Acts 8:26-40 Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

Today Philip continues his evangelism ministry. This time an angel of the Lord tells Philip to go to the desert road where he meets an Ethiopian eunuch. This man was important at home; he was in charge of the queen of Ethiopia’s treasury. He was also a gentile who worshiped God. Philip finds him reading a passage from Isaiah, so Philip asks him if he understands what he is reading. The eunuch says he can’t unless someone explains it to him and he invites Philip to join him and explain who Isaiah is talking about. Philip shares the Good News of Christ and the eunuch is baptized. Now that Philip’s mission is done, he is spirited away and the eunuch goes on his way.

It seems that Philip didn’t question what he heard, but rushed to obey the angel. How did Philip know the voice he heard was an angel? What made him stop what he was doing and go unquestionably to the road and speak to the eunuch? What would have happened if Philip ignored the angel? Would the eunuch have been baptized by someone else?

An angel by definition is a messenger of God. But how do we recognize an angel when we hear or see one? Have you heard the voice of an angel and obeyed? What happened? Have you heard a voice, felt prompted to do something, but ignored it? Do you think God called someone else to do what you didn’t do? Or did whatever you were called to do go undone?