on an appointed day herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. and the people were shouting, “the voice of a god, and not of a man!” immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. [acts 12:21-23]
God alone deserves all glory
this passage contains one of the more shocking scenes in scripture. it is also among the most heart-wrenching, as the full depravity of our human nature and the reality of God’s wrath are on display.
what in the world would persuade these people to begin calling herod a god? we know that in the ancient world, rulers such as the pharaohs and caesars promoted themselves as gods, but this event seems to be coming from the people. herod did not demand their worship, but he did not mind it either.
“I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” – isaiah 42:8
is this just an ‘ancient world’ phenomenon, or do we still fall prey to idolatry today? could we modern thinkers be so taken in by shiny things and impressive people that we elevate them above God? we may not speak the words, ‘a voice of a god’, but our time and treasure suggest that we just as easily fall into the trap of giving glory where glory is not due.
God will not share his glory, and God will never cease to be more glorious than anything or anyone that we see as worthy. the universe and everything in it are a result of his work, and yet he knows and cares for each of us! let’s take a moment today to praise God for his glory, thank Him for his infinite grace, and
~ jason soroski