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Sketches from the Life of Paul
little thought even now, that it would be as a prisoner of the Lord, that
he would go to Rome.
In the peaceful hours of the night, while the Lord was visiting his
discouraged servant, the enemies of Paul were eagerly plotting his
destruction. “And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together,
and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither
eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty
which had made this conspiracy.” Here was such a fast as the Lord
through Isaiah had condemned many years before,—a fast “for strife
and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness.” The Jews thus
sought to give to their diabolical plan the sanction of religion. Having
fortified themselves by their dreadful oath, they came to the chief
priests and members of the Sanhedrim, and made known their purpose.
It was proposed to request that Paul be again brought before the court
as if for a further investigation of his case, and that the assassins would
lie in wait and murder him while on his way from the fortress. Such
was the horrible crime masked under a show of religious zeal. Instead
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of rebuking the Satanic scheme, the priests and rulers eagerly acceded
to it. Paul had spoken the truth when he compared Ananias to a whited
sepulcher.
The next day the plot would have been carried into effect, had not
God by his providence interposed to save the life of his servant. When
Peter had been made a prisoner and condemned to death, the brethren
had offered earnest prayer to God day and night for his deliverance. But
no such interest was manifested in behalf of him who was looked upon
as an apostate from Moses, a teacher of dangerous doctrines. It was
not to the elders whose counsel had brought him into this dangerous
position, but to the watchful sympathy of a relative, that Paul owed his
escape from a violent death.
A nephew of the apostle, to whom he was strongly attached, heard
of the murderous conspiracy, and without delay reported the matter
to his uncle. Paul immediately called for one of the centurions, and
requested him to take the young man to the commandant, saying that
he had important information to give him. The youth was accordingly
brought in before Claudius Lysias, who received him kindly, and taking
him aside, inquired the nature of his message. The young man related
the particulars of the conspiracy, and with deep feeling entreated the
commandant not to grant the request which would be surely made, that