Acts 1:20
For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
Peter explained that the place Judas had once held among the disciples was left empty by his fall and that another was to be appointed to take it. To fill the office made vacant by Judas, the disciples chose two men they judged qualified and prayed for the Lord to reveal which one was suitable, leaving the final decision to God who knows every heart. The Spirit of God selected Matthias to take the place and fill the office.
The prophecy about Judas was fulfilled in his death, when his body lay beneath a tree and his fate stirred fearful thoughts in those who were responsible for the death of Jesus. His body was found mangled beneath the tree where he had hanged himself, and the sight led the crowd to fear that retribution was already falling upon those guilty of the death of Jesus.
The verse belongs with Christ’s commission to His disciples and the promise of the Holy Spirit, and with the message of the angels to the waiting disciples. Joined to the word not to let the heart be troubled, it calls for being trained to believe the Word of God and to show faith by works in practical godliness. The careful consideration and prayer with which the disciples supplied the vacancy show that filling an important position in God’s work requires caution and reliance on the Lord, who knows the heart.