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Chosen no: R-4346 a, from: 1909 Year. |
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Deliverance In Answer To Prayer
--ACTS 12:1-19.--APRIL
11.--
Golden Text:--"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about
them that fear him, and delivereth them."-- Psa. 34:7.
OUR lesson is supposed to date about
twelve years after our Lord's crucifixion. A period of rest and prosperity was
now followed by persecution. Herod
Agrippa I.
had been appointed King of Judea. He was grandson of Herod the Great, the
murderer of the babes of Bethlehem.
He was nephew of Herod Antipas, who beheaded John the Baptist. It was his son,
Agrippa II., before whom the famous address was made by St. Paul. (Acts 26:28.) He was not a Jew, but
an Edomite, a descendant of Esau. He appears to have been desirous of the good
will of the people, even at the cost of principle. He took pains to observe the
minutia of Jewish ceremonials. He hung up in the temple the gold chain which
the Emperor Caligula had given him. It is related that at a "Feast of
Tabernacles" he caused the entire Book of Deuteronomy to be read in the
hearing of the people, and that he "burst into theatrical tears" when
the reader came to the words, "Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee,
who is not thy brother." Thereupon the populace obsequiously cried,
"Don't weep, Agrippa, you are our brother."
PASSOVER
SEASON SIFTING
On the lookout to curry favor with
the Jews, especially the influential ones, Agrippa caused the Apostle James to
be beheaded, and finding that this brought great pleasure to the Jews, he had
the Apostle Peter arrested. The Greek word here rendered apprehend rather
implies that his arrest was after searching. Probably all of the apostles were
more or less secreted about that time, but, trusting to the sacredness of the
Passover season, St. Peter ventured forth and was arrested and imprisoned,
Agrippa intending his death directly at the close of the Passover week. Meantime,
however, the Lord delivered him, as this lesson shows.
We can well imagine the sadness of
the Church at that Passover season, which must have reminded them considerably
of the time of our Lord's death and the alarm then amongst his followers. It
may not be proven to the satisfaction of all, but to us for some years it has
seemed as though each Passover season, each Memorial celebration, was a time of
special trial and testing amongst the Lord's followers. As Judas and Peter and
all of the Lord's disciples got their sifting at this particular season of the
year, so, it does seem to us, the sifting and shaking, by which Satan desires
to have others of the Lord's followers, are specially permitted at the Memorial
season. But whether this is a true supposition or not, it will surely not
injure the Lord's people to be specially on guard against the wiles of the
Adversary at these times--since we are to watch and pray always, lest we fall
into temptation.
The thought of special trial,
special temptation from the Adversary at this season of the year, seems to have
been the foundation for the so-called "Lenten Season," or period of
special restraint, fasting and prayer, which has come down to us through the
oldest channels of Church history. The fact that the "lenten season"
is with many today a mere formality does not mean that it is so to all, nor
that it was so originally. Strongly would we recommend the fasting and prayer
at all times enjoined in the Scriptures, and, if possible, that alertness be
specially exercised by all of the consecrated during the forty days preceding
the Memorial Supper.
As we have already explained, our
self-denials are not merely along the lines of food and drink, but extend to
all of our appetites. Nevertheless a very simple and very limited diet in the
Spring of the year would undoubtedly be beneficial for the majority of mankind,
even were there no spiritual blessings and prayers connected therewith. Winter
cold bringing hearty appetites, the result toward Spring is apt to be a
surfeited or over-charged condition of the system, from which it needs to be
relieved by a measure of abstention, which is as favorable to spirituality as
surfeiting is unfavorable.
THE
CHURCH PRAYED FOR PETER
St. Peter is supposed to have been
imprisoned in the famous Castle of Antonio, possibly in the very same room in
which our Lord was arraigned before Pilate, and the same one to which Paul was
subsequently taken [R4347 : page 73] when mobbed in
Jerusalem. Peter had a guard of four quaternions (four soldiers each), who
relieved each other every three hours. Two of the four were chained to Peter's
arms, one to each arm, and a third was outside the door and a fourth in the
passage leading to the outer iron gate. The power of Divine grace helping in
every time of need and giving peace amid alarms, is well illustrated in this
case by the fact that under all these circumstances St. Peter was fast asleep
when the angel of the Lord came to deliver him. The proprieties of the case are
also illustrated by the fact that Peter's friends, the Church, were not asleep,
but praying for him. It was not for him to pray for himself deliverance from
the power of Agrippa, for he had already consecrated his life unto death, and
properly should feel quite ready to lay down his life at this time, if such
proved to be [R4347 : page 74] the Lord's will in
respect to him. For him to have asked for the prolongation of his life would
have been to ask amiss, and would have manifested a wilfulness incompatible
with a full consecration to the Lord's will. But with the Church it is
different. They could with all propriety, while expressing to the Lord their
confidence in the Divine supervision of the Church's affairs, tell him also of
their love for St. Peter and of how much his sacrificing in the service of the
Truth had done for them and was doing for them. They could properly enough
express the hope that it might be the Lord's will that he should continue with
them for their joy and comfort and upbuilding in the "most holy
faith." It should not surprise us either that this prayer-meeting on St.
Peter's account lasted all through the night and, for aught we know, other
meetings of the same kind may have been held besides the one referred to in this
lesson, which was at the home of Mary, the mother of Mark, the writer of the
Book of Mark and the cousin of Barnabas, presumably the unnamed person of Mark
14:51.
It may be asked, Would it not have
been appropriate for the Church to have offered prayer and then to have retired
as usual, leaving the results entirely with the Lord? We reply that the
examples given us in the Scriptures fully warranted the all-night
prayer-meeting and even its continuance for several days. Do we not know of our
Lord's remaining all night in the mountain at prayer? Do we not remember his
long and repeated prayers in Gethsemane? Do we
not remember the Apostle's exhortation to the Church, "Praying without
ceasing, and in everything giving thanks"? Giving this a liberal construction
as signifying a prayerful attitude of mind and continued looking to the Lord
for his grace and guidance, nevertheless our Lord's parable of the importunate
widow and her repeated comings and her reward all teach the same lesson of
importunity. Besides, our Lord thus applied the parable, saying, "Shall
not God avenge his very elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear
long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily."--Luke
18:7,8.
In one sense of the word the fears
and sufferings of the Lord's people and their trials and difficulties ascend to
the Lord in prayer and call to Divine Justice for vengeance, recompense,
punishments, without any word from his people to this effect. Rather their
petition should be in line with Stephen's prayer for his enemies, "Lord,
lay not this sin to their charge." Nevertheless, as Abel's blood is said
to have cried to the Lord for vengeance, so the blood of his saints is said to
cry unto him day and night, "How long, O Lord, dost thou not judge and
avenge?"--Rev. 6:10.
The Lord certainly does not wish us
to understand that he has no oversight, arrangement or plans of his own, nor
that the Divine arm may be moved by our prayers in any direction at our
pleasure, at any time. On the contrary, the Lord assures that all of his
purposes shall be accomplished and that his Word shall not return to him void,
"but shall prosper in the thing whereto it was sent." (Isa. 55:11.)
Nothing can alter the definite, fixed outlines of the Divine program. But the
Lord has evidently left certain of the filling in of our experiences subject to
change or modification. These minor details he is ready to use for the blessing
of his people, for the development of their faith. Thus in St. Peter's case the
Lord was doubtless intending a deliverance in some manner, because he had a
further work for him to do, but he allowed it to come about in such a manner as
to indicate it as a reward of the faith of those who prayed for him. Otherwise
the deliverance might have come sooner or later, and in response to faith or
works along some other line.
The Lord evidently desires to
cultivate in us a quality of faith, trust. Therefore he has made faith a
condition for all of his blessings of the present age, and distinctly tells us
that without faith it is impossible to please him, and that he desires us to
"walk by faith and not by sight."--2 Cor. 5:7.
WHY
ONE TAKEN AND THE OTHER LEFT
The question materially and properly
arises, Why was Herod permitted to kill the Apostle James and not permitted to
kill the Apostle Peter? Was St. James unworthy of any further part in the
Gospel work, or less worthy than the Apostle Peter? Was there not enough work
for all, or was St. James permitted to die because he was ready for death,
because he had finished his course? And was St. Peter preserved alive because
he had not finished his course? None of these suggestions seems to be the
correct one. Rather let us surmise that both apostles were loyal and acceptable
to the Lord and at the mark of perfect Love, fit for the Kingdom. Let us
suppose that the Lord preserved Peter because he had a special work for him to
do, and that he allowed the beheading of St. James, not because there was
nothing more that he could do, but because by such a death as he experienced
and at such a time he could accomplish the most that was possible--a work which
could not have been so well done at another time, nor by the death of another
person. St. James, apparently, was the leader amongst the apostles and his
execution would be a great shock to the cause, awakening the followers of our
Lord to renewed zeal and energy in the proclamation of the Truth. It doubtless
served to increase the appreciation of the people for the apostles, causing
them to give still more earnest heed to their teachings and to realize how
greatly the cause of the Lord had been made dependent upon them, the
"twelve apostles" of the Church.--Rev. 21:14.
This, then, would help to explain
why the Church prayed day and night for St. Peter. The loss of St. James made
St. Peter and every other Apostle doubly precious in the estimation of the
"household of faith." God intended that St. Peter should live to be
an old man, for this was our Lord's prophecy respecting him. But the emergency
proved a blessing to the Church, by way of stirring up their pure minds to an
appreciation of the Lord's cause in general and for St. Peter in particular. A
similar lesson may be drawn today. As we see some ripe grains taken and other
ripe grains left, it may mean that the Lord can use the death of the one the
better and the life of the other the better, in his dealings with the Church.
A
REAL ANGEL, A REAL DELIVERER
The time in which the holy angels
were permitted to materialize still continued a power possessed by them, but,
we believe, is not now permitted to be exercised. It was between three and six
o'clock in the last watch, for Peter was not missed until sunrise (Vat.), when
the guards were changed. St. Peter, sleeping peacefully, was awakened by the
angel, whose features were radiant, because this was necessary in order that
the Apostle might discern that his deliverer was a holy being. The Scriptures
mention numerous appearances of angels as men without radiant appearances. Peter
was bidden to rise up. Quickly and simultaneously the chains which bound him to
the soldier by either hand were loosed. He was instructed to put on his wooden
shoes, or sandals, and to put on his outer garment, or cloak, and to follow his
leader. We read that he followed, realizing the facts as those of a dream. Thus
[R4347 : page 75] he was led past the first and
second wards, or doors until they came to the great gate of the city, which
opened of its own accord, and then the angel left him.
It is worthy of notice that the
miracles performed here were only such as were beyond Peter's natural power. Whatever
he could do he was required to do, namely, putting on of his sandals and his
cloak, and following the angel. He could have been transported. His own sandals
or other sandals could have been fastened to his feet. A new coat might have
been provided. But the lesson is a more profitable one as it was given. Similarly
in the Lord's dealings with us today, we should remember that it is ours to do
everything within our power, and the Lord's to overrule all things for our
good, and to supply our deficiencies from his abundance. Thus still he gives us
day by day our daily bread, in the rain and the sunshine and the seed; but he
expects us to labor for it, to plow the ground, to sow the seed, to harrow it,
to thrash it, grind it and bake it.
"When Peter was come to
himself," when he realized the facts in the case, that he was free, he
said, "Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his angel and
delivered me out of the hand of Herod and...of the Jews." St. Peter's
faith was strengthened. Willing to die, he found that the Lord was willing that
he should live and labor and endure, and he was equally pleased, rejoicing, we
may be sure, for the privilege of further service, even though it would mean
further sacrifices and sufferings for the Lord's sake and for the sake of his
people.
Doubtless the angel started Peter in
the direction of Mary's home, where the prayer was being made on his behalf. The
description of the house with an outer gate implies that it was one of the
better class. Peter's knock was heard by little Rose, for such is the meaning
of Rhoda. So overjoyed was she that, forgetful to let him in, she ran first to
tell the praying household [R4348 : page 75] that
Peter was at the gate. Expecting no deliverance at such an hour, some thought
the maiden mistaken, and then insisted that it must be his angel--in harmony
with the prevalent thought that an angel had supervision of each individual of
God's people and that such might personate the one under his protection.
The brethren were surprised at the
Lord's answer to their petitions, because it came so unexpectedly as respects
time. There was an outburst of excitement and questions, which the Apostle was
obliged to silence by the shaking of his hands. Then he narrated the wonderful
story of his deliverance and bade them tell it to the other James, the brother
(cousin) of Jesus, and the other disciples. Then Peter went his way, whether to
another city or to another house, we do not know. In any event, he exercised
wisdom in not needlessly provoking Herod. There was consternation with the
coming of daylight. Later on in the same chapter we learn of another visit of
the angel of the Lord--this second time to smite Herod with disease (intestinal
worms), from which he subsequently died. This chapter then shows us the power
of Satan, the power of God, and the power of prayer.
THE
GOLDEN TEXT
Of course, our Golden Text is a
symbolical statement illustrative of the Divine guardianship of all those who
are truly his. The thought is the continual supervision of our affairs by the
Lord. Whether we think of the angel of the Lord as one of the heavenly host specially
appointed on our behalf, or whether we think of him from the standpoint of the
various powers of nature, the levers of which are all in the Divine care, it
matters not. We have the assurance that the Father himself loves us and that
all the heavenly powers are pledged to those whom he has accepted in Christ
Jesus, and these unitedly guarantee blessings to all those who abide in God's
love. This means to abide in faith in the Redeemer. It means to abide loyal to
our consecration, to do the Father's will to the extent of our ability. That
will is declared to be that we shall love the Lord supremely, our neighbor as
ourselves, and all the members of the household of faith, as Christ loved us.
W.T. R-4346 a : page 73 – 1909 r.