What did God tell Saul at the time of his conversion and what instructions did he have?
At his conversion, God told Saul only that he would suffer for His name; no explicit instructions were given yet about where to go. Saul, later Paul, was to go primarily to the Gentiles, while a few Jews would also come into the Body of Christ.
Les explains that Saul was outside Damascus, in pitch darkness, not knowing where he was going, and with no explicit instructions yet about his destination. All God had said was that Saul would suffer for His name. Les asks listeners to imagine themselves in Saul's shoes and notes that common sense would send him back to Jerusalem to Peter, James, and John, the men who had been with Jesus three years and led the group Saul had tried to destroy. Instead, Saul did not confer with flesh and blood. The context also shows Saul, now Paul, would go primarily to the Gentiles, though a few Jews would come into the Body of Christ.