Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

July 3
Tuesday

IRREVERENCE


READ:
Acts 12:20-24
_____________________________

The people kept
shouting, "The voice
of a god and not
of a man!" Then
immediately an angel
of the Lord struck him.
__Acts 12:22-23
______________________________

King Herod, dressed in his royal apparel, delivered an oration to an audience eager to win his favor. He reveled in their flattering response. "[This is] the voice of a god and not of a man!" shouted the crowd (Acts 12:22). Fear and awe of the one true God should have led him to protest, but he didn't. For his failure to "give glory to God," he was immediately struck by an angel of the Lord. He suffered an excruciating death because of his lack of reverence for God.

Paul and Barnabas, on the other hand, had such a great reverence for God that they nearly panicked at the thought of being worshiped (Acts 14:14-15). Upon seeing the apostle Paul miraculously heal a man who had ben crippled from birth, the onlookers shouted, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" Then they prepared to offer scarifices to Paul and Barnabas (vv.11-13). When the apostles heard this, they "tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out,...'Why are you doing these things?'" (vv.14-15).

In these contrasting biblical accounts, we see a solemn call to give God reverence in our irreverent world. He is the only one who is worthy of glory, praise, and honor. He is the only one who merits our worship. __Herb Vander Lugt
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~~~~~~~~~~~~To fear the Lord means giving Him~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~Our reverence, trust, and awe,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Acknowledging His sovereignty,~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Submitting to His law; __Hess~~~~~~~~~~~~~
____________________________________________________________

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,
but to Your name give glory. __Psalm 115:1

**************Today's Bible Reading __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.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Herod the Great ruled at the time of Christ's birth. He was the son
of Antipater, the first member of the Herodian family that reigned
from 67 BC to AD 100. Herod's paranoia demanded the deaths of
all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two (Matt.2).
Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, followed his father, and is
famous for taking the wife of his brother Philip, then calling for the
execution of John the Baptist. Herod Agrippa l is the king in view in
today's Bible reading, and his son, Herod Agrippa ll, succeeded him.
Agrippa ll was the final Heord to rule on the throne, ending the
Herodian dynasty. __WEC