Acts 12:20-25: a reflection

20Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him and, having made Blastus, the king’s personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them. 22The people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn’t give God the glory. Then he was eaten by worms and died. 24But the word of God grew and multiplied. 25Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John who was called Mark.

When King Herod, arrayed in royal splendor, gives a speech and the crowd shouts that his is the voice of a god and not of a man, he accepts the worship that belongs to God alone, and is struck down. Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, the account says, because he didn't give God the glory. Herod took to himself the honor and glory that belong only to God, accepting worship as though he were divine, and did not give God the glory; and it was his undoing. The account marks his fall as the fruit of taking for himself the glory that is God's alone. To grasp at the honor and glory that belong to God, to take his glory for ourselves, is a grave presumption; the glory is God's, and to seize it is to court a fall.

Notice what Herod did, and what it cost him: he took to himself the glory that belongs to God. He accepted the crowd's worship, let himself be hailed as a god, and did not give God the glory; and he was struck down. The glory he grasped was not his to take; it belongs to God alone. To accept for ourselves the honor and glory that are God's, to bask in praise as though we deserved it in our own right, forgetting to give God the glory, is a grave presumption. Herod's fall marks the danger of taking God's glory for ourselves. We are not to seize the glory that is God's, nor to accept honor as though it were owed to us in our own right; the glory is his, and to give it to him rather than grasp it for ourselves is right and safe. Taking God's glory is a fall waiting to happen; giving him the glory keeps us in our place.

That is worth taking to heart, for we must give God the glory rather than take for ourselves the glory that is his. When honor or praise comes to us, we can be tempted to bask in it as though we deserved it in our own right, to take to ourselves the glory that belongs to God, forgetting to give him the glory, as Herod did. But the glory is God's, and to grasp it for ourselves is a grave presumption. There is safety and rightness in giving God the glory rather than taking it for ourselves. Do not take for yourself the glory that belongs to God, basking in praise as though you deserved it in your own right; give God the glory. Give God the glory rather than taking for yourself the honor that belongs to him alone, as Herod, accepting worship and failing to give God the glory, was struck down; for the glory belongs to God, and to grasp it for ourselves, basking in praise as though we deserved it in our own right, is a grave presumption that courts a fall, while giving God the glory keeps us rightly in our place.

Lord, when King Herod, arrayed in royal splendor, gives a speech and the crowd shouts that his is the voice of a god and not of a man, he accepts the worship that belongs to you alone, and is struck down. Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, the account says, because he didn't give God the glory. Herod took to himself the honor and glory that belong only to you, accepting worship as though he were divine, and did not give you the glory; and it was his undoing. The account marks his fall as the fruit of taking for himself the glory that is yours alone. Show me what Herod did, and what it cost him: he took to himself the glory that belongs to you. He accepted the crowd's worship, let himself be hailed as a god, and did not give you the glory; and he was struck down. The glory he grasped was not his to take; it belongs to you alone. To accept for ourselves the honor and glory that are yours, to bask in praise as though we deserved it in our own right, forgetting to give you the glory, is a grave presumption. We are not to seize the glory that is yours. Take that to my heart, for I must give you the glory rather than take for myself the glory that is yours. When honor or praise comes to me, I can be tempted to bask in it as though I deserved it in my own right, to take to myself the glory that belongs to you, forgetting to give you the glory, as Herod did. But the glory is yours. There is safety and rightness in giving you the glory. Keep me from taking for myself the glory that belongs to you, basking in praise as though I deserved it in my own right; help me give you the glory, Lord, as Herod, failing to give you the glory, was struck down.