Pleasing God

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

PLEASING GOD

Acts 18:18-22

18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, "I will come back if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.

NIV

This translation makes it appear Paul shaved his head, but the original text does appear as if it was Aquila who shaved his head, and that is a highly differed opinion among all the great theologians both of the past and the present. But the point is that one of them felt compelled to adhere to their Nazarite vow and as that time period of the vow was over had his hair cut off. Part of the Nazarite vow was to not put a razor to the head, or leave the hair grow long for whatever the voluntary time period was of the vow. This was a vow to separate oneself unto the Lord. It was completely voluntary and was in no way prescribed or commanded by God, although God did set the rules for that type of vow. Because it carries some outward signs, it would appear this type of vow was intended to show others one's intent of being completely committed to God. Was that Aquila, or Paul or perhaps even Priscilla, we will never really know, but one of them had taken that vow and the time was now over so off with the long hair. What can we learn here? Is it about a vow? Is it about having companions for a time? Is it about doing what God desires instead of what men want of us? Paul left his friends, to reason with more Jews in the synagogue and left them for another town even though they asked him to stay longer. Perhaps that is the lesson here both in the vow and in the moving on. Paul was all about following the leading of the Spirit instead of listening to the desires of people. It would seem a good thing to serve one another, or fulfill the desires of others, but that should not be the motive of service. We serve one another because God desires us to, not because they want us to. Paul was about following God, and if that meant leaving behind people to reach others, he left. It would seem natural that people would want Paul to stay and be their teacher, or pastor so to speak, but he was not to be that to them, he was called to be an evangelist and that is what he was about doing.  This could be our lesson also, that we should be what God has called us to be, and not what men think we should be. Men might want us to serve in some capacity but if it is not God’s calling we need to keep moving on. It is not about pleasing men, but about pleasing God.