“… a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship.” (Acts 8:27b)

Philip was sent by the Angel of the Lord to meet this particular man and none other. His entire reason for going to the desert was to meet this prepared sinner, who had been to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel. This man was a God-seeker, as his desire shows, having traveled many miles to come to Jerusalem to worship God.

Another proof that God had prepared this sinner is found in verse 28, “Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet.” These two facts prove, without a doubt, that God had quickened this sinner (made him alive; given him eyes to see and ears to hear; given him a thirst for truth). As Ephesians 2:1-3 reveal, unless a sinner is quickened by the Spirit of God (John 6:63), he is dead (spiritually dead; Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 2:14) in trespasses and sins. In his fallen state, Paul says he has the will of the old man (Ephesians 4:22) which is to sin; which is to have the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life as his goal (1 John 2:15-17). He is under the rule of the law of sin and death.

(Ephesians 2:2-3) “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

He is a servant of unrighteousness, whose fruit is evil lusts and unrighteousness (Galatians 5:19-21).

However, when a man has been quickened (or made alive), he is then is drawn to God; taught by God; and thus comes to God.

(John 6:44-45) “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (45)  It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”

In this process, being born from above (John 3:3-8), he is given the Spirit of God to draw him, teach him, and bring him to confess Jesus Christ as his Savior. In Romans 3, 6, 7, and 8, Paul defines this process. A quickened sinner is shown first the knowledge of his sin. (Read Romans 3:19-20.)  And the Spirit of God takes the Law of God and convinces and convicts the sinner of his sin and slays him (Romans 7:5-11). Godly sorrow is worked in him; which worketh repentance. The sinner is then brought to see Christ, his only Hope for his rescue from the bondage of sin (spiritual death).

The story of the Ethiopian of Acts 8:26-39, reveals the steps in this process from quickening to birth (conversion). The sinner, the Ethiopian, was prepared now for the Sent Messenger of God with the message of Hope in Christ. The Ethiopian was reading Isaiah 53:1-12, but could not understand fully of whom the Prophet Isaiah was speaking. Then, the Provision of God arrived, not too early or not too late, but right on the time of God’s schedule.

Man of God, just go when God sends. Don’t worry about the time. God will manifest the reason and the exact time of action as He did in this story of Acts 8:26-39.