Acts 19:29-41 

²⁹ Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together.³⁰ Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. ³¹ Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. ³² The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. ³³ The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. ³⁴ But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

³⁵ The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? ³⁶ Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. ³⁷ You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. ³⁸ If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. ³⁹ If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” ⁴¹ After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

Seven Samurai

In the movie “7-Samurai,” horse-riding bandits checked on a farming village they have raided and ransacked before. The bandits’ leader decided to come back after the harvest. A villager overheard the bandits’ plan and warned the rest of the villagers. The village elder declared that they must hire samurai to defend their village.

[A Samurai was a Japanese warrior in the 11^th-19^th century].

Seven Samurai responded to help the farmers. They trained the farmers and construct barricades together in preparation for the attack. With the help of the 7 Samurai, the bandits were defeated.

This story plot [where there’s intimidation and then comes intervention] has been a pattern from Divine Drama often pictured among the people of God. We can easily notice a similar story plot in the life of the Israelites and the 1^st century Christians.

The book of Acts narrated that intimidation was frequently experienced by the disciples. God often intervened on behalf of the intimidated believers.

1. Intimidation

²⁹ Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together.

³² The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. ³³ The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. ³⁴ But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Demetrius and the other traders utilized religiosity to gather the crowd in the hope to protect their business rackets. Religious people and others who did not understand what was happening joined the riot. Most of them were just curious. Shouting for 2 hours is really remarkable. What made the crowd persisted to shout for 2 hours? The enemy of the gospel planted religious Demetrius to promote their hidden personal agenda. They invite unsuspecting church members to occasion outside the church and gather support of those who have similar vested interest.

Demetrius and the craftsmen presented themselves as protectors of Artemis.

The religious people of Ephesus were defending the goddess Artemis because she is not God and cannot defend herself. The riot in Ephesus is another example of the reality that Jesus did not come to bring peace on earth. It says in Luke 12:51, ⁵¹ Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.

There will always resistance when the Spirit of Christ is at work. The sinful nature resists anything that comes from God. It’s human sinful nature to resist anything. When the pride is affected, it will resist. Anything opposed to the pride is unacceptable. The crowd seized Gaius and Aristarchus who were from Macedonia. They assumed that these foreigners has caused disturbance in Ephesus but it was their resistance to the gospel that brought them confusion.

Pilate

Pilate, the governor of Judea found no basis for a charge against Jesus. He tried to set Jesus free but he was intimidated by the confused crowd. John 19:12, ¹² From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

Pilate was assigned as governor to maintain peace in Judea. He handed Jesus to be crucified just to pacify the crowd. God allowed Pilate to be intimidated by the crowd so that the Divine Drama of salvation will be accomplished.

God allows people to intimidate His servants as part of Divine Drama. God intervenes on behalf of His servant to accomplish His will. Have you been intimidated by other people and experienced the intervention of the Lord?

2.  Intervention

³⁰ Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. ³¹ Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit that he feared nothing. No intimidation or threat can scare him. God must have impressed in the hearts of the disciples and officials of the province to prevent Paul from going to the riot. God has better storyline for the uproar. God did not allow Paul to be hurt at that time. Wherever Paul went, God has prepared someone to take care for him or the situation.

³⁵ The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? ³⁶ Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. ³⁷ You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. ³⁸ If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. ³⁹ If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” ⁴¹ After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

The clerk was no ordinary employee of the city. He was a person of learning. A city clerk in those times should be knowledgeable of the law. The city clerk has a respectable authority and the people knew that. He presented his speech with technical reality and circumstances. The people were alarmed of possible consequences of their actions. They obeyed him when he dismissed them.

It’s no easy task for a battalion of police officers with guns and fighting gears to disperse a crowd or riots these days. But the city clerk in Ephesus did not need to have the back up of armed soldiers. It must have been an intervention from God that the crowd unanimously listened and obeyed the city clerk.

Baltimore Riot

Riot has become an excuse for wild people to turn against police officers or destroy things. They destroy properties or hurt people in authority. Have you watched the video of a mother who scolded her son who participated in the Baltimore riot? In the video posted in the internet, the mother chased and scolded her son.

If you were the youth who participated in throwing stone to police officers and you mother saw you, then, she chased you and slapped you, could you imagine the teasing and mocking among your peers? The youth was interviewed and he was very repentant. How many mothers or fathers have the courage to discipline their children these days even if it means humiliating them in public? How many Christian parents would intervene when their children are doing wrong?

These days, parents are more scared of their children than in the past. It is only by God’s grace that parents can be better parents to children. During the riot in Ephesus, God worked in the life of the disciples, the officials of the province, and the city clerk to intervene for the welfare of His servants. God allows intimidation and then He intervenes as necessary storyline of the Divine Drama. Paul has experienced the Lord’s intervention over and over again.

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