Acts 21:10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
This passage of scripture teaches all Christians a very valuable lesson, by demonstrating in real time, the dangers of presuming on God's protection over us. The Bible tells us that the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with those who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus, which then means that commandment-keepers are now specially singled out by the adversary, as the objects of his wrath, whenever and wherever it's possible. But Christ has already taken care of these existential threats to His people by sending guardian angels to cover those who have truly given their lives to Christ.
This fact is fully understood and recognized by satan himself, which he reluctantly admitted to, when asked by God to consider His servant Job, an upright man who feared God and one who hated evil. The wily response from satan was that Job was not serving God for naught, for He had a hedge of guardian angels watching over him night and day, and this special protection was extended even to all those who were under Job's jurisdiction, to include sheep handlers and hundreds of men servants, tending to his temporal interests. Let's read:
Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Now, it is thus imperative that we do not take this unmerited kindness of God for granted, by placing ourselves unnecessarily, or unbidden in harm's way, expecting that God must comply and deliver us, for then the role of the human agent will be reversed, with us taking the lead, and God following along, instead of the opposite, where we are required to humbly follow where He leads the way.
This is what satan tried to get Jesus to do in the wilderness of temptation, by asking Him to jump from off the pinnacle of the temple, where the enemy of souls had taken Him. On this occasion, Christ resolutely refused the temptation to presume on God's goodness, by jumping, thus setting us a perfect example that we are to apply and follow, in our choices and decisions. Let's read:
Matthew 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
However, it seems as if Paul had not learned this vital lesson as yet, for when he decided to go up to Jerusalem, after being specifically warned of God about the impending dangers there, he crossed the line and took his life in his own hands, by his freedom of choice, and even though he desired to win souls for the kingdom of God, thus showing that his intentions were upright, yet, as far as God was concerned, sufficient warning had been given, and therefore the results of whatever might take place would rest squarely on Paul's shoulders.
Thus in harmony with the warning given, Paul's guardian angel stands idly by as he is buffeted and beaten to a pulp by the maddened mob, and although he will like to intervene, yet because Paul deliberate chose to ignore God's warning, he is permitted to be pummeled mercilessly, as the guardian angel looks on. It is worthy of note, that from this point forward, Paul was never able to roam free again, for this specific incident marked the beginning of the end for him, with him being brought before several magistrates and governors, until finally, he was executed by Rome.
Did he die before his time because of this one choice is anyone's guess, but one thing we do know, is that if he had followed the warning given by The Holy Spirit, he would never have suffered like he did, and by cautioning him in advance of potential dangers, we can safely conclude that it was not God's will for him to suffer thus.
As Christians, we are never to go unbidden to places where the forces of darkness are firmly entrenched, for if we presume to do like Paul, without first getting clearance from God, there is no guarantee whatsoever that we will come out alive, for even Jesus said to His disciples and also to us, that if we were to encounter persecution in one city, whilst preaching the gospel, we are not to stay and expose ourselves needlessly to obvious dangers, but instead should flee to another city where the conditions for preaching the gospel are more favorable.
This general mode of thought and action is of critical importance for us today, especially since we live in an era where it has become quite fashionable and popular to take unwarranted risks, ranging from sports such as bungee jumping, to dare-devils who fly through very mountainous terrain in winged suits. Thus the servant of the Lord writes an interesting and very important commentary on the issue of presumption, as is being addressed in this presentation, for it has great implications, either for good or evil, where our lives may be at risk. Let's read:
[Desire Of Ages pp. 125] When Satan quoted the promise, “He shall give His angels charge over Thee,” he omitted the words, “to keep Thee in all Thy ways;” that is, in all the ways of God’s choosing. Jesus refused to go outside the path of obedience. While manifesting perfect trust in His Father, He would not place Himself, unbidden, in a position that would necessitate the interposition of His Father to save Him from death. He would not force Providence to come to His rescue, and thus fail of giving man an example of trust and submission.
Let us therefore be willing and humble enough to follow only where God leads the way, and let us try by the grace of God to avoid the temptation to "Jump", as it is often presented to us under different disguises. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reminds us of the solemn truth, that by a presumptuous course of action, we can indeed cut our lives short, however, it is the will of God that we live the life He has given us to the full, with good wisdom, knowledge, and a practical application of truth, which often results in length of days. Let's read:
Ecclesiastes 7:16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself ? 17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!