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Word of the Day: Acts 9:43

Word of the Day

"And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon."
Acts 9:43

On the surface this verse doesn't seem very significant, does it? That's what I thought too until I began to look into who Simon was. Simon was a tanner, which meant he dealt with the skins of dead animals. The Jewish culture of the day would strictly forbid anyone to associate with someone with this occupation. In fact "the trade of a tanner was held in such supreme contempt that if a girl was betrothed to a tanner without knowing that he followed that calling, the betrothal was void." (Morgan)

Peter had just come from being used of God to raise Dorcas, a woman "abounding with deeds of kindness and charity". He was probably being looked upon very favorably for being able to heal the woman, which meant he could have chosen many places to stay. Choosing to stay with Simon not just for one night, but for many days shows to me a heart full of humility, a humble servant.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Phil 2:3-4

Dedicated to Prayer
Dave
Heb 4:16