The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 774

 

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 774

Today’s Kick Start! – (NKJV) 1 Peter 1 13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Personal Obedience—Walk in the Spirit and you will not carry out the deeds of the flesh.

 Acts 12 18 Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19 But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he [Peter] went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

 20 Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country. 21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne, and gave an oration to them. 22 And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. 24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

 

JESUS CHRIST: He IS the same Yesterday, He IS the same Today, He IS God Forever!

 Herod, no word other than tyrant describes the character of this man, his anger over the matters of his kingdom were well established. The guards most likely knew their fate for having lost Peter and after a search for him, the king had them put to death. Twenty or more men were destroyed, their families were affected along with the whole community. We should think about this, but how should we react, was this a justified action on the king’s part?

 Time goes by and we see that the people of Tyre and Sidon was suffering from famine, but Herod was the cause simply because he was angry with these people, he was not at war, he was simply revealing his nature. The people of these lands did have a friend, Blastus (the king’s aide) who arbitrated on behalf of these people and the king relented his angry behavior when they asked for peace. This is no small matter as King Agrippa controlled the food supply and he was single-handedly starving these two people groups.

 This event reminds me of Mordecai in the book of Esther, however God is not pleased with Agrippa. Using this event to exalt his fame and stature as a powerful king, he dressed up in his kingly robes and gave an oration—so humanly powerful that his audience felt that they were hearing words from a god and the people shouted, ‘the voice of a god and not that of a man’.

 Whether this angel is the one dispatch to free Peter or not is not relevant, the number of angels in heaven are innumerable. Being struck by an angel of God is a worse fate than having a stone role over you; Proverbs 26 27  Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him. The kings message was balderdash and God was not pleased.

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