAV)
Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream.. And the ugly and [lean of flesh] thin cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.
..seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. And behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; yet I have heard it said about you, that you hear a dream and that you can interpret it.”
Genesis 41:1a,4,5b-6,15
Joseph, Daniel, Agabus & the true Prophets of God
What is it that ALL these true Prophets of the Lord God have in common?
Daniel had reminded Belshazzar son of Nebuchadnezzar how the LORD had given his father power to rule.
“[lit. You king] O king, the Most High God granted the kingdom, grandeur, glory, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.
Daniel 5:18 LSB
Joseph, Son of Israel (Jacob) gives Pharaoh a similar answer:
Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will answer concerning the welfare of Pharaoh.”
Genesis 41:16 LSB
The prophesies of the true prophet of God are neither self-serving nor words of their own AND the prophesy of the LORD will always take place as the Lord has revealed to his prophet.
Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah [the god speaks and he lives; treasury of the glorious rest; savior of the age]
Genesis 41:45a; link above to Strong’s H6847
The hundreds of disciples of the risen Christ who had received the Holy Spirit all knew that the prophesy of Agabus would be fulfilled, just as prophesies of saviors of their past had come true.
THEREFORE
Like Joseph, the disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (whom some present had witnessed after the Lord’s resurrection) obediently prepared for their certain future.
And as any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the service of the brothers living in Judea.
.. and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Acts of the Apostles 11:25b NASB
These men and women joined in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit believed this prophesy of Agabus that a famine was about to come upon the whole Roman world. They must support the Apostles of Jesus and fellow followers of The Way in Jerusalem. For these men would be blamed more than most and persecuted as Christians have already suffered even more so in these days to come.
And as for their contribution for fellow saints in Judea:
And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.
These are politically troubling times not only in Jerusalem but in Rome and throughout the Roman Empire.
King Herod (as we have just learned) is all caught up in the politics and religion issues with Claudius, Emperor and lord Caesar of the whole world; which, of course, includes Jerusalem.
Does the person asking you about “Church“ really want to know what God said?
AND
I warned that not only is it unlikely any man or woman will ask you about your church, but that their least likely question to you will be about THE LORD GOD.
IF & WHEN, however, you happen to identify someone telling you about their science and religion of atheism
AND they want to prove to you WHY GOD is not,
Recognize that the enemy of Truth cannot prove anything from every false premise.
Take any observation of mankind:
James Webb Space Telescope Science The James Webb Space Telescope will be a giant leap forward in our quest to understand the Universe and our origins. JWST will examine every phase of cosmic history: from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets to the evolution of our own solar system. The science goals for the Webb can be grouped into four themes:
The End of the Dark Ages: First Light and Reionization – JWST will be a powerful time machine with infrared vision that will peer back over 13.5 billion years to see the first stars and galaxies forming out of the darkness of the early universe.
Even the atheist must confess that they do not have the answer to WHY?
i.e. WHY the Big Bang?
(It is a theorywith speculative premise, right?)
(explain please in your COMMENT to this post about ‘everythingology‘)
SO WHY does the ATHEIST persist in asking the CHRISTIAN, “Why?”
THEY would bring believers down to the despair of THEIR own depths.
Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah
Psalm 49:14-15 ESV
Science-onomy & Science-ology
At best, it’s speculative entertainment of an evolved brain of an ape, calculating how train B left the primordial station at the beginning of the line without a builder of its hypersonic engine, to arrive at their earth just in time for them to teach it as ‘proven science.’
WHY so much ‘SCIENCE’ built on FALSE PREMISE?
Is their premise a veiled dismissal of God
(Most likely.)
and does their ‘SCIENCE‘ disprove God’s Word?
(The goal of their questions)
Certainly NOT!
There is NO CONCLUSION for the a-theist,
because they understand that their END will be ashes and dust..
But then, the JUDGEMENT!
And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
Because the A-theist stands against the Lord God, THEY must continually QUESTION GOD: i.e. “Did God really say..?”
THEN (like Satan) an A-theist must reconstruct TRUTH
into a PROOF of Another-truth, built on a FALSE PREMISE.
Some claim their Alternative-truth as proven ‘science.’
Others claim their Alternative-truth as speculative ‘history.’
Still others claim their Alternative-truths as SCIENCE-ONOMY (with any number of familiar names).
What can we know with certainty?
WHEN SCIENCE side-steps LOGIC by tiptoeing around TRUTH, it becomes religion – the A-theist’s doctrine of the distrust of Almighty God, built on inconclusive false premises leading to NO conclusion.
Whatcan we know about sociology or psychology with absolute certainty?
What can we know about ecology or cosmology with absolute certainty?
Was a scientist nearby to record the age of the universe?
Could our mathematical (algebraical) calculations of the numerous variable unknowns of scientific presuppositions of geology and archeology be wrong (inconclusive)?
How did the archeologist measure rock formed before carbon?
Did some astronomer set out his telescope and tape to measure the light of Creation?
Were ‘light-years’ recorded with white light, curved light, ultraviolet light, x-ray, blacklight or with a nuclear flash?
Could Almighty God cause light to travel a varying speeds through some parts of space?
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
“Who is this who darkens the divine plan
By words without knowledge?
“Now tighten the belt on your waist like a man [for battle], And I shall ask you, and you inform Me!
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,
“Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the measuring line over it?
Origin & history From Ancient Greek νόμος (“law, custom”). Suffix -nomy a system of rules, laws, or knowledge about a body of a particular field; distribution, arrangement, management Derived words & phrases astronomy Deuteronomy
History & Evolution of the SCIENCE of Everythingology
Compare to: Ancient Aliens (source: History Channel)
Proponents of hell’s Devils [PhD’s] esteemed by the Universities of Everythinologypreach from their pulpits of MULTIPLE TRUTHS with theoretical atheistic clubs of pointed QUESTIONS seeking to validate their rejection of God. These Doctors of Blurred Science matriculated through curricular gauntlets of eminent scholars of philosophy, who grade ALL their best teaching assistants on the curve and fail any logical conspiracy purists who support a single Truth.
The indisputable EDUCATION of this great Blurred Science continues to evolve toward the perfection of self B.S. demands for our future generations. For example: the evolution of astrology evolves into astronomy — which in turn seeks to gain credibility under the cloak of astrophysics. ALL Science offers numerous examples of this progress away the ignorance of our primordial forebears who fought sabre-tooth and nail for our freedoms and survival.
ALL PhD’s of U of E speculate WHY by teaching darwinology, as professor progeny of history’s fittest primates, hoping by their unspoken premise to strike a mortal blow to the head of logical truth. Their multiple truths must include EVERY human of any theoretical variant — inclusive of all, that is, EXCEPT a man or a woman insistent on One Way, one Truth and One eternal life lived for One God.
Everything-ologists are ReligiousHUMANS
You will learn SCIENTIFIC teaching [in-doctrine-ation] by HUMANS, cloaked in coats of many truths taught from every scientific discipline; in order that you may apply their theories to humankind, mother earth’s environment and the cosmos for your inner-evolvement of self and the future evolution of SCIENCE into the oneness of HUMANITY.
Student Manual – Universities of Everythinology
These humans hold high reverence for philosophy, rather than tolerate a philosophical reverence of Truth.
By now, you no doubt see through the academic robes of these Everythingologists exposing their humorous backsides by so many QUESTIONS asking WHY about GOD and Christ's Church. Perhaps if they had studied Orwellian theory [i.e. Animal Farm, 1984], they would name their church: "MINISTRY OF TRUTH." Perhaps in a not-so-humorous world of 2022 of 'the common era,' we have evolved into U.N. agencies of Everything-isms determined to bring the Church to Megiddo in a battle for Truth.
REMEMBER: WHO IS ASKING?
(And WHAT are they subtly teaching?)
One ‘ology’ always absent in false teaching is “Christology,” the developed doctrine of Christ.
Christology
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Already by the middle of the first century, the deity of Jesus was part of the faith of the universal church. It cannot and must not be compromised today.
John Stott – CHRIST the Cornerstone, p.304
We will hear much more uncompromised Truth from John Stott, Boothe, Murray, Carson, Lloyd-Jones, Bunyan and other Christian theologians as we continue this SERIES addressing the issues of a 21st Century RECALL of the CHURCH.Grace and peace, in our Lord Christ Jesus.
RH
