Death And New Hope Series

Acts 9:36-42

Death and Resurrection of Dorcas

Greetings: The Lord is good; and His love Endures Forever!

Joppa:

Joppa was a seaport town situated on the Mediterranean, in the tribe of Dan, about 30 miles south of Caesarea, and 45 northwest of Jerusalem. A seaport of Palestine. It was occupied by Solomon to receive the timber from Tyre to build the Temple (2 Chronicles 2:16), and was used for a similar purpose in the time of Ezra (Ezra 3:7). It is situated on a promontory rising to the height of about 150 feet above sealevel.

The present name of is Jaffa, part of Tel-Aviv, in Israel. Jaffa is celebrated in modern times for her gardens and orchards of delicious fruit more than for anything else. Jaffa furnishes the best pomegranates. In March and April these Jaffa gardens are indeed enchanting. The air is overloaded with the mingled spicy of orange, lemon, apple, apricot, quince, plum, and china trees in blossom.

The people then frequent the groves, sit on mats beneath their grateful shade, and sip coffee, sing, converse, or sleep, as best suits their individual eccentricities, until evening. Then return to their homes in the city.

Dorcas

Acts 9:36-37 - The Life and Works of Dorcas

The author of the book of Acts had moved from Lydda to Joppa. He had focused on a lady called Tabitha (Dorcas), a woman of a good testimony. She was probably a Hellenist Jewess, known among the Hebrews by the Syriac name, Tabitha, the Greeks called her Dorcas. Both the names Dorcas and Tabitha mean “deer.” The beauty and grace of the gazelle made it an appropriate name for a woman.

This woman was a beloved member of the Christian community in Joppa, because she was full of good works and charitable deeds. Some have thought, with probability, that she was a deaconess of the Church. She was a qualified widow as set forth by St Paul (1 Timothy 5:10).

She was a good believer, Disciple, social worker, and helping the poor. Tabitha’s good works have illuminated a change, and altered the lives of many people. Many are full of good words but are empty and barren in good works. Tabitha was a great doer, no great talker. The characters of Dorcas were useful, she shown the Excellency of the word of truth by her life. However, numerous females seek outward decoration, and waste their lives in the trifling pursuits of dress and vanity.

Dorcas became sick and died. They bathed her body and kept her for burial. Being awake or being aware is similarly associated with a state of consciousness.

The Believers

Acts 9:38-39 - The Testimony of the Believers

Acts 9:32 and 41 mention the saints in Lydda and Joppa. This is the first time Christians are called saints in Acts. One of the versions call ‘the Holy Widows’ of Joppa. For the first time the Bible calls Christians as saints, it doesn’t mean a super-perfect people but a people who are different. Saints are set apart from the world at large; they are distinctive.

It seems that Dorcas was running a charity home, for Widows. The widows who had benefitted through her commendable social service expressed it to Peter. They were so much attached to her, and they talked about her goodness with Peter. She established her Christian Spirit and Character. 

The Widows were weeping, mourning and expressing their love for her. If the WIDOWS have done during her life time she would have been happier and lived long. Tabitha was a part a community of believers, they loved her, valued her and mourned for her loss. Her brief obituary tells that she may not have been famous or well-known, but she was important to those who knew her.

George Muller:

When a man asked George Mueller the secret of his service, Mueller responded: “There was a day when I died, utterly died; died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends; and since then I have studied to show myself approved only to God.”

Apostle Peter

Acts 9:40-43 - The Visit of Apostle Peter

At this state, the believers at Joppa invited Peter. Apostle knew that it would please God to do something for the help of the distress at Joppa. Whether Peter was invited to the funeral of Dorcas or to bring her back to life. The sorrow of the disciples turned into a rejoicing moment.

Jesus said, “Talitha, Cumi - little girl, arise” in Mark 5:41 (or Luke 8:54). Peter said, “Tabitha, Cumi – Thabitha, get up.” Peter used the same words used by Jesus, following Christ Ditto in everything. As Jesus promised Peter also raised a dead person as Jesus did while he was on the earth? It was a means of spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles. Dorcas was not resurrected, she was resuscitated to her old life, where she would die again.