Articles
Glory To God - Acts 12
Glory To God - Acts 12
Herod begins persecuting the church. Specifically, he has James put to death by the sword. Then, he has Peter arrested and retained in prison. This time God intervenes by sending an angel to release Peter. Then, the fateful day for Herod when he basks in the ‘glory of men’. While the people shout out: “The voice of God and not a man”, and angel of the Lord strikes so that he was eaten by worms and died. This happened not because he was persecuting God’s people, but because he did not give God the glory.
Such is one of the perplexing periods of church history and trying to comprehend the providence of God. Why did God allow all of these events? Why did He save Peter and allow James to die? Why did He not stop Herod BEFORE all the persecution began? Did He rescue any other disciples from prison and martyrdom? Why put Herod to death over his pompous act of pride? Wow, these thoughts run through my head at 5 a.m. as I am having my first cup of coffee! Do I begin to doubt God’s care? His power? Some do, but that is a mistake. He DID rescue Peter, the angels were able to intervene in the course of world events and change the whole situation.
All I end up with for the morning is realizing that ‘my thoughts are not His thoughts and my ways are not His ways.’ (see Isa. 55:8-9, etc.) As I try to figure out what I think I would have done if I were God,
The reaction of the apostles and early disciples was to continue being faithful disciples! Earlier the apostles prayed NOT that they would be spared from persecution, but that God would grant that they would speak His word with all confidence (Acts 4:29). God did. In the face of persecution. They continued to preach the through Jesus we can find salvation from our sins.
Notice, that the next big event following all of this persecution is what we call the ‘first missionary journey’! (Acts 13). As earlier in Acts 8, the persecution caused the disciple to disperse BUT they took their faith with them and the gospel message spread. SO again, the disciples take the word of God into all the world.
I don’t understand all the ends and outs of God’s working in this world, but He is GOD! I don’t comprehend why things happen the way that they do, but I can yet trust Him. We are called to be faithful – faithful at all times and in all situations.
So, I get another cup of coffee and set off reading the exciting providence of God as Paul and Barnabas take the gospel into the whole world and the ‘word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied’ (Acts 12:24). Praise the Lord.
Hugh DeLong
