v1 Herod shows up again. This time to persecute the church.
James, John’s brother is killed by the sword. This pleased the Jews, so Herod took Peter. But, it was during the Days of the Unleavened bread so Peter was thrown into jail while awaiting his own death sentence.
Herodianism :: leven of the world standards. Falling into the influences of the world.
Pharasiasm :: leven of religion. The spirit of religion and religious externalism.
Sadduceeism :: leven of supernatural quenching. This is the unbelief in the supernatural.
v4 There were 16 solidiers (4 squads with 4 soldiers per squad) assigned to Peter.
v5 Peter was in prison but constant prayer was offered to God by the church.
v7 God answers the prayer of the saints:
1) An ANGEL of the LORD stood by
2) A light shone in the prison. (darkness hates the light)
3) He struck Peter on the side and raised him up.
4) He said to Peter “Arise quickly!”
5) Peter’s chains fell off of his hands.
If the Angel raised Peter up, why does the angel tell Peter to arise quickly? How did the angel really raise peter?
v9 The angelic encounter was mistaken as a vision.
v10 They past 2 guard posts and 1 iron gate that led to the city. It opened by itself. They went out and went down ONE street, and the angel immediately departed.
Why one street?
v11 Peter’s revelation is that the Lord sent and angel to deliver him from:
1) hand of Herod
2) expectation of the Jews
World standards and religion will kill you. Sometimes, God is the only way for deliverance.
v13 Rhoda was the girl to answer at Mary’s house. Rhoda = “rose”.
The group rejected Rhoda’s statements that Peter was outside the gate (she never let him in). They said that it was his angel. Even the body can mistake God in motion. Things are not always as we think them to be, even when there is evidence right in front of our face to the contrary.
v16 The group was “astonished” when they saw him.
v17 Peter motions with his hand for them to remain silent and tells them the story. He then departs
But, he says for them to go tell “James and the brethren” .
Why James?
v19 Herod kills the guards for Peter’s escape. The world’s systems collapse upon themselves in the light of God. They are self consuming.
v20 Herod is angry with Tyre and Sidon. Tyre is the center of the world economy, especially in the spirit. See Larue Atkinson’s sermon on this.
v21-22 Herod has a big to do in royal garbs, and the people worship him “the voice of a god and not of a man!”
v23 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. Nasty.
The world systems glorify themselves. People can get caught up into it. So much so that they fail to give glory and honor to God. We start to glorify ourselves above God. God will have none of it. Judgment is swift. He utterly ate the flesh of the world system away.
v24 “But the word of God grew and multiplied.”
In spite of the world’s system, God is bigger.