The Republican., 1925-06-18

THE HAND OF HEROD.
Herod the Great built the third
temple, was ruling at the birth of
Jesus, and it was for fear of him that
Joseph took the young Child and
sought safety in Egypt. He left Arch
claus his title but Rome failed to
confirm the bequest so that he gov
erned Judea, Samaria and Idumea as
Ethnarch and was deposed in A. D.
and a Roman procurator placed in
Jerusalem as Governor. His broth
er, Herod Antipas, was the one who
beheaded John and judged Jesus, rul-
ing as he did over Galilee and Perea.
The Herod of the lesson, grandson of
the first Herod in return for loyalty
to Rome, received the title of King
and the governorship of the whole
territory ruled by his grandsire. His
son, Herod Agrippa, is the last of the
line and the one before whom Paul
made his great plea. King Herod liv-
ed in Jerusalem and while he had
been reared in Rome and was in SYM
pathy with much of the Greek culture,
he was a Jewish politician who wooed
the affection of his people by every
device that ready mind unhampered
by Conscientious scruples could find.
The authorities were attempting to
stamp out the Church Of Jesus and as
he needed their support he took over
their efforts and the state and the
church found themselves in opposi-
ton. 1t was the first political oppo-
sition. James was the earliest vic
tim. Hailed as the defender of the
faith, the king arrested Peter on one
of his visits to the capital and impris-
oned him waiting the day when there
would be the most witnesses to the
deed of death. 1t would probably have
been crucifXion, maybe upon the
same hill that had seen the tragedy of
Jesus. The Jewish church had re-
jected its call thru the Spirit, the pop
ulace in acclaiming the act of the
king had rejected it also and the state
itself, in the person of the king, was
refusing to listen. Jerusalem was
sealing its doom by its opposition to
Gods voice and His rule of the eter-
nal kingdom of which our Lord is
head. Now it was Herod against the
Almighty and the walls, and gates,
and bolts, and guards, were the en-
ginery of force still used to thwart
the will of God for the brotherhood
of men.
THE HAND OF GOD.
The first evidence of Gods hand
was the conquest of fear in Peters
breast. He was constitutionally
coward. Fisherman though he was, he
was in a panic during the storm in
which his Lord slept. Now in the
beating drive of bloody rain he slept
as soundly as his Master had done.
Taking off his sandals, ungirding his
clothes, tho knowing that death wait
ed for the dawn, he slumbered so
deeply that it took blow to get him
partly awake. He was resting not
upon the hard floor of a prison cell,
but upon the pillow of Gods hand.
Herod was taking no chances. In
the inner prison Pete was chained be-
tween two soldiers. At the door were
two more guards and beyond was the
locked gate. Everything was secure
so much so that the wardens felt that
there was no need for vigilance. They
slept on duty. Its penalty was death,
but it could be done without risk, so
why not nod bit? A prince guided
by policy is sure to be served by
men of the same stamp. Show in the
offices makes a sham in the shop. A
rotten ruler corrupts all ranks. When
the king banishes fidelity to conscien-
ce faithfulness fees his followers.
And God who never sleeps in His
children's interests takes advantage
of the devils nod. While they slum-
bered God worked. Into the prison
came His messenger and reused only
him who was pillowed in Gods hand.
He loosened the fetters but Peter
must put on his own shoes. They
passed the sprawled guards at the
door and faced the iron gate only to
find it noislessly swinging as they
passed into the street. He who fol-
lows Gods leading need not fear bar
riers on the road. Our Lord carries
the master-key to all locks. He can
shut and no man can open but not
even death can imprison God or Gods
own. And when Peter rubbed his
eyes into the realization that he was
not dreaming he was alone in a ia
miliar street and suddenly knew that
God had been with him. Let any man
look back over his life and he will
find places where he was all uncon-
sclous of the Presence but of which
he will cry with Jacob, "Surely, God
was in this place and l knew it not"
THE HAND OF THE CHURCH
Their ewas very little Church left in
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