9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
Verses 9-16 consist of a unique vision given to Peter so that he would be open to reaching Gentiles for Christ. This vision is about unclean animals, which offends Peter’s Jewish sensibilities.
10:9
The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city,
The “they” here are the delegation of two servants and a military person sent by the centurion Cornelius while they drew close to Joppa (Acts 10:7).
Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.
Peter went up to a flat roof of a house to pray at about noon.
10:10
Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance
While Peter waited for a meal, he fell into a trance.
10:11
and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.
This verse begins to describe the content of Peter’s vision. He sees a four-cornered sheet descending on him.
10:12
In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
Verse 12 describes the content of the descended sheet with four kinds of animals. Apparently, some of the animals were unclean to Jews (Lev 11).
10:13
And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
After Peter sees the vision of unclean animals, a voice commands him to kill and eat the unclean animals in the sheet.
10:14
But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
Peter objects to eating the unclean animals from the sheet, although he has not eaten his requested meal. He was a Jew who still followed the dietary regulations of the law.
10:15
And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
Peter received a second command not to refuse what God had cleansed. He designed the dietary laws to protect the nation of Israel from health problems, a theocratic government. God has the right to change dietary laws but cannot change His moral laws.
10:16
This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
The voice commanded Peter to eat the unclean animals three times, and then God took the sheet back to heaven.
PRINCIPLE:
God changed His program from Israel to the church.
APPLICATION:
Peter’s vision of the animals in the sheet brought a new opening to the gospel; Gentiles are incorporated into the body of Christ, the church. Gentiles were unclean to Peter’s thinking; he was a kosher eater. Peter still struggled with allegiance to Old Testament regulations for the nation of Israel. Israel was God’s chosen nation and covenant people; Gentiles were outside God’s covenant with the Jews. However, the ceremonial law of the Old Testament is no longer extant. God broke down the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile (Eph 2:14; 3:6, 9). God had changed His program from the nation Israel to the church. He incorporated both Jew and Gentile into the body of Christ.
