Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying, "We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God." Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks. But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome." Acts 23:9-11

Those rascals were at it again! The Pharisees and the Sadducees, two very different rival parties within Judaism turned on each other. They were united only for a heartbeat in their common hatred of all things Christian. But when Paul stealthily reminded them how much they hated each other, their ire shifted away from Paul (and Christ) and onto their intramural hatred of each other.

Upon learning that Paul was also a Pharisee by training, the fiercely loyal-to-their-party Pharisees defended him and attacked the Sadducees. As the text says, the feud became so intense that the Roman officials rescued Paul from the fray. After all, Paul was a Roman citizen, and it is very likely that none of the Jewish religious leaders enjoyed the benefits of Roman citizenship. Paul remained in custody for a couple of days, however.

But then the Savior appeared to him, encouraging him that He had plans for Paul. Those plans included Paul preaching in Rome. That Paul would remain in custody even in Rome is a reminder that though God’s plans are always good and for His glory they are not always pleasant!

There are times when it appears that all is lost, but the Lord almost always has more plans for our lives. He doesn’t always reveal what they are (as He did for Paul), but as long as we are alive, we are not done! God has more for us to do! So be encouraged!