Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
Saul had come to Damascus to arrest believers for trial in Jerusalem, but after preaching Christ boldly with wisdom his opponents could not answer, they guarded the gates day and night to kill him. Warned of the danger, his disciples prayed with little sleep and devised his escape, which depended on their practical care. They took him by night to a window and lowered him in a basket through an opening in and over the city wall, a humiliating way to leave. He had taken the tremendous step of acknowledging Christ as the Son of God from assured knowledge given in heavenly vision, and set Him forth in clear and unanswerable argument as the resurrection and the life. Though his enemies tried again and again to take his life, angels fought for one who would not fight for himself, so the plot failed and Satan's purpose was defeated, showing the opposition that can arise against the Lord's work.
Escape from Damascus
Saul had first come to Damascus with authority from the high priest to find believers in Jesus, seize them, and send them to Jerusalem for trial and punishment, and his later escape by night in a basket followed that persecuting mission. After returning to Damascus and preaching boldly in the name of Jesus with a wisdom his opponents could not withstand, they counseled together to silence him by force and kill him by assassination. They vigilantly guarded the gates of the city day and night to cut off his escape and to catch him as he left.
The disciples, in anxiety for the chosen apostle, were drawn to God in prayer with little sleep as they devised ways and means for his escape. He was made acquainted with the deadly purpose against him, and his deliverance depended on their practical care and support. They prayed and devised a plan until a way was found to help him leave secretly.
They took him by night and let him down from a window in a basket, lowering him through an opening in and over the city wall because the gates were watched and could not be used. It was a secret flight from enemies who sought to kill him, accomplished with the help of the disciples when the city was guarded to prevent it. This was a humiliating manner of escape for the apostle.
Divine Preservation and Lessons
Before this deliverance came the tremendous step of first acknowledging Christ as the Son of God from assured knowledge. That assurance was given because God had revealed to him a knowledge of the Word in heavenly vision. It led him to speak with assurance and to set forth Christ in clear and unanswerable argument as the resurrection and the life to all who would believe in Him. When his enemies tried again and again to take his life, truth bore away the victory because angels of God were on the ground fighting for one who would not fight for himself.
The Jews watched the gates day and night to catch him as he left, but their plan to kill him failed. His escape by being secretly lowered by the disciples in a basket by night over the wall of Damascus defeated Satan's purpose. The deadly hostility he faced and the preservation granted him when the disciples helped him escape by night illustrate the opposition that can arise against the Lord's work.
Saul had come to Damascus to arrest believers for trial in Jerusalem, but after preaching Christ boldly with wisdom his opponents could not answer, they guarded the gates day and night to kill him. Warned of the danger, his disciples prayed with little sleep and devised his escape, which depended on their practical care. They took him by night to a window and lowered him in a basket through an opening in and over the city wall, a humiliating way to leave. He had taken the tremendous step of acknowledging Christ as the Son of God from assured knowledge given in heavenly vision, and set Him forth in clear and unanswerable argument as the resurrection and the life. Though his enemies tried again and again to take his life, angels fought for one who would not fight for himself, so the plot failed and Satan's purpose was defeated, showing the opposition that can arise against the Lord's work.
Escape from Damascus
Saul had first come to Damascus with authority from the high priest to find believers in Jesus, seize them, and send them to Jerusalem for trial and punishment, and his later escape by night in a basket followed that persecuting mission. After returning to Damascus and preaching boldly in the name of Jesus with a wisdom his opponents could not withstand, they counseled together to silence him by force and kill him by assassination. They vigilantly guarded the gates of the city day and night to cut off his escape and to catch him as he left.
The disciples, in anxiety for the chosen apostle, were drawn to God in prayer with little sleep as they devised ways and means for his escape. He was made acquainted with the deadly purpose against him, and his deliverance depended on their practical care and support. They prayed and devised a plan until a way was found to help him leave secretly.
They took him by night and let him down from a window in a basket, lowering him through an opening in and over the city wall because the gates were watched and could not be used. It was a secret flight from enemies who sought to kill him, accomplished with the help of the disciples when the city was guarded to prevent it. This was a humiliating manner of escape for the apostle.
Divine Preservation and Lessons
Before this deliverance came the tremendous step of first acknowledging Christ as the Son of God from assured knowledge. That assurance was given because God had revealed to him a knowledge of the Word in heavenly vision. It led him to speak with assurance and to set forth Christ in clear and unanswerable argument as the resurrection and the life to all who would believe in Him. When his enemies tried again and again to take his life, truth bore away the victory because angels of God were on the ground fighting for one who would not fight for himself.
The Jews watched the gates day and night to catch him as he left, but their plan to kill him failed. His escape by being secretly lowered by the disciples in a basket by night over the wall of Damascus defeated Satan's purpose. The deadly hostility he faced and the preservation granted him when the disciples helped him escape by night illustrate the opposition that can arise against the Lord's work.