and now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. [acts 13:11]
blind and unable to see
this account of Elymas the magician having blindness put upon him can be simultaneously unnerving yet encouraging.
i am amazed at the power that paul displays here – paul simply commands that the man will be blinded, and he is immediately blind.
this is a stark warning to those who would attempt to interfere in the world of God.
elymas, also called bar-jesus, was a type of sorcerer or magician. He was familiar with calling on dark spirits, and using tricks to persuade people he possessed a great type of supernatural ability.
he seemed to believe that he was the master of his own destiny: that God was a threat to his charade, that he could stifle the work of God by appealing to appointed rulers, that political power surpassed heavenly power, that his trickery could interfere with the truth of God.
He quickly learned the hard way that this is not the case. It is a reminder that no one and no thing can stand in the way of what God can and will accomplish in his strength and power. May we never be found in a position of quenching the Spirit or striving against the precepts of God!
Most importantly is the strong encouragement in this event.
paul knew what it was to be blinded by the holy spirit, and it is that power which paul draws upon to call blindness upon this sorcerer. It is an encouraging reminder that the power of the holy spirit, which dwells within each believer, is no less powerful today than it was then. the Spirit can accomplish things that we cannot. the power of the Holy Spirit is, simply put, supernatural, and actively at work among us. think of what God can accomplish when we are fully surrendered to his spirit and his power! while calling down blindness may or may not be on our agenda for today, we know that God is possible of all things, and through him, and in His power alone, so are we.
~ jason soroski