There was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. (Acts 8:27-28)
Acts 8:27 describes the Ethiopian as a high official—literally, a “ruler”—in the court of Queen Candace. As was often the case with officials near to a queen or king, he was a eunuch, probably meaning that his male organs had been removed surgically. He was responsible for the queen’s entire royal treasury. In today’s Great Britain, we might call him the queen’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, or in other countries, the Minister of Finance. Yet, for all his importance and busy schedule, he was still a man, a creature made by God. Every breath he breathed was a gift from God. He traveled well over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) to Jerusalem to worship his Creator. Believing that the Creator communicates, the Ethiopian was reading the Scriptures. That was when Philip arrived, sent by the Creator who wants to communicate with His creature.