Saul was completely overwhelmed and immediately submitted, asking, 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?'
When Saul heard the voice from heaven answer 'I am Jesus,' he realized that the Jesus he hated and considered an impostor was actually Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This realization 'melted him like wax' in Les Feldick's words, and he immediately yielded without argument. His conversion was instantaneous—he did not debate but asked what the Lord wanted him to do.
Acts 9:5 — This verse records Saul's exact question and the Lord's answer: 'Who art thou, Lord?' and 'I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.'
In Acts 9, Saul—breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord—was on his way to Damascus to arrest Jewish followers of Christ and bring them bound to Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-2). As he journeyed, a light from heaven suddenly shone around him, and he fell to the earth. A voice said, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' (Acts 9:4). Saul answered, 'Who art thou, Lord?' and the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus whom thou persecutest' (Acts 9:5).
Les Feldick emphasizes that Saul, as a devout Jew, knew that the voice speaking from heaven was that of Jehovah—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Even though Saul would not breathe the name Jehovah aloud out of reverence, mentally he was asking, 'Who art thou, Jehovah?' When the voice answered 'I am Jesus,' Saul was utterly shocked because the one he thought was his enemy—Jesus of Nazareth—was in reality the same God he had been serving.
Saul knew the voice was coming from the presence of God. As a religious Jew, his instinct was that his God—Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—was dealing with him. When he asked 'Who art thou, Lord?' he was thinking 'Who art thou, Jehovah?' because in the Old Testament the synonymous name for Lord was Jehovah.
Les describes the effect on Saul as melting him like wax. The realization that Jehovah was claiming to be Jesus of Nazareth—whom Saul hated, detested, and considered an impostor and blasphemer—was so overwhelming that Saul fell to the ground, physically blinded, in order to see spiritually who Jesus really was. He did not argue or debate; he was changed immediately and asked, 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?'
Les points out that beginning in Genesis 2:4, the Bible begins referring to 'the Lord God,' which marks the start of the reference to Jehovah as God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. All through the Old Testament, Jehovah and God the Son are the same personality. This same Jehovah became flesh through the virgin birth, and now His name is Jesus.
Saul immediately submitted to the Lord. Rather than continuing his mission to bind Jewish believers and bring them to Jerusalem, he recognized that he had been fighting against the very Lord he thought he was serving. In that moment, everything changed—he did not need an hour to figure out who the Lord was. He yielded completely and asked what the Lord wanted him to do.
Saul's Mission Before Conversion
Les describes Saul as a religious fanatic breathing out threatenings and slaughter, on his way to Damascus to bring Jewish followers of Christ bound to Jerusalem—this sets the stage for his sudden change.
Jehovah as the Synonymous Name for Lord
Les explains that a good Jew would not breathe the name Jehovah aloud, but mentally Saul was asking 'Who art thou, Jehovah?' Then the Lord answered 'I am Jesus,' which was shocking.
Jesus Is Jehovah from the Old Testament
Les teaches that Jesus is the same Jehovah from the Old Testament—God the Son, who became flesh through the virgin birth. The one Saul thought he was hating was actually his own God.
Saul Melted Like Wax
Les vividly describes Saul's reaction as melting like wax, falling to the ground physically blinded in order to see spiritually who Jesus really was.
Saul Knew He Was in God's Presence
Les says Saul knew the voice was coming from the presence of God, and he would have said 'Who art thou, Jehovah?' had it not been for his awe of the name.
The Transcending Realization
Les emphasizes that Saul thought he was doing the work of Jehovah by stamping out Jesus, only to realize his enemy was actually the God of Abraham—a transcending experience that led to immediate surrender.
Biblical Timeline: Creation to Christ's Kingdom!
Period. See? And you go all the way into Saul's conversion, before the Gospel of Grace has even been whispered. And Saul has that tremendous conversion experience on the road to Damascus. And after his body had been replenished with food and he'd gotten his sight back, he goes straight to the synagogue of the Jews. And what does he preach? That Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God.
Saul's Second-Nature Response
Les explains that Saul looked up knowing the light was from heaven, and second nature told him his God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—was dealing with him.
Acts 9:3-5: And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
This is the core passage where Saul realizes that Jesus is Jehovah, the God he thought he was serving.
Acts 9:6: And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
This shows Saul's immediate response of trembling submission and his question asking what the Lord wanted him to do.
Genesis 2:4: These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
Les uses this verse to show where the Bible begins to use 'LORD God' (Jehovah), identifying Jehovah as God the Son in the Old Testament.
Acts 9:1-2: And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
This describes Saul's mission before his conversion, showing that he was actively persecuting believers and intending to bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Saul knew the voice was from heaven, but he did not yet know who the Lord was. He was thinking 'Who art thou, Jehovah?' because he recognized the voice was from the presence of God, but he did not expect the answer to be 'I am Jesus.'
Yes, according to Les Feldick, Saul was changed immediately. His realization that Jesus was Jehovah melted him like wax, and he immediately submitted, asking 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?' He did not argue or defend his previous actions.
Saul had considered Jesus a blasphemer and an impostor, and he thought he was doing the work of Jehovah by stamping out the name of Jesus. To suddenly realize that his enemy was actually the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was a transcending experience.
Watch the Teaching: Introducing Paul: Why God Stopped the Prophetic Clock