Douglas Jacoby Podcast

CLEAN – podcast 27, Tabitha

Episode Summary

Douglas continues his series called CLEAN, today looking at Tabitha.

Episode Notes

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Introductory

• Today’s reanimation is well-known and touching.
• Tabitha will be raised from the dead -- the eighth reanimation in the Bible.

Scriptural study: Acts 9:36-42 

• Tabitha (or Dorcas, meaning gazelle), seems to have been an energetic and serving Christian sister (9:36). Like Peter, she had both a Semitic and a Greek name. Keep in mind that Greek was the lingua franca of the Mediterranean world, even though many residents were Semites (like the Egyptians and Palestinians).
• Peter was in Lydda, not far from Tabitha, who lived in Joppa (v.38). The distance is a little over 20 km (13 miles), less than a day’s walk.
• The disciples who invited Peter may have hoped he would bring her back from the dead. It wouldn’t be the first time Peter had worked such a miracle (Luke 9:2). Or they may have simply known of their relationship and been confident Peter would want to pay his respects. The text doesn’t tell us what their exact motive was.
• Have you ever wondered why Peter came to her side (v.39)? Yes, he was in the area, but there’s more. Christians must have been dying all the time. (After all, death comes to all, believers and unbelievers alike). Tabitha was evidently a person of some significance, perhaps even a colleague of the great apostle Peter.
• Quite a crowd has gathered (v.39), perhaps similar to the crowd Peter will join in the following chapter when he meets Cornelius in Caesarea.
• Dorcas didn’t consider herself too important to serve others in modest ways – in her case, by making clothing (v.39).
• These garments were tangible items connecting people with their departed benefactor. It’s little things like these that link us, emotionally at least, to our loved ones.
• A smaller circle will witness the reanimation.
• Peter prays before commanding Tabitha to rise.
• Peter addresses the deceased (v.40).
• This is a nice parallel to John 11:43, where Jesus addresses Lazarus.
• Once her eyes are open, she sees Peter—and apparently recognizes him (v.40). They didn’t have Facebook back then. It is certainly a good possibility that they had met before, or were even (as I like to believe) colleagues in Christian ministry. It is her recognition of Peter that leads her to sit up, take his hand, and get down from the bed / bier.
• He then touches I wonder whether there is a connection with Acts 10, where Peter initially considers Gentiles unclean. In Jewish law, contact with a corpse makes one unclean. Of course, once she rose, Tabitha was no corpse, nor could she contaminate anyone.
• Peter then summons “the saints and widows” (v.41). There were many widows in the early church (see esp. Acts 6 and 1 Tim 5), in part because women married considerably younger than men. Either Luke (the author of Acts) is referring to the widows who were saints – that is, holy widows – or two groups of persons, in which case the saints would have included men, too. Of course never in the Bible is the term “saints” (holy ones) limited to dead persons of extraordinary virtue. Saint is but one of multiple terms for a follower of Christ.
• Imagine the joy among the saints and widows. Perhaps their expressions of joy equaled in volume and intensity their expressions of sadness they expressed when Tabitha was dead (v.39).
• Thus in her life, death, and life (again), Tabitha influenced many for the Lord.

For consideration

• When people are mentioned by name in the Bible, there is usually a reason: they are well known. I used to be dismissive of the minor characters of the Bible—but no more! (In fact, in the OT and NT character podcasts, I have tried to give time to major and minor characters alike.)
• Many of you who are listening to this lesson are busy people. You may well have significant leadership responsibility—as I suspect Tabitha had. Let’s never be too busy for people, or too busy for the thoughtful gestures that will mean so much to others—especially after we’re gone.
• This story is a great reminder to care about people—to be kind, and to serve.
• In our world, where men still tend to value themselves more than the fairer sex, the story is also a great reminder of the dignity and worth of women. The Prince of the Apostles wasn’t too princely to care about an old woman, and those who insisted he make the six-hour walk to Tabitha’s bedside were able to persuade him to make the journey -- which led to Tabitha's return to life!