They traveled to the district of Macedonia and stayed in Philippi, a Roman colony, for several days.

Let’s pick up reading in Acts 16:13, “And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.” In the mind of a Hebrew, a “place of prayer” would be a synagogue (a house of worship).  The IVP says, “But in places with no official synagogue, Jewish people preferred to meet in a ritually pure place near water; ritual washing of hands before prayer seems to have been standard in the Diaspora, and excavations show the importance of water to synagogues.” I find this very interesting that it was their custom to position the place of worship near water.  When you ponder all the uses of water that Yeshua alone uses, it makes this practice much more significant than one may realize on the surface.  Yeshua said in John 7:37-38, “37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Yeshua stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” The things we do in the natural often demonstrates eternal truths.    

Let’s continue in Acts 16:14-15; “14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of Elohim, was listening [the first step to understanding is we must first be willing to listen]; and Adonai opened her heart [gave her the Spirit of Understanding] to respond to the things spoken by Paul [Lydia was a worshipper of the true Elohim, YHVH, but she had yet to understand about Yeshua as the Messiah]. 15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to Adonai, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.” Lydia’s response to salvation was to show hospitality and service to the servants of Elohim.  The IVP says, “The name “Lydia,” though common, would be especially natural for a woman from Thyatira, which was in the region of ancient Lydia. Thyatira was known for its dyers’ guilds and textiles, and inscriptions show that other Thyatiran business agents also sold purple dye in Macedonia, becoming prosperous (although Macedonians, like inhabitants of most of the Empire, were generally poor, Macedonia had historically been one of the more prosperous provinces). Her name and trade may indicate that she was a freedwoman (former slave);  many traders in purple dye were freedwomen who continued to work as agents of their former masters’ businesses.” Lydia had been made free in the natural and in the spiritual by receiving Yeshua as Messiah.

Paul listened to the man in the vision, Lydia listened to Paul and the outcome was understanding unto salvation.  This is a pattern that translates into every area of our lives. The Spirit of Understanding has fertile soil to grow in the heart of a person who will be determined to first listen [Shema…hear with the intent to obey] and then understanding will come.

Have a blessed and shalom filled day!!

Shalom & Blessings,

Courtesy of
River of Life Tabernacle
Tammy McLendon
Great peace have they who love Your law. Psalm 119:165a