Acts 12:20-24

God hates pride and arrogance especially from those who lead.

God has always loved a humble, contrite heart and He never changes. Everything, every little thing, is under His control and He will allow circumstances to come into our life to strengthen our faith or to bring us back to Him. He is faithful to forgive us and to restore our relationship with Him when we humble ourselves, repent and change. He wants our love for Him to mold us into obedient servants who learn to abide in His peace even in times of trial. 

change |CHānj|

noun

1 the act or instance of making or becoming different

• the substitution of one thing for another
• an alteration or modification
• a new or refreshingly different experience

Every lesson that He allows us to learn through discipline turns out for our eternal good.

The Book of Acts begins in Jerusalem with the disciples huddled in a room on the Day of Pentecost. Then the Holy Spirit came upon them and authorized them to be His witnesses. The rest of Acts describes the ripple effect of that great event. Jesus’ followers first witnessed to the Jews in Jerusalem, with Peter at the center of the movement. Then persecution broke out, scattering believers into Samaria and the rest of the known world. Saul of Tarsus, once a leader of the persecution, became a leader of the persecuted. In chapter 11, the focus of the Book of Acts moves from Peter’s ministry to the Jews to Saul’s ministry to the Gentiles.

The Jewish historian Josephus also provides an account of this display, informing us that in an attempted appeasement of the king the people confessed that he was “more than a mortal.” Herod, instead of rebuking the address of deity, enjoyed the adulation—until he discovered the consequence of such blasphemy.

Acts 12:20-24

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.

³⁸ Then it happened, after about ten days, that the Lord struck Nabal, and he died. 

1 Samuel 25:38

¹⁷ Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.” 

2 Samuel 24:17

¹ Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. 

Psalm 115:1

⁷ Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. 

Acts 6:7