Acts 1:13-26

v13: The disciples were waiting in the same place where they had spent Passover with Yeshua (Luke 22:12-13). There is a link between what happened at Passover to what was going to happen at Pentecost.

v14: They all continued with one accord: – they did not doubt that Yeshua would do what He had promised (James 1:6)

v15: “In those days” – they were unique days. The uniqueness of those days was that there was a unity and a diligence among the people who believed in Yeshua – No fractures or splits.

v16: This verse has a prophetic context. The Holy Spirit is the One who brings order into this world and into our lives. He moves to create order from chaos.

· ‘Spoke…by the mouth of David’ tells us this prophecy was written down in the Scripture available to them at that time (Ps41v9)

· Judas obviously refers to Judas Iscariot – the betrayer

v17: Matt 24:5 warns us that in the last days much of the false teaching is going to come from within us (those whom we trusted)

· G-d did not cause Judas to sin. But G-d has the ability to see into history (omniscient) and He saw what choices Judas was going to make. (for example: when we are sewing a dress we know what the final result should look like based on the pattern and material. We know this even before the dress is made)

v18: ‘Wages (reward) of iniquity’- so interesting to put these opposing concepts together.

· Judas committed suicide and exposed his shame for everyone to see.

v19: The language/dialect that they spoke was Aramaic.

v20: This first quote is from Psalm 69:25 (also good to read v22-28 to see the context)

· The second quote is from Psalm 109 (again for context read from verse 7-20)

v21-22: The person chosen to be the new (twelfth) apostle needed to have a history with Yeshua from the time that He was baptized until His ascension.

· This reminds me of Revelation 7v5-8. The tribe of Dan was the original tribe (one of Jacobs sons) but they were also replaced – by the tribe of Manasseh (Joseph’s son)

· As believers we have to believe that Yeshua’s body was physically raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:12-19). It is the foundation for the hope that we have.

v23: The commentaries from the early church fathers reveal that Joseph was a man well known (three names given for him) and many assumed he would be the one chosen. All we know about Matthias is his one name.

v24: Although Matthias wasn’t well known by man his heart was known by G-d.

· (like the dress pattern example) G-d has foreknowledge – He knows the future and He knows the choices that people, out of their own free will, are going to make. G-d does not choose some people for heaven and others for hell (this, called predestination, is a massive debate and is something you can search out for yourselves if you would like to).

· Election does not happen in a vacuum. G-d’s election of Matthias was based upon the fact that G-d fully and completely knew what was in his (Matthias’) heart.

v25: Judas left his place out of his own free will. G-d didn’t make him do the sin.

· As a lover of money Judas succumbed to temptation and acted in disobedience

v26: The idea of the casting of lots was for G-d’s decision to be made known and not mans (we see this in Jonah, see also Ex 28:29-30. The Urim and Thummim were 2 objects used by the high priest to answer a question or reveal the will of G-d)

· Once again there were 12 apostles (‘sent forth’- before they could be sent out they needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to submit to truth, walk in righteousness and be individuals who can carry out the functions of the Kingdom)