26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road. ) 27 So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem 28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.

Acts 8:26-28

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

This Sunday at NorthStar, we continued our sermon series, ECHOES: Stories Worth Retelling, where we look at characters in Scripture who played a role in God's redemptive plan.

This week, we will dig deeper into the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, as recorded in Acts 8:26-28.

As Philip journeys on the desert road he encounters an Ethiopian man. The text gives us a fair amount of details about him. He is:

• An Ethiopian (not to be confused with modern Ethiopia, rather this ancient city was in southern Egypt)
• A Eunuch (most likely he was castrated as a boy)
• A high official of Candace (Queen of the Ethiopians, Candace is the title, not her name - just like Pharoah)
• In charge of Candace's entire treasury (minister of finance or CFO)
• Returning from worship in Jerusalem at the Temple
• Reading the Old Testament book Isaiah out loud

The fact that this Ethiopian eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship is fascinating.This man was a God-fearing Gentile (non-jew) who believed in God but had not converted to Judaism. And in his case, it would be impossible for him to fully convert because of his physical status as a eunuch. In fact, because of the law in Deuteronomy 23:1, he could never enter the temple; he could only visit.So you can imagine this Ethiopian Eunuch traveling to the temple to worship, only to stand at the gates, never to enter.Further, he is reading from the book of Isaiah, which predicts great blessings and restoration for eunuchs in the age to come. Isaiah 56:5-3 states,³ No foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord should say, “The Lord will exclude me from his people,” and the eunuch should not say, “Look, I am a dried-up tree.” ⁴ For the Lord says this: “For the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, and choose what pleases me, and hold firmly to my covenant, ⁵ I will give them, in my house and within my walls, a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give each of them an everlasting name that will never be cut off.What do we know to be true of the Ethiopian Eunuch? He is earnestly seeking the Lord, even though he does not have all the answers. From his faithful pilgrimage to worship at the temple, to his reading of Isaiah on the road of his journey, and as we will see his invitation to Philip to help him understand, the Ethiopian Eunuch is a picture of faith seeking understanding. One thing to focus on today: Earnestly seek the Lord, embrace a faith that seeks understanding.