Acts 13 is full of drama! One of the lessons to be learned is the way Paul made use of the Old Testament in his preaching. He uses no less than seven quotations from five Old Testament books as he taught a large audience at Antioch in Pisidia (south eastern Turkey). It is disappointing that many Christians today rarely read the Old Testament.

It is also sad to see that there were “scoffers” in Paul’s audience. He told them to “Look out”, quoting a warning from the prophet Habakkuk, who wrote, “Look you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work which you will not believe, even if one tells you of it” (Acts 13:41 and Habakkuk 1:5).

History is full of examples of scoffers. Today we have those who scoff at any belief in God and His creative work. Paul encountered scoffers at Athens who “mocked” (Acts 17:32) when “they heard about the resurrection of the dead”. These scoffers had convinced themselves by their own reasoning that they had an immortal soul and that bodily resurrection was unthinkable. We do not find the phrase “immortal soul” in God’s word and for good reason.

Actually we read today Paul’s reference to David who “after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption” (Acts 13:36). David concluded Psalm 17 with these words, “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness”.

Notice God’s final words to Daniel in the last verse of his book, “… you shall rest and stand in your allotted place at the end of the days”. Let us not scoff at anything that God has caused to be written and preserved for our enlightenment.