Devotion for Wednesday, 6 July 2011 Anno Domini

Devotion for Wednesday, 6 July 2011 Anno Domini

“ 1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.19 And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode. In his pride, Herod takes to himself the honor due God, is stricken by an angel, and dies miserably. 20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.” (Acts 12:1-24)

If we were to suppose that the world has changed in its hatred of Christ from 2,000 years ago, we would be wrong. The same cruelty and hatred is being acted out today in our world as in the days of Herod. Christians are subjected to merciless torture, beheadings and their children are sold into the most abject form of servitude. These atrocities are happening as we write today. If you presume that such cannot happen on the fair shores of America, think again. Unless we repent and turn to the Sovereign Hand that governs all nations, it shall surely come to pass in our American ‘paradise’.
“Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.” The apostle is quite often too kind in his choice of verbs. ‘Vex’ does not begin to describe the events about to occur. Herod was an Edomite. He was descended from Herod the Great (his grandfather) who murdered the innocents at Bethlehem. His rule is proof positive that the scepter has passed from Judah. “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” (Gen 49:10) Shiloh (to Him belongs the rule) has come (the Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords). Prophecy is on a constant line of fulfillment.
“And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.” This was a seemingly a terrific blow to the early Church, but the blood of the martyrs has nourished her body from the beginning. James was one of the particularly favored three of the Lord (Peter, James, and John). His murder demonstrates that blithering fools of political appeasement have existed from the beginning. “It pleased the Jews.”
One success of wicked contrivance will always beget more until it is stopped by a higher power. “And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)” Herod will do anything to ingratiate himself with the majority view. Sound familiar? He wished to take another prominent disciple of the Lord. “If we can simply kill them all, perhaps we shall be rid of Christ” thought Herod just as his grandfather had thought in killing the innocents of Bethlehem. He would choose to do so, we learn, following the Holiest of days (unleavened bread).
“And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.” A quaternion of soldiers was comprised of four soldiers (one for each of the four watches of six hours each). Four quaternions would be equal to sixteen soldiers. As you can see, Herod did not intend for Peter to escape. He must have considered Peter larger than life to require sixteen soldiers to hold him! When Passover and the days of unleavened bread were past, Herod intended to bring Peter before the people, just as Pilate had brought Christ, in the sure knowledge that the Jews would likewise demand his death – always death with these legalist (they still exist in the form of Islam today!)
Do you doubt the power of prayer? Doubt no more! “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” The whole Church prayed for Peter and that without ceasing! God loves such prayers and they are often proof of the righteous desires of the people.
Do you believe that Peter was dreadfully afraid and unable to sleep in prison? I don’t think so: “And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.” Two soldiers, one on either side, slept with Peter who was bound with TWO chains, and two more guards were at the door.

We never know what characters we may meet in prison, but in Peter’s case, it was an angel of the Lord! “And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.” Where God is, there is also Light. Like an old friend, the angel struck Peter on the side, and raised him up. God often sends angels to raise us up when we are down. The chains fell off from Peter’s hands. We learn here that God will perform marvelous works that we are unable to perform, but expects us to do those works that we are able to do. “And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.” The angel is saying, “Look, Peter, I removed the chains, you can at least put on your clothes. We cannot have a apostle running loose in the streets in undress, can we?” “Follow me!” This is the motto of the US Infantry Center at Fort Benning, Georgia. It means follow the one with authority! Authority is always reinforced by active evidence.
“And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.” Peter, the survivor of many storms on the sea, was sleeping like a baby. He had suddenly been aroused by an Angel. He still cannot separate reality from dream. In our own lives, we are often blessed to the point that we simply cannot believe how gracious God has been to us.
“When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.” When God sends and angel to help us, the angel will help only so far as we need. The iron gate opened “of his own accord.” I will remind the reader that this was long before electronic sensors or automated doors. The angel continued with Peter only until he was safely away!
“And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.” Just as the young prodigal, when he reflected and meditated on his far fall from came to himself, so does Peter come to himself over the wondrous miracle that has occurred on his behalf. What a wondrous delivery from a cruel and heartless king and a cruel and heartless mob of Jews.
“And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.” This lady, Mary, must have been a woman of some means to have a house to shelter so many in prayer. She was the mother of John Mark, so-called to distinguish him from the other John. “And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.” Rhoda means Rose. “And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.” Rhoda was so filled with joy at the sight of Peter that she forgot to open the door and let the poor man inside (after all he had experienced!).
Why, I wonder, is answered prayer so hard to accept by those who pray? “And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.” Every possible guess is made here except the logical one – it is Peter, for goodness sake! At least go to the door and prove the matter! “But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.” So slow were they to believe the majestic power of God to set free!
“But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.” Though the moment could be considered humorous, Peter indicates there is no time for humor. He must relate important words to them. The James referred to in this passage is not James the brother of John mentioned in vv2 above. It may be James, son of Alpheus (James the Less), or James the brother of the Lord. He is perhaps singled out here due to his beginning to assume the oversight of the Church at Jerusalem.
“Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.” I would venture to guess that this was a monstrous understatement! The very lives of the soldiers were in jeopardy. “And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death.” Notice that the guards did not report the missing Peter of their own accord due to great fear. “And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.” I am quite interested to learn of Herod’s fate after so much evil. Are you?
“And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.” Though Herod was at odds with the men of Tyre and Sidon, he was more than happy to make peace at the prospect of enriching his pockets in trade.
“And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.” God is neither impressed by his conduct, nor his apparel. He will exact a price from Herod for his treachery.
“And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.” This last may give cause for our Roman friends to be concerned for their Pope – ex Cathedra or otherwise! “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.” It is not my judgment, but the Lord’s, that this is the fate of all wicked people! Herod not only died, but was eaten alive by worms in front of his so-called worshippers. Like all mortals sooner or later must do, he gave up the ghost. Pray tell, where do you believe Herod is whiling away the hours today? The worms were nothing compared to his present suffering.
I love the benediction to this chapter. In spite of all that wicked men do to stop it, the Word of God continues forth in triumph! “But the word of God grew and multiplied.” Are you fulfilling your part in this triumphant growth?