PAUL’S TRIP TO ARABIA
“But when God, who had set me apart even from my
mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in
me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult
with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles
before me; but went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.”
(Gal 1:15-17)
Going to “Arabia” shortly after Paul's encounter
with Jesus on the road to Damascus has always been a puzzling event in the reconstruction
of Paul’s travels. With no detailed
explanation, I long ago concluded that Paul was simply seeking the solitude of
the wilderness as he explored the implications of his new found understanding
of scripture. However, I missed a hint
found only three chapters later in Galatians, “Now…Mount Sinai in Arabia…,” (Gal
4:25). Whether archaeology agrees or
not, Paul considered Mount Sinai to be in Arabia. About two years ago Rich told me the same
thing, that is, Mount Sinai is actually in Arabia. (Thanks Rich.)
Traditionally Mount Sinai has been located in
the Sinai Peninsula, a logical location on a more direct path between Egypt and
Israel. The location was reportedly identified
by the mother of Constantine, who was responsible for fixing the site of many
biblical places. While the Sinai
Peninsula fell within the boundaries of the Roman Empire, the southern portion
of the Arabian Peninsula may have resided outside of the Empire. Whether this influenced the location of Mount
Sinai or not is unknown. What we know is
that Paul located “Mount Sinai in
Arabia.” Paul’s trip to Arabia now takes
on a deeper spiritual meaning, especially when we overlay Paul’s journey on top
of a similar trip taken by Elijah.
Seven hundred years earlier, the death of the
Baal prophets did not bring about the repentance of Ahab and Jezebel. Instead, “Jezebel
sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me and even more if
I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this
time,’” (1 Kings 19:2). In fear, Elijah fled into the wilderness to “Horeb, the mountain of God,” (1 Kings 19:8), where he fasted for
forty days and forty nights just as Moses had done. Horeb is the same location where the angel of
the LORD first appeared to Moses in a blazing fire from the midst of the bush, (Ex 3:1-2).
Horeb is also considered synonymous with Mount Sinai (Ex 3:12), where the LORD
spoke in covenantal love to the nation of Israel.
Why Elijah came to Mount Horeb is highly
speculated. Elijah may have sought protection
from Ahab and Jezebel or he may have come to be reassured that the covenantal
promises were still in effect, “I have
been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have
forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the
sword. And I alone am left; and they
seek my life, to take it away,” (1
Kings 19:11&14). Elijah refers
to himself as “very zealous”, a term
also used by Paul to describe himself, “extremely
zealous for my ancestral traditions,” (Gal
1:14). Perhaps Paul hoped to find
the same strength and encouragement for his calling that Elijah found in the
presence of God,
“And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the
mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was
not in the wind. And after the wind an
earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earth quake. After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was
not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.” (1 Kings 19:11-12)
Did persecution drive Paul to Mount Sinai or
did he merely feel compelled to retrace the steps of Elijah and find the
encouragement from God that Elijah had found 700 years earlier? Scripture is mute on the particulars. Perhaps Paul saw Mount Sinai as a testimony to
the fact that his calling and ministry were from the LORD.
It is fitting to consider that the beginning
of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles began at the same location where the LORD had
conveyed His original covenant to Israel.
At the conclusion of Elijah’s encounter, the LORD told Elijah, “Go return on your way to the wilderness
of Damascus,” (1 Kings 19:15). In a similar way, Paul, “returned once more to Damascus” (Gal 1:17), to undertake his calling.
Scripture does not provide a reason why Paul
went to Arabia, or even what he encountered while in Arabia. We do know that the story of Elijah’s trip
was familiar to Paul and that Paul found sufficient encouragement from the
story to include in his letter to the Romans.
“What is the divine response to him? ‘I have kept
for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal’ In the same way then, there has also come to
be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice,” (Rom 11:4-5).
If the LORD supported
Elijah, even when Elijah thought himself to be the sole source of salvation,
than surely the LORD would equally support Paul in his calling, (Acts 18:10).
So now comes the start of another year on
the Greek calendar and a chance to begin again.
Maybe we should, each in his own way, take the opportunity at the start
of a new year to return to Mount Sinai in Arabia, to the place where we professed
our faithfulness to the calling of Him Who is faithful, that we might find strength and
help in time of need,
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you,
so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance
for every good deed,” (2 Cor 9:8).
All the Best for a Good New Year = Scott
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