Tue, 25 July, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Acts 12:1-11

¹ About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. ² He killed James the brother of John with the sword, ³ and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. ⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

⁶ Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. ⁷ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. ⁸ And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” ⁹ And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. ¹¹ When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

In this chapter, Herod gets in on the persecution of the church, and in one short sentence, we here the death of James. Herod easily accomplishes his goal of killing one of the apostles, and finding how popular this was with the Jewish leaders, he procedes to set about killing Peter also. But God does not allow this, and He affects the rescue of Peter. So James dies, but Peter lives.

What do we learn from this?

We are not told why God chose to let James die, but He rescued Peter. It is not because He lacked the ability to rescue James. But for some reason, James death at this time furthered God’s glory and His plan, but Peter’s death did not. We don’t get an answer. We aren’t told a reason. We just see the end result of God’s providence: James dies and Peter lives.

We often are left wondering why God allows these things to happen. One godly person dies young while another lives a full life. A wicked person seems to prosper while a righteous person suffers. Why do these things happen? We are not given a reason other than God in His righteousness and infinite wisdom has chosen to allow things to be so.

We have many questions about God and His plans. But we often don’t get any answers, other than to trust in His providence. He is a loving Father, and He will not bring anything into our lives beyond what gives Him glory and what is ultimately good for His people.

Where is Christ in this passage?

We know that God works all things for His glory and for the good of His people. Sometimes it is difficult for us to understand the good in the situation. How was it good for James to die by Herod’s sword? I don’t know. Yet Paul tells us that even in death, we can not be separated from Jesus Christ our Lord. This was true for James, as his death didn’t separate Him, but rather more closely united him with the Lord Jesus Christ, and we know it is true for us as well.