Candace is the queen of Ethiopia. That’s all we know about her. Some translations don’t even give her name, but instead call her the Kandake, which means the queen of Ethiopia. An important member of her cabinet, the treasurer, is in Jerusalem to worship God.
Returning to Ethiopia in his chariot, he reads from Isaiah’s prophecy but has trouble understanding it.
Meanwhile, God directs Philip into the desert for an undisclosed reason. As Philip walks along the arid trail, he meets the Ethiopian treasurer. Philip explains that the confusing passage refers to Jesus and tells the man who Jesus is and what he did.
The man receives Philip’s teaching about Jesus. When they come to some water, he asks Philip to baptize him. Philip does. Then he’s whisked away by the Holy Spirit, while the man continues his journey home, overflowing with joy.
When he gets there, I suspect he tells everyone about Jesus.
We see Candace as a wise leader, allowing one of her most trusted lieutenants time off for religious reasons. As a result, he returns a changed man, which likely influences his work, the government, and the nation in a positive way.
It’s easy for us to envision him telling Queen Candace about Jesus, but we’re left to wonder how she responds.
Who can we tell about Jesus?
[Discover more about Queen Candace in Acts 8:26–40.]
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
