There are a couple of things to notice here:
- firstly how Luke stresses the role of the Holy Spirit (or rather, God, since at the start it is “an angel of the Lord”)
- it may have been a desert/wilderness road but like Abraham in Gen 12 “he got up and went” our response to such promptings is often more cautious, even at times Jonah-like
- the Ethiopian official was prepared (been to temple, so God-fearer, reading Scripture – measure of his importance he had a copy)
- Isaiah again!
[amtap amazon:asin=0310245664]
Like Yancey’s friend (see Reading prophets for pleasure and profit) he recognised what he was reading was difficult.
Do you understand… ” “How can I, unless someone guides me?”
The passage he was reading came from Is 53:7-8. Philip started with this scripture, and proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. Christianity fits with, but goes beyond – fully fills – the Scripture that preceded it.
.
