Here is Ehart's post regarding this chapter of the Twelve Extraordinary Women book.
Lydia was a "first" in a couple aspects regarding Paul's missionary work. She was the first convert for the gospel in Europe. She was also the first to respond to Paul's message of Christ during Paul's first missionary journey into Europe.
Although Lydia resided in Europe, she was not European. Lydia's name was the same name of a large Asian province. This province was most likely the region of her birth.
The capital city of Lydia was Sardis. Long before Paul's day, back in the sixth century B.C., the region of Lydia was ruled over by Croesus. Croesus' name was often associated with wealth. Ironically, Croesus was defeated by Cyrus, who utilized the wealth he had usurped from Croesus to conquer most of the known world at that time. Cyrus, king of Persia, was the instrument who God used to release Israel from their bondage and returned His people back to the land to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.
Isn't it amazing how characters from the Old Testament weave themselves into the fabric of the New Testament?
While studying different regions from Biblical times, I often use this wonderful resource: http://biblos.com/. The "Atlas" and "Places" icons can link you to hours of viewing concerning historical facts regarding Biblical regions.
This site also has a feature that is helpful for any person studying the Bible in depth. By searching for a particular verse in the Bible (they have many versions of the Bible available for your usage), you can click on the actual verse; and arrive at the Biblical location by simply clicking the maps on the sidebar.
But now, back to Lydia.
Acts 16:14 tells us that Lydia's hometown was Thyratia. Thyratia was one of the seven churches referred to in Revelation (Rev. 2:18-29).
Thyratia was located in Asia Minor, where Paul, Silas, and Timothy "were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word" just previously mentioned in Acts 16:6.
At this point we read in the Scriptures about a woman who was from the very region that the Holy Spirit had forbidden the missionary party access, but it depicts her coming to the Lord and accepting Him into her heart. This is a great example of how God sovereingnly works through His servants by shutting a door in one respect, but opening another. The workings and motives behind the Holy Spirit's work is often hidden from man's view. But as my good friend, Ella, so correctly says, "God is faithful."
The missionary group of Silas, Timothy, Paul, and Luke (as he had just previously joined them on their journey) arrived in Phillippi, but waited for the Sabbath day before they went out and about to share the gospel.
Typically, Paul would arrive at a new location and visit the local synagogue. Phillippi was a Gentile town and a synagogue had not yet been established. Instead, Paul and his group went to the riverside where the women were known to gather for prayer.
The men meet Lydia among the women prayer gathering. Lydia was "a seller of purple." Lydia's hometown of Thyratia has been uncovered by archeologists who have discovered that Thyatira had a thriving guild of dyers of cloth. The purple dye was associated with royalty, and was an expensive commodity in the ancient world.
We can assume that Lydia was a wealthy woman by means of her occupation, but also by reading in verse 5 that she maintained a house in Phillipi. Obviously, Lydia maintained a house in the city for the purposes of her business. We can also note that this particular house was large enough to accommodate the four men, in addition to herself and any servants that she employed to maintain the house while she pursued her career.
Acts 16:14 states that Lydia "worshiped God." So one may wonder how Lydia could be considered a convert? Apparently, Lydia knew that there was one true God, but she had not yet converted to Judaism.
Remember Cornelius, the centurion from the Italian Regiment? (Acts 11). He was "a devout man and one who feared God with all his household." Yet Cornelius after hearing Peter preach the gospel "the Holy Spirit fell upon all those (Cornelius and his household) who heard the word." Following that Cornelius and his household were baptized in water as a symbol of proclaiming their new-found faith.
Luke tells us in Acts 16:14 that Lydia "heard us." She opened her ears, and through that the Holy Spirit drew her heart towards accepting the gospel message.
Lydia was truly an extraordinary woman. Her exceptional quality was exemplified by the works of God through His grace in bringing her to the truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment