“Acts 12:20-25”

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

“Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. The people kept crying out, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’ And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.”

---End of Scripture verses---

For some unrecorded reason, the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon had strained relations with King Herod Agripp I of Judea. Today’s text tells us that “their country was fed by the king’s country” (verse 20). Their dependence upon the king’s support may have been intensified by the famine that had struck the Roman Empire (Acts 11:28), although I’m not certain about the timing. If so, they would have been that much more eager to make amends with ruler that fed them. When Herod arrived at Caesarea (verse 19), they seized upon the opportunity to shower the vain king with flattery (verse 21). Because of the work of the historian Flavius Josephus, we actually have corroboration of this very incident from secular history. Josephus wrote in “Antiquities of the Jews” the following:

“Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea he came to the city Caesarea, which was formerly called Strato's Tower; and there he exhibited spectacles in honor of Caesar, for whose well-being he'd been informed that a certain festival was being celebrated. At this festival a great number were gathered together of the principal persons of dignity of his province. On the second day of the spectacles he put on a garment made wholly of silver, of a truly wonderful texture, and came into the theater early in the morning. There the silver of his garment, being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun's rays, shone out in a wonderful manner, and was so resplendent as to spread awe over those that looked intently upon him. Presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another, (though not for his good) that he was a god; and they added, "Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.”

When Herod accepted the kind of glory and praise that is reserved only for God Almighty, the Lord struck him dead. There is no reason to assume from the text that God killed the arrogant king on the spot. Verse 23 says “immediately an angel of the Lord struck him…” According to Josephus, “A severe pain arose in his belly, striking with a most violent intensity.” Evidently the angel struck him with a severe illness which caused him great suffering, and he died shortly thereafter. Josephus tells us that he passed away five days later. Many sources think the worms that ate him up were maggots in his groin area. Maybe the reference is made to worms that would have eaten his cadaver after his death. Of that I am not certain.

One thing I know for certain is that God eliminated a serious threat to the wellbeing of His kingdom when He extracted Herod from the earth. The wicked king had already killed the Apostle James with the sword (verse 2) and intended to do the same with the Apostle Peter. Killing with the sword most likely refers to beheading. The Lord put an end to the king’s arrogance and wickedness and removed a dangerous obstacle to the progress of the church of Christ. Verse 24 tells us, “The word of the Lord continued to grow and be multiplied.”

Please read Acts 13:1-12 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

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