Guidance through God’s invisible hand

“As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?’” (1) As they traveled through the wilderness, they came to a place with water. This was guidance by God’s providence. Water flows in the wadi (dry riverbed) during the spring (the season of the Passover festival). This means that the eunuch had gone up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. (2) “What prevents me from being baptized?” (a) In the past, when he converted to Judaism, he must have been baptized in a mikveh (ritual bath). At the moment he came out of the water, he received a new identity. From then on, he was regarded as a Jew. (b) Now, he is seeking to be baptized as a testimony of his faith in the Messiah of Israel. This time, it is not in a mikveh but in the wadi of the wilderness. (3) Verse 37 is a later addition. [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] (NASB2020) “…He (Philip) baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.” (1) Jewish baptism is exclusively by immersion. (2) The Holy Spirit snatched Philip away. The verb “harpazo” indicates a rapture (1 Thess. 4:17). “Harpazo” was translated as “rapturo: in Latin and then “rapture” in English. (3) Philip disappeared, but the eunuch went on his way rejoicing. “But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.” (1) The Holy Spirit carried Philip about 19 miles (30 km) north. In Old Testament times, Azotus was called Ashdod. (2) Then Philip walked another 50 miles (80 km) to Caesarea. He preached the gospel in the towns along the way, and Caesarea became his place of residence. The salvation of the Ethiopian comes between the salvation of the Samaritans and Saul’s conversion. At that time, Ethiopia was considered the ends of the earth to the south, and Rome was considered the ends of the earth to the west. The salvation of the Ethiopian hints at the salvation of Gentiles and evangelism reaching to the ends of the earth. Let us remember that God’s love has no boundaries and strive to practice the love of God.