What Old Testament prophecies relate to the rejection of God's messengers? Setting the Scene from Acts 22:23 When Paul’s audience “were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air” (Acts 22:23), they were acting out a pattern the Old Testament had already mapped out. Long before Paul, God had warned that His messengers would face hostile rejection. Old Testament Forewarnings of Rejection • Deuteronomy 18:18-19 — God promised a prophet like Moses and added, “If anyone does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name, I Myself will call him to account.” Refusal was anticipated. • Isaiah 6:9-10 — The people would “be ever hearing, but never understanding,” their hearts deliberately hardened against the message. • Isaiah 65:2 — “I have spread out My hands all day to a rebellious people,” showing constant invitation met with constant resistance. • Jeremiah 7:25-26 — God sent prophets “again and again,” yet “they would not listen… they stiffened their necks.” • Ezekiel 3:7-9 — Israel would not listen “for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate,” but God would fortify His spokesman for the clash. • Zechariah 11:12-13 — Thirty pieces of silver for the Shepherd was “the handsome price at which they valued Me,” a prophetic sign of contempt. • Psalm 118:22 — “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” foretelling Messiah’s dismissal by leaders. • Psalm 69:8-9 — The righteous sufferer becomes “a stranger to my brothers,” absorbing insults meant for God. • Isaiah 53:1-3 — The Servant would be “despised and rejected by men,” even though He carried the very arm of the LORD. Why the Rejection Was No Surprise • God had foretold both the message (truth that confronts sin) and the predictable human response (hard-hearted pushback). • Each prophecy layers another piece of evidence that opposition to God’s voice would climax in the rejection of the Messiah and continue with those who speak in His name—like Paul. Echoes in Paul’s Experience • The crowd’s refusal to “listen” (Acts 22:22) mirrors Deuteronomy 18 and Jeremiah 7. • Their rage fulfils Isaiah 6’s blindness: they hear Paul’s testimony yet refuse to see God’s hand. • Paul stands in the lineage of Ezekiel—sent to a hardened people with a forehead “like diamond.” • By attacking Paul, the crowd reenacts Psalm 118, discarding a living stone God is using to build. The Unbroken Line: Prophets → Servant → Apostles 1. Prophets were mocked (Jeremiah 7). 2. The Servant was rejected (Isaiah 53). 3. Apostles and witnesses share the same fate (Acts 22). Through every stage, God remains faithful, turns rejection into redemption, and raises up the very “stone” that was cast aside. Living in Light of These Prophecies • Expect resistance when truth confronts darkness; Scripture said it would be so. • Stand firm like Ezekiel and Paul, trusting the God who equips His messengers. • Remember that rejection never thwarts God’s plan—He makes the rejected stone the cornerstone. |
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