Herod Archives – Sonshine's Journal

February 17, 2016

Continuing Through Acts: Chapter 12

“Do You Believe in Prayer or Not?”

acts 12 prayer2 King Herod, of Herod fame, inflicts harm on the early church to please the Jews. But, God is at work both in and behind the scenes as we read this chapter and see the fulfillment of the words of Jesus “Upon this rock I will build “MY” church and the gates of hell shall not prevail.” [Matt 16] Satan may seek to bring the church into disfavor but he fails to realize that what he seeks to disarm God will use to bring about good. [Rom 8:28]

But, just as then, we are often befuddled at God’s working. Why did God allow James to be executed but released Peter? This is one of those “secret things” that belongs to God alone and will be revealed in eternity. [Deut 29:29]

Dr. Luke refreshingly gives us some comedic relief of the persecution of the early church with his account of Peter’s release from jail. While Peter sleeps, King Herod gleefully waits for daybreak of the day after a solemn religious holiday to murder him. Sound familiar? We remember that was the plan for Jesus as well. Into this mix we find the church persistently praying for Peter. But after an angel miraculously releases him and he arrives in the middle of their prayer meeting they tell Rhoda “she has lost her mind.” Again, like the account of Jesus’ resurrection, it is called nonsense.

Dr. Luke gives us this chapter to show us that God not only hears the prayers of the church but opens the windows of heaven.

February 17, 2015

Give God Glory

Luke wants us to follow his train of thought as he seeks to remind his reader of these principles: “The chief end of man is glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

Herod was an example that lived by neither and in fact sought his own glory. Luke teaches us through the illustration of Paul and Barnabas in Lystra, where a lame man is healed, that it is God alone who deserves glory. Seeing a lame man healed, the entire town erupts and seeks to glorify them. But, unlike Herod who accepted what was due God, Paul and Barnabas shouted, tore their clothes and said: “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them.”

When pagans (unbelievers) know not the living God and seek to glorify us we must do as Paul; present God as Creator and ourselves as the creation always seeking to give God his glory and the praise due to him alone. Paul wisely used God’s creation first for this reveals “God’s invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature.” Yet is not creation that points men to the Savior and their need of salvation; it is the very breathed inspired Word of God. Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [2Ti 3:16] “so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”[Rom 15]

February 15, 2015

The Depraved Heart

In Acts 12, Luke wants us to notice not only just the death of James and the deliverance of Peter but rather how longsuffering God is and how depraved men are and he accomplishes this by showing us the heart of Herod. Just as creation reveals God in all of his glory so the heart of men is revealed in all of their depravity. Herod, like us, falls into the category of one who has seen, heard, and experienced all of God’s grace. We all have a choice; repent and be forgiven or remain steadfast in our sins.

King Herod, rather than seeking to know about Jesus and His resurrection, seeks to silence the message and the messengers by arresting and beheading the Apostle James. Seeing how that pleases the Jews he has Peter arrested and plans his execution. But, God’s ways are superior to men and God will reveal Himself to Herod by delivering Peter because of the power of praying church. God’s grace is revealed to the guards and Herod through a unexplained miracle yet in retaliation Herod becomes livid and executes Peter’s guards. Pouting Herod retreats to Caesarea where he is proclaimed as God by men from Tyre and Sidon. Herod did not give the glory to God. Just as an umpire in baseball says: “you’re out!” so God called Herod and said “you’re out” “I am the Lord! That is my name! I will not share my glory with anyone else” [Is 42]

And yet, God graciously gave Herod 5 more days to repent. Did he or does he have this before him: Heb 10:31 “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Have you experienced God’s grace?

January 7, 2014

Who is Jesus—to you?

Today in Luke 5 we will come across the question that is still being asked today. The religious leaders asked: “Who is this man who is uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” The religious leaders were really asking who does he think he is; God? Yes that is precisely who he not only thought he was but went on to prove. He proved that he was and is not only the Son of Man but He was and is God in the flesh. He not only had the power to forgive sins but also to heal. He did the harder, forgiving sin, before he did the easier which was to heal so that those who asked and saw might be without excuse. The miracles of healing and forgiving require supernatural power and Jesus proved he had both.

But, back to the question: Who is Jesus? Is he God? Can he forgive sins or is he just uttering blasphemies as they charged? Over and over through the book of Luke we find the same question being asked by the religious leaders, the political leaders, the disciples and even Jesus himself.

The religious leaders asked: Luke 5:21 Who can forgive sins but God alone? Luke 7:49 “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”

The disciples asked: Luke 8:25 “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!”

Even the political leader Herod asked: Luke 9:9 Herod said, “I had John beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?”

Even Jesus asked: Luke 9:18 Once when Jesus was praying by himself, and his disciples were nearby, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

And lastly Jesus asked the disciples: Luke 9:20 “But who do you say that I am?”

This is the critical question. Who do you say Jesus is? Is he just a baby in the manger or the one who is born king of the Jews? Have you seen his star when it rose and have come to worship him? Is He just a good man, a good teacher, a prophet or is He the one who “came to call sinners to repentance?” Is He Your Christ who died for your sin on the cross? Your answer will determine not only your now day to day life but your eternal destiny. Jesus had the answer: “I am THE way, THE truth, THE life, no man cometh to the Father but by me.”

Do you know Him? Have you met Him? And if you have met him have you picked up your stretcher, walked home glorifying God?

January 4, 2014

Fruitful or Barren…Which are you???

In the cold dark of winter here in the northern hemisphere one rarely thinks of fruit bearing for the ground is hard and the trees are barren. Psalm 1 uses the imagery of a tree to refer to a person that is blessed, lush and fruit bearing. The condition for the person to be fruitful is meditation on God’s commands day and night and it does not depend on seasons but on the person’s planting in the vine, by the river that flows continuously without freezing! [Ps1]

Dr. Luke shares with us that John the Baptist was now ready to be a fruit bearer and the word of God called him to leave his home in the dry and thirsty land of the wilderness. Both John’s call and God’s calendar timing were aligned perfectly. Think back to your childhood and see if you can recall your parents recounting something extraordinary regarding your birth and what they hoped for you as you grew and matured. Mine was that Mother went into labor at a New Year’s Eve party and thus the rest is history. You can guess how many times I heard that story! John was probably no different. Yes, he was “weird” because he didn’t dress like the rest of the kids, he probably didn’t play the same games nor join the same youth group. He was a loner by choice and design. He also most likely had listened to his father recount the angelic prophecy regarding his destiny and he rolled his eyes but took it all in and pondered what it all meant. When he left home he didn’t go and get married nor take on an occupation. He was after all a priest’s son and most likely read and studied the Torah like a pro! When did he decide to retreat to the wilderness is anybody’s guess.

What did he do there in the wilderness? He had become an expert it seems in catching locusts and finding the beehives from which he could extract the wild honey ..without getting stung! We would say he was a real backwoodsman! But he also had spent time meditating upon the Word of God and at the appointed time, God called and John without reservation obeyed. God turned him into a one man teacher who was “different.” He was not ashamed of the gospel. He preached as if there were no tomorrow’s and for him that literally came true when he spoke out against Herod’s illicit relationship with Herodias. He preached the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sin as he prepared the way of our Lord, the Lamb of God.

Do you find yourself in a wilderness and feel like God has yet to call you? Take heart, it is in this wilderness John was being prepared for his mission and it is in the wilderness that God is training you. He wants you and I to be “different” from the world and ready to storm it with his message of love, repentance and forgiveness. In God’s training camp we are able to meditate upon his Word and hide it within our hearts and when we are ready and God’s calendar has our name penciled in, he calls us to go forth and bear fruit. God’s call is as important as the timing. John came out of the wilderness at God’s appointed “season” to prepare the people for the entrance of the Lamb of God.

John challenged his listeners to produce fruit that proved their repentance which was to be a picture to others of their spiritual realignment. “John is not unreasonable in demanding good fruit. True repentance will always have fruit – and the basic fruit of the Christian life is love (Galatians 5:22 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-3).” [Guzik] Jesus taught the same in John 15. To be fruit bearers Jesus said one must abide in him because apart from him we can do nothing. We cannot bear fruit because we are not rooted in the vine nor are we planted by the rivers of water being immersed in the Word and being washed by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Hearing his message the crowd asked John: “What then should we do?” John told his audience the basics of fruit that everyone should bear; the everyday ordinaries such as being a person of integrity, being honest, being generous, being faithful, being content. Perhaps you are still asking “what should I do?” God is saying fulfill all of these even to the least of these. Go and be my witnesses. Go and share the gospel through love and kindness. Go and bear the Fruit of the Spirit. Have you thought that you are not yet prepared to be a fruit bearer? Beloved, if we fulfill even just these simple ordinary tasks to our fellow man, to the Samaritans in our midst we ARE being a fruit bearer.

Beloved, think back; what did you do today or what will you do tomorrow to be a fruit bearer for Christ to demonstrate your call?

July 3, 2013

Hail King Jesus…Worship or Ignore…how say you?

The Apostle Matthew introduced us to the genealogical record of our Messiah in chapter 1. At the end of that chapter we know that two times the angel of the Lord came to righteous Joseph to lead and protect the divine conceived Messiah in Mary’s womb. In chapter 2 we see once again his immediate obedience. Joseph is a role model for all of us who seek to be obedient to Messiah.

Matthew wants us to focus in on one thing: the OT prophecies were inspired, true, and fulfilled “right on schedule.” First note the timing—King Herod is the ruler of Palestine from 37BC to when he died 4BC. Also, it was at this time that the census was ordered according to Dr. Luke in chapter 2. Secondly, note the geographical location, Bethlehem of Judea or Judah. Thus Christ, as we noted in chapter 1, had not only the legal right of inheritance to the throne of David but he was born in that province to therefore claim it. Thirdly Matthew as a master researcher listed three sets of people and their reactions.

The Magi. Coming to Jerusalem from the east, which would thus give us the clue as to their ethnicity: Gentiles. Gentiles were “dogs” to the Jews, if we remember from our study of Jewish history. Thus the populace were alarmed.

“King” Herod, thus noted here but after this never noted as “king.” He ruled by fear and brutality. He was a half-Jew, Idumean or Edomite by birth. His ancestry line was from Esau who hated Jacob. Just as Pharaoh sought to eradicate the Jews through infanticide, so did Herod. Our newspapers and blogs are filled with the numbers of abortions. Infanticide has been the enemy’s tool and is even today.

The religious leaders were apathetic even with the scriptures before them. They knew the scriptures to the last detail about the birth of the Christ but beyond this did nothing. Matthew is showing us that to just know the scriptures is not enough, we must act upon them.

What are the lessons Matthew wants us to glean?

God’s ways are not man’s ways. [Is 55:8] He orders and brings about His plan for His glory. Both in 2Kings and Isaiah we read: In ancient times I planned it; and now I am bringing it to pass.
Jesus is the King of the Jews no matter the response made by men. He was so noted by the Magi who worshiped him. He was ironically noted the same by the ones who crucified him and the title over His cross was God’s testimony.
Jesus’ kingdom includes all men regardless of their lineage. Jesus told the disciples to go and make disciples of all nations thus fulfilling the blessing given to Abraham.
Men are held accountable for the knowledge they are given. The Magi had the stars and perhaps the writings of Daniel and pursued it. The religious leaders had the OT with the revelation of prophecy and rejected it. [Job 21:14 21:14 “So they say to God, ‘Turn away from us! We do not want to know your ways.’”
The OT prophets sought to understand and put the puzzle together. In the end they noted: 1Pet They were shown that they were serving not themselves but you… Even though we sometimes find ourselves in the same frame of reference we can be certain of this: 1 Cor 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face.”

Today the question is before us: how have you responded to the evidence before you? Is Jesus the Messiah and if yes, are you following Him?