An angel of the living Christ commanded Philip, the deacon, to leave his flourishing ministry, in the region of Nablus, and go south to the hot, desert road, where neither man nor animal lived. The preacher’s heart could have disobeyed, but he denied himself, rose up, and obeyed his Lord. By his obedience he magnified Christ’s triumph, and helped gain a complete country for the advance of the gospel.
A wealthy man, who had a leading position as treasurer in the court of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, was returning to his country after having gone up to Jerusalem. He had probably heard something about the singleness of God and His law through Jewish missionaries, centered on the island of Elephantine, in the middle of the Nile. Although all men hunger for God, only the noble-minded search in all religions and cultures to find a personal encounter with the true God.
This chief officer, a eunuch and trustful adviser of his queen, had gone to the distant holy land to gain God’s blessing for himself and his whole country. In Jerusalem he worshiped the Lord, but his heart remained empty. Eunuchs were not allowed entrance into the court of worship inside the temple. Thus he bought from one of the scribes, at a costly price, a scroll containing the Book of Isaiah, such as were found not long ago in the caves of Qumran. We do not know whether this treasurer read the book in Hebrew, or whether he bought a Greek translation of it. The important thing is that he could read and understand it. He desired to fill his heart with the spirit of the Old Testament, so that he might go home with new thoughts, power, and enlightenment. He was holding a great treasure in his hands.
When the reader came to the prophecies about Christ, which describe him as the meek Lamb of God, the Holy Spirit guided Philip to come alongside this God-seeking Gentile. He spoke from his mouth the wise question that has caused many, with a longing for God, to begin searching for Him: “Do you understand what you are reading?” Thank God the noble treasurer was not proud! He did not say: “I am well acquainted with the meaning of scripture, and I understand everything”, but humbly confessed his weakness. By his humility he gained the wisdom of God. Woe to him who thinks he knows and can do everything. His heart and mind remain closed to the gospel.
A long conversation began, and Philip showed him that Jesus is the true Lamb of God who, in humility and love, took away the sins of the world. He bore the wrath of God when He hung on the cross to save all men, even the eunuch and his people. Faith in Him who was crucified brings understanding to the heart regarding past offences. It also opens the believer’s heart to the life of God, both now and in the future. Philip guided the thirsty listener to the way of life through the Lamb of God, and through the uniqueness of the cross. The Holy Spirit confirmed the witness of this intimate and vital conversation, for this seeker of God had heard, understood, and believed. He immediately decided to submit his life to Christ and accept Him as Lord and Redeemer. He asked for baptism when he saw some water in the desert.
Philip might have gone slowly in baptizing him, following his experience in Samaria. He declared the principle terms upon which he might have the privilege of baptism: “If you believe with all your heart you may be baptized - with all your heart, and not only with your thoughts, mind, feelings or will. Have you opened your heart completely to Christ? Have you made Him the only condition and stipulation of everlasting life? The Spirit of God does not dwell in the heart that only half turns to Jesus, while the other half remains directed towards the world. Choose Jesus completely, so that He may receive you for all eternity.
The treasurer made his decision, and insisted on being baptized. He passed the exam, and summed up his faith in Jesus in one statement: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” With this statement he testified that he had realized the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and had come into accord with Christ’s redemption. He believed in the fatherhood of God, and participated in everlasting life. This confession is not an empty doctrine, but is more powerful than all the atomic bombs in the world. Penetrate deeply, dear brother, into the meaning of this testimony, so that you may become a child of God. The eternal God is our Father through Jesus, His Son.
After Philip baptized the repentant believer, the Holy Spirit immediately separated him from the convert. He was not to join himself to the preacher any further, but hold fast to Jesus alone. The condition of this treasurer was much different from that of Simon, the sorcerer, who kept close to Philip, but was not close to Christ. The newly baptized treasurer returned home praying, praising, and worshiping God. He did not meet the Most High in Jerusalem, but in the desert. There he fully entered into the expanses of Christ. The Lord God did not reject the Ethiopian eunuch, as the Jews had done, but received him, embraced him, and provided for him.
From the desert the Holy Spirit drove Philip into the coastal cities of Palestine, where he traveled from the south to Mount Carmel in the north, filling all the places with the name of Jesus and preparing the way for his Lord.