Paul has been comforted by the appearance of Jesus standing next to him in the night, as he is in the custody of the Roman cohort. He knows he will be going to Rome, but he does not know how his captivity in Jerusalem will end.
In ghastly disunity, others are plotting that very end:
“When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priest and elders and said, ‘We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near’” (Ac 23:12-15).
To what extent will religious leaders go under the mask of false unity to eliminate any opposition? One thing is certain: they will certainly err along the way and encounter the living God face to face:
“Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, ‘Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.’ So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, ‘Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.’ The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, ‘What is it that you have to tell me?’ And he said, ‘The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.’” So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, ‘Tell no one that you have informed me of these things’” (Ac 23:16-22).
There is nothing more damaging to perfect unity with fellow believers and with God himself than church gossip. Paul’s nephew did not directly overhear the plot to kill Paul; he heard it through the grapevine. The high and mighty erred in their arrogance and were betrayed by their own loose lips.
Of course, since these leaders are highly respected and supposedly above reproach of any kind, we might assume they will honor their oath and starve to death waiting for Paul to emerge from the barracks. Right?
No, like villains in a bad movie, they will instead spit out in bitterness, “Rats! Foiled again!” And they will disappear into the night, eating and drinking until another opportunity arises.
Hurry back and ride with Paul, a prisoner for Jesus, but still alive!