God, the Lord of the world and of life (Acts 12:1-25)

[Stephan Choe]

August 5. 2023

Key verses 12:11:       "And when Peter had come to himself, he said, Now truly I know that the Lord has sent his angel, and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all that the Jewish people expected."

12:24 "And the word of God grew and spread."

Luke, the author of the Acts, repeatedly connects the course of world history with the reign of God. By doing so, he shows us that God is the true Lord of human life and history.

Today we will reflect on whether the fate of human beings is in the hands of rulers like Herod or in the hands of God. For this purpose, we will learn about the fate of three people, namely James, Peter, and Herod.

This description teaches us that the work of the devil through the rulers of the world cannot destroy the work of God, because God is the true ruler of the world.

Furthermore, we will get to know how the word of God spreads and saves people despite Satan's work.

1. Death of James

In the mid-thirties of the first century, there was the first great persecution of Christians by fanatical, religious Jews. At that time, Stephen died as the first martyr.

About 10 years later, King Herod now wanted to persecute Christians for a political motive. The devil used him as his tool to nip Christianity in the bud. Herod first had James, the brother of the apostle John, executed. When he saw that the unbelieving Jewish people rejoiced at his death, he also wanted to execute Peter, the leader of the Christian community.

In the New Testament, the name "Herod" often occurs. First we hear about Herod, who ordered the infanticide in Bethlehem in order to kill the newborn Christ. His name was Herod the Great. He ruled over all of Palestine, but died shortly after his infanticide, in 4 BC.

After his death, Palestine was divided among his three sons - namely Herod Archelaus, Herod Antipas and Herod Philip.

Herod Archelaus became king over Judea, Samaria and Idumea (4 BC to 6 AD). The Romans deposed him after 10 years and his territory was administered by a Roman governor: The first governor was named Pilate, and after that Felix and Festus.

Herod Antipas was king over Galilee and Perea (4 BC to 39 AD). He murdered John the Baptist because the latter challenged him to repent for his second marriage to his sister-in-law.

Jesus Christ lived almost his entire life under his rule.

Herod Philip was king over the northern territory of Galilee (4 B.C. to A.D. 33).

Acts 12:1 speaks of a Herod. His name is Herod Agrippa I.

He was one of the grandchildren of Herod the Great (by a 2nd Mariamne), but not a son of one of the four kings. For Herod the Great had had at least 5 wives.

Herod Agrippa I became king in 37 AD first over the territory of Herod Philip, 2 years later also over the territory of Herod Antipas, namely Galilee and Perea. Finally, in 41 AD, he became king over Judea, Samaria and Idumea as well. The Romans wanted to gain the goodwill of the Jewish people through the self-government of Herod Agrippa I (41-44).

This Herod Agrippa I seized James, the brother of Apostle John, and killed him.

Agrippa I, also called "Herod" for short, had been installed in office only three years before by his school friend, the emperor Caligula in Rome.

Those who want to make their political mark do so best at the expense of a minority, just as Nero blamed Christians for the burning of Rome.

When Herod Agrippa I promptly received great applause from the Jewish people by executing James, he also wanted to kill the church leader of the Christians in order to endear himself to the people.

2. The Deliverance of Peter (12:3-18)

In the history of Christianity, there are martyrs like Stephen and James, the brother of Apostle John. But their deaths became seeds of the new church, and God always proves to be alive and sovereign. This is also seen in the account in this chapter.

It seemed that the devil would have succeeded in destroying the Christian church through Herod Agrippa I. But God lives and protects His church and makes it grow.

Herod Agrippa I murdered James, the brother of Apostle John. Then he saw that unbelieving Jews rejoiced. The devil wanted to destroy the Lord's work through Herod Agrippa I, who depended on popularity.

That is why he also captured Peter, the leader of the Christian church, and wanted to kill him. Because it was the days of the Passover, he wanted to have Peter executed after the feast days. It seemed that the fate of the Christian community was in the hands of the worldly rulers according to the devil's intention.

When we think that the fate of the world is in the hands of the unrighteous rulers according to the devil's intention, we easily become bitter and frustrated. We cannot digest this bitterness plus frustration well. That is why we often get sick.

We should have the right view in world events. For this, we should know well and firmly believe in the sovereign rule of God. Faith in the sovereignty of God and in His perfect rule gives us deep peace and great joy.

On Tuesday, July 27, two Polish Germans visited our Tuesday program at the church. The two people were from sect 신천지 (Shincheonji). But they pretended to be seekers and tried to spread their false doctrine. But God helped me and David's insight, so we recognized them as Shincheonji people. And we forbade them to visit us, Our God always gives us victory over the work of Satan.

I continue the story of Peter.

But because it was the Passover feast days, King Herod first imprisoned Peter and then wanted to have him executed after these feast days. The Passover was celebrated for a week to commemorate the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Peter was bound with two chains and kept in prison. He was guarded by four soldiers at a time in four shifts around the clock. One of Peter's arms was bound with the arm of a guard soldier with chains, and his other arm was bound with the arm of the second guard soldier. And in front of the prison cell there were two more soldiers standing guard. Escape seemed to be completely impossible. Peter himself saw no hope for his rescue. The church could not even believe in the possibility of deliverance. But she prayed to God without ceasing for him. Their prayer seemed to be a waste of time. But a miracle happened.

While Peter was sleeping in his prison between two soldiers, an angel of the Lord came in. The angel woke Peter; and the chains fell off his hands. The angel led him out, and the iron gate of the prison opened of itself. The angel led Peter out into the open road and then left him.

Until then, Peter thought he was dreaming. Now he came to himself and realized that the angel had really set him free. He went to the house of John Mark. When he knocked on the door, a maid named Rhode looked at him. But out of great joy, she forgot to open the door. She ran in and told everyone, "Peter is here!" But the other disciples did not believe her. They said to her, "You are crazy!" Then they heard Peter knocking at the door again and again. Then they could all see that the Lord had indeed saved Peter. 

We can see here that God is the Lord of life.

Why did God allow Herod to murder James but not Peter?

We cannot pass on a direct answer from God.

But we can state the following two truths:

First, we can believe in God's sovereignty.

According to God's best will, James was allowed to quickly go to the Kingdom of Heaven and experience the great joy in the Kingdom of Heaven, as Esther, my wife, went to Heavenly Father in December 2019 according to God's best will.

However, according to God's best will, Peter was to stay longer in this world and continue to work to spread the gospel. The decision of whether one should go to the Kingdom of Heaven more quickly or stay on earth longer and work for the sake of the gospel is within the sovereignty of God.

Although the devil tries to destroy God's work of life, he cannot. We are to firmly believe in God and His best will. We can say with certainty that God is the Sovereign and gives victory to His church over all adverse situations.

The devil sent two Shincheonji people to Tuesday night on Tue, July 25, 2023. But God helped us so that we could recognize and reject them.

Second, we can believe in the answer to God's prayer.

Luke describes the answer to God's prayer here. The first church prayed for Peter's salvation, even though it looked hopeless. And God heard their prayer and saved him.

Sometimes praying seems futile. But God surely answers prayer.

The first church could not really believe in salvation because it looked impossible. Nevertheless, they prayed. And God answered their prayer. This is a miracle.

We are to believe in the sovereignty of God on the one hand. On the other hand, we should believe in the answer to prayer and pray even if everything speaks against our prayer.

3. The death of Herod Agrippa I.

When the days of the Passover came to an end, King Herod wanted to kill Peter. But Peter was not in prison. Herod interrogated the guards and had them killed. He wanted to disappear from Jerusalem for a while. That's why he went to Caesarea, a semi-rural city on the Mediterranean Sea. Perhaps he wanted to forget unpleasant thoughts about Christ and Christians.

About 100 and 150 km north of Casarea, respectively, are the two port cities of Tyre and Sidon. One can call Tyre and Sidon as approximately Hasa cities of that time. The two cities were as independent trading cities. These cities were independent of the kingdom of Herod Agrippa I, but these cities needed their supply from the king's country. Herod Agrippa I was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon for some reason. When the people of Tyre and Sidon learned that King Herod was in Caesarea, they came to Caesarea and asked him for peace. And on an appointed day Herod put on the royal robe, sat on the throne, and made a speech. The people wanted the king to be hypocritical. Therefore, they shouted to him, "This is God's voice and not a man's!"

His arrogance was beyond measure.

Verse 23 records the consequence of his arrogance: "Immediately the angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory."

Luke, a physician, diagnosed his illness as "worm infestation."

A Jew named Flavius Josephus lived around this time. He reported in his book "Jewish Antiquities" (XIX 343ff) about the death of Herod as follows:

<344On the second day, Agrippa went early in the morning to the theater in a garment wrought with marvelous skill entirely of silver. Here the silver, which was hit by the first rays of the sun, shone in a shimmering brilliance and dazzled the eye in such a way that one had to turn away shivering. 345 Immediately his flatterers called out to him from all sides, calling him God and saying, "Be gracious to us! If we have hitherto respected thee only as a man, we will in future revere a supernatural being in thee." 346The king did not reproach them for this, and did not reject their blasphemous flattery. But when he immediately turned his gaze upward, he saw an eagle owl sitting on a rope above his head and immediately recognized in it the harbinger of misfortune, which indicated to him, as in the past his good fortune, so now his imminent death, for which reason he felt bitter grief. Soon he began to feel severe pains in his body, which tortured him in an unheard-of way from the beginning of the illness.

347Then he turned his gaze to his friends and said to them: "Look, your god must now leave life, and fate makes your glissneric words shameful. You called me immortal, and yet death already stretches out its arms after me. But I must bear my fate as God wills it. I have not lived in miserable circumstances, but in the highest splendor." 348 Even as he spoke these words, his agony increased greatly. He was therefore quickly taken to his palace, and soon the rumor spread everywhere that the king was dying. 349 Immediately all the people, with wives and children, prostrated themselves on carpets, according to paternal custom, to implore God for the king's recovery, and lamentation and lamentation arose everywhere. The king, who was in a high room and could see from there how the people were lying on the ground, could not help crying. 350For five more days he endured the agony in his bowels, until finally death delivered him. He died in the fifty-fourth year of his life and in the seventh of his reign.>

Herod was not a true ruler, but only an instrument of God. He was supposed to give glory to God and rule pleasing to Him. But he stole God's glory by allowing himself to be honored as God. His arrogance was beyond the limit of God's patience.

History shows again and again that not some worldly ruler is the true ruler, but God alone. We must not forget that God or Jesus Christ is the true ruler. Therefore, we can have true peace if we believe in Jesus Christ.

May God give us this peace. With peace, we should serve God and spread the message of peace to people.