Acts 9
1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
I get the feeling that Saul [Paul], who had heard Stephen's sermon and watched while he was being stoned to death, was under deep conviction from the Holy Spirit.
Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”
54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Instead of yielding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit regarding Jesus, Saul went on a mission to shut out the message and the voices of those who were witnesses of Jesus as the Messiah.
He was seething with rage wanting to kill those who followed "The Way" which is what Jesus' disciples were called.
So Jesus had to take a radical step in order to get his attention. He literally stopped Saul in his tracks and identifies with the suffering of His followers: "Why are you persecuting Me?"
That's a real insight into how Jesus personally identifies with us when we're suffering for Him.
Then He tells Saul something which has been excluded from some of the translations - sadly.
"It is hard for you to kick against the goads” - a strange saying by our Lord.
I believe that God had been knocking on the door of Saul's heart, but Saul didn't want to believe it was true. He had his preconceived belief system anchored in Judaism. He didn't want the new radical revelation to disturb and disrupt his world view.
He was pleased with his legalistic adherance to the Jewish religion - it gave him a feeling of self righteousness as he kept the many laws that were required.
It's very hard to fight against the "goads of God" in our lives.
In His love, He will "up the ante" urging us onto the right path.
When Saul was on his knees, blinded by the light - he finally yielded to the call of God on his life.
Is the Lord making you feel uncomfortable? Could it be that you are experiencing "God's goads" in your life.
It's best to give in before the pressure becomes too great to withstand.
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