On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. – Acts 12:21-23
King Herod, adorned in royal garments, delivers a powerful speech. The crowd erupts with thunderous applause, exclaiming, “He’s not a man, but a god!”
At that moment, Herod had the opportunity to deflect the divine accolades and refer them to God instead. But pride wouldn’t let him. “I’ll revel in this moment and receive what is rightfully mine,” he says to himself. He’s in his element. And seconds later, an angel of the Lord strikes him dead.
At the heart of this passage lies a timeless truth about human pride and the illusion of self-sufficiency. Herod’s acceptance of divine honors reflects a deeper arrogance: the belief in his own supreme capability and achievement. Like Herod, we often bask in the glow of our successes, attributing them to our efforts alone. Such pride blinds us, creating an instant barrier between us and God.
Pride tells us that we are the architects of our fate, the masters of our destiny. It seduces us with the lie that our talents, intelligence, and resources are solely of our own making. In doing so, it robs us of the opportunity to recognize and give thanks to God’s grace and mercy in our lives. Herod’s fate is a sober reminder of the ultimate consequence of such pride.
The antidote to this pride is humility, an acknowledgement that without God, we can do nothing. It is in our humble recognition of our dependence on God that we open the door to a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. Humility allows us to see our talents and successes as gifts from God, to be used in service to Him and to others.
As we think about this passage today, it would be good for us to examine our own hearts. Where have we taken credit for God’s work in our lives? Where have we allowed pride to build walls between us and our Creator? Let us never forget that every good and perfect gift comes from above, and let us live in constant gratitude for all that God does for us.
Former Blackout Artist 