Chapter 2 begins with the verse "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6). As we begin this chapter we learned that the person who was primarily responsible for a child's "training" was the father. We can assume that Saul's father took his role very seriously because it was his duty as defined by the Code of Jewish Law. As Saul continues to grow and develop, we see that his training deepens with more memorization and learning the rituals that will dictate his life. We admired the Jews of Saul's day for being so dedicated to the Word but we questioned what was the motivation behind this type of rote memorization. Did this daily routine of praying, dressing, moving, and thinking result in a love for God? or maybe just a love for the fulfillment of the law of God?
In chapter 3 Saul journeys to Jerusalem to pursue the best rabbinical training that existed at the time. He is taught by one of the most impressive Jewish rabbis in history, Gamaliel. Beth Moore gives a great description of Saul's first glimpse of Jerusalem and the temple that means so much to his religion. Some of us agreed that the mountains in Nelson County or the ocean create the same feelings of awe and acknowledgement of God that must have passed through Saul's mind when he first saw the temple. So why is it important to know that Saul was trained by Gamaliel, in Jerusalem? I think it gives us some significant perspective on who Saul was before he accepted Christ. How indoctrinated into Judaism he was! But as Moore writes "Nothing in the young man's life would be a waste unless he refused to let God use it." God is going to use Saul's past, his upbringing, and his training to make him a better servant.
Chapter 4 is entitled "Strangled by the Law". We discussed how Saul probably began his studies with the right intentions but somewhere along the way the law took over and suffocated any love that may have existed. Saul eventually becomes one of the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do Pharisees. Moore points us to Matthew 23 for Jesus' opinion on the hypocritical Pharisees of his time. As we examined that chapter, we realized that there may be some Pharisee in all of us. Moore says "Godly people are valiant people. They are people with the courage to ask God to spotlight areas of weakness, sin, and failure. Then God can strengthen, heal and complete what is lacking." So are we willing to look at the possibly long list of shortcomings and ask God to fix it....and then have the courage to hold on tight to Him while he sends our dirty laundry through the cleaners?
In Chapter 5 Saul heads back to Tarsus just as things are heating up in Jerusalem. There is a man named Jesus who breaks on to the scene after some guy named John the Baptist gets things warmed up. The Pharisees didn't much care for John the Baptist but they really couldn't stand Jesus. And with good reason. Jesus was well trained too. He knew the laws, he knew the history, but more importantly he knew the Father. He knew about love. The Pharisees are outwardly disgusted by Jesus eating with sinners and healing people on the Sabbath but inwardly don't you think they were intimidated? Don't you think maybe they were wishing they had realized that was the point to all this religion stuff? Their is some scriptural evidence that some Pharisees did believe in Jesus as the Messiah but they were too in love with the law and their titles and the prestige of their position to speak up. The Pharisees were desperate to put an end to Jesus and his teachings so they cooked up a scheme that fulfills many of the prophecies that they learned about in school. It's just too bad they didn't realize it. Jesus did what he came to do. He payed for our sins on the cross. Moore says the work of Calvary is finished, Salvation is finished but Santification is not, completion is not. Good news for us and good news for Saul. We will see just how far from finished God was with Saul. Are you willing to admit that God is not finished with you yet? Our sins have been forgiven but God's not done with us yet. Where is He taking us? You can bet the destination is heaven but the road to get there may not seem like it.