Act 13:22 | KingComments | STEP | By noticing that God “removed” him, Paul points out, veiled, that Saul was not the king after God’s heart. Paul’s focus in his speech is on David. He wants to talk about him because through David he wants to point to the Lord Jesus, the Man after God’s heart. With the election of David, God begins a completely different relationship with His people than before through the judges and the first king, Saul. Paul has told all the above to show how God saved His people again and again on the basis of sovereign grace. At the same time he makes it clear to his audience that he is not a modernist, but someone who brings the ‘old teaching’. From David the transition to the Lord Jesus is quickly made. This brings Paul to his actual subject. After all, Israel expected the Messiah and that expectation was linked to the house of David. The Messiah is the Son of David, born out of the house of David. Paul holds up to his audience that that promised Son of David was brought by God according to the promise to Israel in the Person of Jesus. The promise was made to David in the first place, but also to the whole people. He was brought by God to His people as a Savior. In that Name we hear the ‘salvation’. Paul mentions the predecessor of the Messiah, John, because they also knew John here. He also points to John’s preaching of the baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. His audience here in the Pisidian Antioch also belongs to that. By quoting the contents of John’s preaching, he already gives his hearers the indication of the need for conversion. Then he lets John speak. After completing his task, i.e. shortly before his imprisonment, John rejected all honor for himself and pointed to Him Who is worthy of all the honor, from him and everyone, for He surpasses all and everyone.

‏ Acts 13:22

Period From David to the Lord Jesus

By noticing that God “removed” him, Paul points out, veiled, that Saul was not the king after God’s heart. Paul’s focus in his speech is on David. He wants to talk about him because through David he wants to point to the Lord Jesus, the Man after God’s heart. With the election of David, God begins a completely different relationship with His people than before through the judges and the first king, Saul. Paul has told all the above to show how God saved His people again and again on the basis of sovereign grace. At the same time he makes it clear to his audience that he is not a modernist, but someone who brings the ‘old teaching’.

From David the transition to the Lord Jesus is quickly made. This brings Paul to his actual subject. After all, Israel expected the Messiah and that expectation was linked to the house of David. The Messiah is the Son of David, born out of the house of David. Paul holds up to his audience that that promised Son of David was brought by God according to the promise to Israel in the Person of Jesus. The promise was made to David in the first place, but also to the whole people. He was brought by God to His people as a Savior. In that Name we hear the ‘salvation’.

Paul mentions the predecessor of the Messiah, John, because they also knew John here. He also points to John’s preaching of the baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. His audience here in the Pisidian Antioch also belongs to that. By quoting the contents of John’s preaching, he already gives his hearers the indication of the need for conversion. Then he lets John speak. After completing his task, i.e. shortly before his imprisonment, John rejected all honor for himself and pointed to Him Who is worthy of all the honor, from him and everyone, for He surpasses all and everyone.