(3.) He was in a wicked way; pursuing his design against the christians at Damascus, and pleasing himself with the thought that he should devour this new-born child of Christianity there. Note, Sometimes the grace of God works upon sinners, when they are at the worst, and hotly engaged in the most desperate sinful pursuits; which is much for the glory both of God's pity, and of his power.
(4.) The cruel edict and decree he had with him drew near to be put in execution; and now it was happily prevented.—Which maybe considered, [1.] As a great kindness to the poor saints at Damascus, who had notice of his coming, as appears by what Ananias said, (v. 13, 14.) and were apprehensive of their danger from him, and trembled as poor lambs at the approach of a ravening wolf; Saul's conversion was their security for the present. Christ has many ways of delivering the godly out of temptation, and sometimes does it by a change wrought in their persecutors, either restraining their wrathful spirits, (Ps. 76. 10.) and mollifying them for a time, as the Old Testament Saul, who relented toward David more than once; (1 Sam. 24. 16.—26. 21.) or, renewing their spirits, and fixing upon them durable impressions, as upon the New Testament Saul here. [2.] It was also a very great mercy to Saul himself to be hindered from executing his wicked design, in which if he had now proceeded, perhaps it had been the filling up of the measure of his iniquity. Note, It is to be valued as a signal token of the divine favour, if God, either by the inward operations of his grace, or the outward occurrences of his providence, prevent us from prosecuting and executing a sinful purpose, 1 Sam. 25. 32.
2. The appearance of Christ to him in his glory; here it is only said, that there shined round about him a light from heaven; but it appears by what follows, (v. 17. ) that the Lord Jesus was in this light, and appeared to him by the way. He saw that Just One, (ch. 22. 14.) and see ch. 26. 13. Whether he saw him at a distance, as Stephen saw him, in the heavens, or nearer in the air, is not certain. It is not inconsistent with what is said of the heavens receiving Christ till the end of time, (ch. 3. 21.) to suppose that he did, upon such an extraordinary occasion as this, make a personal visit, but a very short one, to this lower world; it was necessary to Paul's being an apostle, that he should have seen the Lord, and so he did, 1 Cor. 9. 1.—15. 8.
(1.) This light shined upon him suddenly—ἐξαίφνης, when Paul never thought of any such thing, and without any previous warning. Christ's manifestations of himself to poor souls, are many times sudden and very surprising, and he prevents them with the blessings of his goodness. This the disciples that Christ called to himself, found. Or ever I was aware, Cant. 6. 12.
(2.) It was a light from heaven, the fountain of light, from the God of heaven, the Father of lights. It was a light above the brightness of the sun, (ch. 26. 13.) for it was visible at mid-day, and outshone the sun in his meridian strength and lustre, Isa. 24. 23.
(3.) It shone round about him, not in his face only, but on every side of him; let him turn which way he will, he finds himself surrounded with the discoveries of it. And this was designed not only to startle him, and awaken his attention, for well may he expect to hear, when he is thus made to see something very extraordinary, but to signify the enlightening of his understanding with the knowledge of Christ. The devil comes to the soul in darkness, by it he gets and keeps possession of it. But Christ comes to the soul in light, for he is himself the light of the world, bright and glorious in himself, beneficial and gracious to us, as light. The first thing in this new creation, as in that of the world, is, light, 2 Cor. 4. 6. Hence all christians are said to be children of the light and of the day, Eph. 5. 8.
3. The arresting of Saul, and his detachment; He fell to the earth, v. 4. Some think that he was on foot, and that this light, which perhaps was accompanied with a thunder-clap, so terrified him, that he could not keep his feet, but fell upon his face, usually a posture of adoration, but here of astonishment. It is probable that he was mounted, as Balaam, when he went to curse Israel, and perhaps better mounted than he; for Saul was now in a public post, was in haste, and the journey was long, so that it is not likely he should travel on foot. The sudden light would frighten the beast he rode on, and make it throw him: and it was God's good providence that his body got no hurt by the fall: but angels had a particular charge concerning him to keep all his bones, so that not one of them was broken. It appears, (ch. 26. 14.) that all that were with him fell to the earth as well as he, but the design was upon him. This may be considered,
(1.) As the effect of Christ's appearing to him, and of the light which shone round about him. Note, Christ's manifestations of himself to poor souls are humbling; they lay them very low, in mean thoughts of themselves, and an humble submission to the will of God. Now mine eyes see thee, saith Job, I abhor myself. I saw the Lord, saith Isaiah, sitting upon a throne, and I said, Woe is me, for I am undone.
(2.) As a step toward his intended advancement. He is designed not only to be a christian, but to be a minister, an apostle, a great apostle, and therefore he must thus be cast down. Note, Those whom Christ designs for the greatest honours, are commonly first laid low. Those who are designed to excel in knowledge and grace, are commonly laid low first, in a sense of their own ignorance and sinfulness. Those whom God will employ, are first struck with a sense of their unworthiness to be employed.
(4.) The arraigning of Saul. Being by the fall taken into custody, and as it were set to the bar, he heard a voice saying to him, (and it was distinguishing to him only, for though they that were with him heard a sound, (v. 7.) yet they knew not the words, ch. 22. 9,) Saul, Saul, Why persecutest thou me? Observe here,
(1.) Saul not only saw a light from heaven, but heard a voice from heaven; wherever the glory of God was seen, the word of God was heard; God's manifestations of himself were never dumb shews, for he magnifies his word above all his name, and what was seen was always designed to make way for what was said; Saul heard a voice. Note, Faith comes by hearing; hence the Spirit is said to be received by the hearing of faith, Gal. 3. 2. The voice he heard was the voice of Christ: when he saw that just One; he heard the voice of his mouth, ch. 22. 14. Note, Then the word we hear is likely to profit us, when we hear it as the voice of Christ, 1 Thess. 2. 13. It is the voice of my beloved; no voice but his can reach the heart. Seeing and hearing are the two learning senses; Christ here, by both those doors, entered into Saul's heart.
(2.) What he heard was very awakening.
[1.] He was called by his name, and that doubled; Saul, Saul. Some think, in calling him Saul, he hints at that great persecutor of David, whose name he bore. He was indeed a second Saul, and such an enemy to the Son of David as he was to David. Calling him by his name intimates the particular regard that Christ had to him; I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me, Isa. 45. 4. See Exod. 33. 12. His calling him by name brought the conviction home to his conscience, and put it past dispute to whom the voice spake this.
Vol. vi—M
