Definition: And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Explanation: Okay, letโs break down this passage from Acts 7:60 together. It's a really interesting and somewhat mysterious part of the story. Here's what it means in simpler terms: Basically, it describes a moment of intense distress and a plea for God to stop something terrible. โAnd he kneeled downโฆโ - This shows that someone was deeply worried or upset. They were likely facing a difficult situation. โโฆand cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.โ โ This is the core of it. The person was expressing a strong feeling of concern and perhaps even anger. They were saying, "Lord, don't let this thing happen to them." โSinโ in this context isnโt necessarily a specific act of wrongdoing, but rather a problem or a difficult situation that could cause harm. โAnd when he had said this, he fell asleep.โ โ This is the crucial part. As they were speaking this plea, God seemingly paused or relieved himself of his responsibility to intervene in a way that might be harmful. He stopped being actively involved in protecting them. What does it tell us about Godโs relationship with people? This passage suggests a few things: God's Empathy: It shows that God understands and feels the pain of others, even when they are facing difficult challenges. His Willingness to Let Things Happen: It implies that sometimes, God allows things to unfold naturally without direct intervention. He might be letting events take their course, even if itโs not what we would expect. Trust and Patience: It also hints at a sense of trust โ that God is allowing things to happen despite the person's distress. Itโs a bit symbolic. The act of falling asleep isn't necessarily a literal physical action, but rather a representation of God relinquishing his role in protecting this particular situation. Do you want me to: Explain another verse from Acts 7? Discuss the context of this passage within the larger story of the book of Acts?