Deus ex machina

Acts 8:34
    “So the eunuch answered Philip and said ‘I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” NKJV

    The Ethiopian asked a direct question about the text he was reading. A direct question whose answer was Jesus.
    With a quick read over, it is easy to miss how perfectly planned this whole event was. We know that God used Philip and directed him where and when to go. That part is easy to understand. Philip was a believer and a man of God.
    But it is easy to miss that God also directed this moment for the Ethiopian. We can only guess at how He did this. Maybe God put it into the Ethiopian’s heart to read from Isaiah that day. Or maybe God waited and knew the moment the Ethiopian would reach that part of scripture but however he did it He planned it so Philip would arrive at the perfect time.
    To me, that is beautiful. God saw at what time the Ethiopian would need help. God knew how long it would take Philip to get to the chariot from where he was. So He chose the perfect time to send his angel and start Philip on his way. Then everything fell into place because Philip was obedient.
    I need to remember that God sees all, present past and future. And that sometimes what appears to be happenstance is too coincidental to be coincidence.


About the Title:
Deus ex machina comes from Greek plays. It was a technique where the gods would come in and set things right at the last moment. In modern writing lingo, it is known as a cliche and something to avoid unless you go satire or comedy.
I love this passage because you can truly see the hand of God fixing the plot.