God Cleansed the Unholy
Scripture Passage: Acts 10:9-23a (NASB)
9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he *saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and on it were all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in [i]mind as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked directions to Simon’s house, and they appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” 21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.
SUMMARY
Peter goes up to pray at lunchtime and becomes hungry. He falls into a trance and sees a vision of a great sheet coming down from the sky full of all kinds of animals. A voice tells him to get up, kill and eat, but Peter says he has never eaten anything unholy. God tells him that what God has cleansed is no longer considered unholy.
REFLECTION
Peter holds onto his old understanding and learning prior to God's salvation on the cross. He tried to understand the vision in his own way on how to act and cannot understand God's instructions that he should be able to take action now to eat the food, through the cleansing that the cross provided for him. In the end, God repeats the instructions 3 times and eventually takes away the animals he had set in front of Peter.
It's interesting because it says in the passage that food was being prepared in the home while he was out for prayer with God. He was hungry, God wanted to fulfill his desire for food, and though God presented animals in front of him, he considered it unclean. It seems like he was just going to wait for his meal prepared with human hands instead. There are times that I also wait for human hands, or try and do things on my own because I don't understand God's way or I'm used to having things prepared a certain way. I block God's blessing by being unwilling to try His new way.
APPLICATION
After the food is taken away, Peter reflects on the vision he had just seen. I wonder if he had taken action to kill the animal and eat, if it would not have been just a vision, but turned into real food for him. God's command to kill and eat makes it seem like Peter could have actually fed himself if he had obeyed.
As I reflect on this I think of the opportunities that God gives me in my daily life and how many things could have become a reality, but remain a vision because of my lack of obedience and unwillingness to understand God's plan instead of my own. Many times I do not obey, whether it's trying out a new skill, something new at work, or talking about God and evangelizing to new people. I let past experiences and rules hold me back. However, in my times of prayer, I will remember that God does speak to me personally and obey what he is saying to me instead of brushing it off and see how my obedience changes the circumstances around me and experience more of God's blessing in my life.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank you for always knowing and providing the desires of my heart. I pray that today I will walk in obedience and in the hope and expectation of you speaking to me. I pray I will turn what you say into a reality through obedience and that I will have something greater to fill me than what myself or other people can provide. I pray I will accept what can only come from you instead. In Jesus name, amen.
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