Why was Paul Forbidden from Preaching in Asia and Bithynia (Acts 16:6-7)?
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I do not know what the specific reason was that the Holy Spirit forbade and did not permit Paul, Silas, and Timothy to preach in these locations. The Bible does not say other than that God wanted them to go into Macedonia and preach there. It may have been as simple as that. However, God sometimes says “No,” even to good things that we desire to do, and we can learn some lessons from this. Let’s look at a few examples in the Bible where God said “no.”
God said “No,” to Moses. In Numbers 20:1-13, the children of Israel complained about not having any water. God told Moses, “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals” (Numbers 20:8). In verses 10-11, Moses assembled the people and said, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” After that, He struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it like God told him to do. God spoke to Moses after this and said, ““Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” God told Moses that he could not go into the promised land because of His disobedience.
God said “No,” to Jeremiah. The prophet Jeremiah loved his people. He prayed to the Lord for them, but God told Him to stop doing this. In Jeremiah 7:16, 11:14, and 14:11. ““Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.” “So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.” “Then the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for this people, for their good.” God told Jeremiah “No,” because there was no repentance among the people for their sins. He tells Jeremiah, “Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?” Sometimes God tells us “No,” because other people do not want to change.
God said “No,” to Paul. In 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, Paul wrote, “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” God told Paul “No,” because He wanted him to be content with what He had already given Him, namely, His grace. Paul concluded from this that God could use his weaknesses for His glory.
God said “No,” to Jesus. In Matthew 26:39, we read, “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’” Jesus did not want to go to the cross. He prayed that God would find another way, but God said “no,” because He needed Jesus to do the job that no one else could do.