Acts 9: 32 – 43
JEHOVAH RAPHA - THE LORD YOUR HEALER
32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. 33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately. 35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. 36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. 37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. 43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.
I have learned in live that there are two important contacts we need in life –a competent auto mechanic and a good doctor. In considering our physical needs we have to stop and realize that we have access to the best and greatest doctor Who ever lives. He was given His recognition before the world began as The Great Physician. The blessing that I have witnessed is that this Great Doctor is Alive and well and He still makes personal house calls. In His Mercy, Goodness, Kindness, and Love I have seen people have miraculous recoveries.
Scriptures tells us that He Is the same yesterday, today and forever. The apostle John in whom we are reviewing his Gospel and was a traveling companion of Peter wrote this in his first letter chapter 3, “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
Yet, today many are not willing to ask the impossible of our Holy Great Physician. The question I ask is ‘why’? I think the answer is that mostly people are afraid that asking such a request because if it goes unanswered, it makes us look powerless and foolish to all those who hear our prayer request to our Master and King Lord Jesus Christ.
When our Holy Lord Jesus went back to Heaven He promised us The Holy Spirit. Paul writes this to us in his first letter to the Corinthians, “12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
So, as you know our Precious Holy Spirit was given to Peter as Pentecost. As he went forth proclaiming the Good News as we will look at today, some amazing miracles occurred. However, the key point we all need to understand is that no human has the capacities to do the miracles. Peter tells us that Jesus Is Alive and still working at the prayer requests of His people – ‘And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you.’
In preparing for the Gentile ministry of Paul, a preparation which has included what we have just considered concerning his conversion and ministry to Jews, Luke goes back to considering Peter’s ministry. Along with the other Apostles he is continuing the oversight of the church and here, at least to some extent, following in the steps of Philip along the Judean coast. In chapter 3.1 onwards he had brought the Good News to the ‘lame’ and now he does a similar thing again to the paralytic. Luke does not want us to think that Peter has faded out of the picture, nor that the work of God does not go on with other men of God. This is then followed by a rising from the dead of a believer. Luke will then finalizes this series of Peter’s activity with the description of the opening of the Good News to Gentiles in chapter 10, which will result in the spread of the word to ‘the uttermost parts of the earth’.
It is no accident that causes Luke to describe the work in this area at this point. It was mixed Jewish and Gentile territory, and he is preparing for the great leap forwards. With Judaea, Galilee, and Samaria evangelized, the next stage must be to the Gentiles, and this was a beginning. It is to Peter’s credit that he was found laboring here for it was only half Jewish, but we can compare how in Jesus ministry, He also had eventually moved out into such areas, which Peter had no doubt not forgotten. How else could the world be reached?
32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda.
Lydda was twenty five mile North West of Jerusalem at the intersection of the road from Jerusalem to Joppa, and the road from Syria to Egypt. It was thus a buzzing commercial centre. Josephus tell us that it was not as large as a city, but it would later for a while become a rabbinical centre, and played a prominent part in Christian activity.
33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed.
The mention of a specific miracle in the light of the ‘many signs and wonders’ performed must always be seen as having a specific purpose. So the point here is that, as at the beginning (3.1-10), the lame and paralyzed are restored. Here it was Aeneas, and yet we are also to see Aeneas as a picture of mankind, paralyzed and awaiting restoration. This was what the continuing ministry of the Apostles was accomplishing, and the stress is on the fact that it was indeed continuing. Nothing could stop the onward movement of the power of the Spirit. Here was another who had been long in need, and now his need was to be met, as was the need of a world which had waited even longer.
34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately.
Peter approaches the paralyzed man, and calling him by name, calls on him to arise. The healing is carried out in the name of Jesus the Messiah, and Aeneas immediately rises. It is Jesus the Messiah Who now offers hope to all, and can relieve the paralysis of the world.
35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
And the result was that the people of Lydda and in the Plain of Sharon round about responded almost as one, and turned to the Lord as they saw the paralyzed man walking among them. They had been spiritually paralyzed and now they were healed. Note the dual implication of the fact that they turned ‘to the Lord’ Jesus Christ.
But the new ministry offered not only healing but life. In the bringing of the Good News the life of God has been made available for the people of God and here this is now depicted in the raising of the dead. The Spirit of life was active through Peter. It is a reminder of Pentecost, and that the Spirit’s work there continues. But it is also a pointer to what is to come. Just as Peter is here urgently called to raise the dead, so will he be urgently called to a seeking centurion who is also longing for life and is he symbolic of a whole Gentile world lying in darkness and awaiting life.
36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.
In Joppa (modern Jaffa) there was a godly woman named Tabitha, a Christian woman whose life was the product of her faith. She was full of good works and works of charity, a woman renowned and respected for what she did. Tabitha is Aramaic for ‘gazelle’, for which the Greek is ‘Dorcas’.
37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
But Tabitha fell sick, and died. As part of their ritual they washed her, and laid her in the upper room, in the guest chamber. We note here that although ‘signs and wonders’ were feature of the early church, they were not performed by just any special group of Christians. A believers are children of our Precious Holy God. The church in Joppa had been unable to prevent her from dying. To me they missed the proper application of Scripture. Did they boldly as God’s children ask the Great Physician to bring back their sister to life? We note here that they had enough faith to know that this miracle could happen. Their thoughts were that only the apostles especially Peter had a close enough relationship with the Lord to ask Him.
Well someone might be thinking, ’Hey Tom, we are talking about a biggie here. We’re talking about bringing a person back to life from the dead. In a way I agree with the consideration that asking the Lord to bring someone back from the dead is a bold request. I think this is why we need to develop our faith in asking God for the impossible. I think that if we see what we consider small requests answered then are faith is built up so that we ask our Great God for Him to answer even more impossible requests. Please notice that prior to this lady rising from the dead, we see Peter dealing with a person who was paralyzed. I can see my thoughts of steps of faith being developed here.
Now, to answer this point of anyone of us asking our Holy God for any miracle let me ask you a question. If you are God’s son or daughter do you think that you can be part of bringing a person from spiritual death to life in Christ? You know how – it is by witnessing to them the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. I know you are totally aware of being able to do this? Again, sadly many people today will not even attempt to do this because of fear. What do they do? They contact the Pastor to evangelize someone for them.
38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.
So when the followers of Christ in Joppa learned that Peter was at Lydda, they sent two men to him urgently pleading with him to come to them at Joppa. They were confident that he could raise her from the dead. We can compare with this how Cornelius, when he hears from an angel that Peter is at Joppa, similarly sends two men with equally urgent pleading. What is about to happen in Joppa will be multiplied in the household of Cornelius. Those who are dead will live.
39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
At their plea Peter went with them. And when he came to Tabitha’s house and entered the death room he found many weeping widows, and the fruit of Tabitha’s good life laid out for all to see.
40 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.
Reminiscent of our Lord Jesus’ dealings with Jairus’ daughter Peter put everyone from the room. As far as we know he had never tried to raise the dead before. And then he kneeled and prayed, and turning to the body said, “Tabitha, arise”. The parallels with the healing of Jairus’ daughter are such as to give us confidence that this incident has brought that one to Luke’s mind, and yet the differences are potent too. The Lord Jesus had not needed to kneel and pray. This is not just a carbon copy of that. Our Great and Mighty King Lord Jesus had had authority over death. Peter was a suppliant like we all are.
All the symbolism of what happened here must not take away from us the wonder that has been performed. Like his Master Peter raises the dead. Death has no mastery in the presence of one who comes in the name of Christ. ‘She opened her eyes.’ All knew that when someone died it was necessary to close their eyes. Only Christ could open them. And that was why he had come to open men’s eyes in a deeper sense.
Interestingly ‘Tabitha kumi’ (the Aramaic for ‘Tabitha arise’) is little different from the ‘Talitha kumi’ are Lord Jesus said with Jairus’ daughter, but as Luke does not draw the similarity out he would not expect his Gentile readers to realize it. On the other hand they would note the similarity between ‘Maid arise’ and ‘Tabitha arise’.
41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
Then Peter gave her his hand, and raised her from her lying in wait, and calling in the people of God, and especially the widows, he presented her alive. Once more the Christians are called ‘saints’, those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 1.2).
42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.
This mighty work could hardly fail in its effect, and it became known throughout Joppa, resulting in the fact that many believed. The Giver of life was at work and was now offering life to all.
But mightier still was what was to happen at the hand of Peter. For shortly the representative of a dead world would call on him, and at God’s command he would go to him and then would commence the bringing of life to the Gentiles.
It is difficult for us to appreciate the huge step that is now about to be described. To us it may all seem like a great fuss about nothing. But it was bringing about a total change in the way that Christian Jews would see Gentiles. It was doing nothing less than opening the Gentile world to the possibility of their becoming Christians without being circumcised and having to observe all the ritual regulations of the Jews.
For centuries the Jews had seen themselves as separated from the Gentiles by the question of religious ‘cleanness’ and ‘uncleanness’. On the whole Jews were ‘clean’ and Gentiles ‘unclean’ by virtue of the nature of their lives. This was because of the regulations that all orthodox Jews followed, some to a greater extent than others. This covered such things as washings, types of food eaten, contact with dead things, partaking of blood, contact with skin diseases, and contact with those who were ‘unclean’. That is why when Gentiles sought to become Jewish proselytes, and to become ‘members of the congregation of Israel’, and so able to enter the Court of Israel in the Temple and partake in the Passover, they had to initially ritualistically bathe themselves fully in order to remove the ‘uncleanness’ of the Gentile world, and be circumcised. After that they could be treated as full Jews.
43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.
The account is introduced by this indication of the whereabouts of Peter. It is significant in itself. No tanner would be allowed to ply his trade within the walls of Jerusalem or within 50 cubits of them. And that applied to all fully Jewish cities. A specific distance from the city was required for his trade premises (which would usually also be his home). There would, however, be a large number of tanneries around Jerusalem, outside the strict limits, as there was a large scale requirement for them in view of the abundance of hides that the priests obtained from all sacrifices that they offered for the hide went to the officiating priest. So while such tanners were looked down on, it was a useful trade that (in the usual hypocritical way that man has) all knew was required, even though it was one in which no ultra-respectable Jew would engage. Of course those who were brought up to the trade saw it differently through familiarity.
This requirement to be outside the city might not strictly apply in Joppa, for it was a multinational society, and such a provision might not have been enforceable, but it does serve to demonstrate that the trade was seen as ‘unclean’, and this was mainly because it meant constant association with dead matter. No respectable Jew would become involved with it, and there would be strict regulation and control applied to Jews who did, and a certain level of ostracism by the ‘more religious’ who were fastidious about ‘uncleanness’.
With this information I want you to read ahead in the next chapter and think about Peter’s upcoming interaction with the Roman household of Cornelius. A Gentile in which the Jews considered unclean just like they would a ‘tanner.’
