HE KNEW HIS NEW KING.

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*HE KNEW HIS NEW KING.*

*Scripture Commentaries.*

Acts 9:3-7

v3 *And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:*

v4 *And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?*

v5 *And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.*

v6 *And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.*

v7 *And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.*

*Insight and Highlight*

People know of Jesus rather than knowing Jesus Himself.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

Saul of Tarsus, on his way to Damascus had a life-changing encounter.

After this encounter, Saul of Tarsus knew his new King: Jesus.

Not every knowledge honours God. There are people who are learned but are most hostile to believe God's existence.

Greek philosophy was the order of world's education and its philosophers were pioneers of intellectuals, wisdom and creativity.

God's word is not founded on philosophical understanding, Col 2:8.

Knowledge creates awareness. Understanding is the ability to discern, gain insight, and comprehend how to apply knowledge.

Prov 4:7 says *Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.*

There are doctors, scientists etc who know the dangers of terminal diseases yet involve in the same activities that would endanger their health.

Understanding is a foundation of knowledge that leads to a successful life. 

Saul had knowledge of God but lacked understanding of who He is.

Knowledge can not be as powerful as understanding. Understanding grows into wisdom and this allows for the right application of knowledge through wisdom obtained through understanding.

Saul of Tarsus knew of God (Jesus) but did not know God (Jesus) Himself.

People will tell you they know Jesus yet they have not surrendered their lives in His hands.

Knowledge of Christ is not knowledge of Him if there is no exchange of life; (an exchanged life: our life of sin exchanged for the eternal life of Jesus. Old life for new life in Christ).

There must be acknowledgement, confession and repentance. This is true knowledge of Christ.

The knowledge of those who claim to know Jesus but do not know Jesus Himself as saviour have knowledge that is

is not fulfilled.

Like Saul, they fight for God. You can not defend or fight for Jesus. He fights for you.

They hate the gospel and hope to fight those who believe in the gospel against the God of the gospel.

Acts 9:1-2 says *And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,*

*And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.*

Paul explains that his past violence against Christians was done without true knowledge of Christ, allowing him to receive God’s grace.

In Acts 17:23 Paul addresses the people of Athens seeing an altar dedicated *"...to an unknown God....."* and Paul uses this as a starting point to proclaim the true God, stating, He said to them *What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.*

Saul overlooked Jesus and though he might have read about him, as far as he was concerned, there was nothing to reveal His power since he freely persecuted without hinderance.

Jesus had not revealed Himself to him.

Oftentimes hearing of Jesus does not change some adamant and hostile enemies of His than the utmost divine or direct encounter of God with the persecutor of His faith.

Divine and direct encounter may and in most cases work faster in conversion than hearing of Jesus by the hearing of the ear, Job 42:5 says *"I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee."*

Only those who have surrendered to Him can hear understand and believe what they hear, Rom 10:17.

The Christ, Saul had persecuted all this while is the Christ of all times, Heb 13:8, Eccl 3:1, Dan 2:21.

The Jesus you thought was unknown or worthy of no honour is the same as of old and is new everyday.

Those who did not know of Jesus and

those who do not know Him but think they knew or know Him must be made to know that the Jesus they think or thought they knew is new everyday.

*Remorse corner.*

People offend God's divinity and He is often overlooked because God has not revealed Himself to them.

*Call to Word action.*

Jesus' encounter with Saul made him to understand the divinity of the Christ he had knowledge of. By this encounter he understood whom Jesus was.

He acknowledged Him as Lord. He accepted Him as Lord. He asked *"....Who art thou, Lord?....."* Acts 9:5.

*The Christian clarion duty.*

Christ's revelation and divine encounter with Saul gave him understanding of the knowledge of the Christ he did not know personally.

*Prayer.*

Lord, give me knowledge that will honour You, in Jesus name.

Good morning and be blessed as you come into His presence.

God bless you.

Shalom.