- Covered In His Dust
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- Acts Chapter 12 (part 2)
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If this is your first time getting Covered in His Dust, WELCOME!
👉🏽 Read Chapter 12 HERE before reading my notes. If you don’t, my notes won’t make sense.
You can access previous notes on Acts and Luke HERE.
Good morning Saints! ☀️
In Acts, we watch a small band of Christians growing in faith and courage under the shadow of the massive Roman Empire.
And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.”
Chapter 12 marks the transition from Peter to Saul for the remainder of Acts. Peter has a brief appearance in Chapter 15, but after that, we won’t see him again until we reach his epistles, 1 and 2 Peter.
They’re called “epistles” because the word comes from the Greek epistolē, meaning “letter” or “message.” In the New Testament, these weren’t casual notes but carefully written letters meant to teach, guide, and unify believers in their faith.
The James mentioned in verse 17 is the half-brother of Jesus. Remember, James, the apostle, had been martyred (Acts 12:2).
After Jesus' resurrection, James became a key leader in the Jerusalem church and is often seen as a central figure for Jewish Christians. James also wrote the Epistle of James.
James is called Jesus' “half-brother” because, while they shared the same mother, Mary, they had different fathers. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, making God his Father, while James was the son of both Mary and Joseph. So, even though they grew up together as brothers, they had different fathers.
And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
In the Roman world, if a prisoner escaped, the guards were often punished with the prisoner’s sentence. So, when Peter escaped, Herod had the guards put to death for “failing” to keep him locked up. This was a harsh but common practice to ensure guards took their duties seriously.
I’ve always read “Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.” as Peter's actions, but it was actually Herod who went to Caesarea.
The Caesarea Amphitheater was built by King Herod the Great around 22–10 BC and served as a venue for Roman-style entertainment, including gladiator games, theater, and public speeches. This is likely where Herod Agrippa delivered his final, ill-fated speech.
(I took this photo in 2021, near the end of the pandemic, when there were almost no tourists around.)
Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food.
Tyre and Sidon are ancient cities located in what is now modern-day Lebanon, along the Mediterranean coast, north of Israel.
A king’s chamberlain was a high-ranking official who managed the king’s household and personal matters. He was a trusted advisor, in charge of the palace, organizing events and controlling who could see the king.
What’s going on here?
The people of Tyre and Sidon depended on the food resources from the land Herod governed, but his anger put them in a vulnerable predicament. To secure their food supply, they approached him using praise and possibly even flattery to get back on his good side.
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.
In his work Antiquities of the Jews, the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus gives us a vivid account of Herod Agrippa’s final public appearance, which aligns with the Bible narrative in Acts 12.
Here’s the detailed version from Josephus:
On a set day, during a festival honoring the Roman emperor, Herod Agrippa I entered the amphitheater in Caesarea dressed in a garment made entirely of silver. The robe was designed to catch and reflect the morning sunlight, creating a dazzling effect that made him appear almost godlike to the crowd. As Herod took his seat on the throne to address the assembly, his robe sparkled so intensely that it captured the audience’s awe.
The crowd began to flatter him, shouting that he had “the voice of a god, and not of a man.” Instead of humbling himself or deflecting their worship, Herod accepted their praise. But then, he looked up and saw an owl perched above him—a bad omen in Jewish superstition. He suddenly felt severe abdominal pain, which he took as divine punishment for accepting the people’s worship.
Josephus recounts that Herod endured intense pain for five days before he died, and he attributes Herod’s death to divine retribution for failing to honor God and instead seeking the glory of a deity for himself. The account of being "eaten by worms" may refer to some form of internal infection or parasitic disease, which aligns with Josephus's description of his slow, painful decline.
Both Josephus and the book of Acts present Herod’s death as a consequence of his arrogance and willingness to accept divine praise, highlighting a lesson on pride and the consequences of failing to honor God.
(You can read the original text of the Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus HERE.)
If I had to summarize Chapter 12, it would be: God vs. Herod. And if you stand against God…
you
will
lose.
Can you hear the people chanting?
“The voice of a god, not of a man!”
“The voice of a god, not of a man!”
“The voice of a god, not of a man!”
It’s easy to see how Herod craved their praise, but it’s harder to ask, “Where am I seeking praise from others?”
Am I putting my plans before God’s?
Am I choosing pride over humility?
Am I ignoring His Word and conviction?
The good news is this: when you stand with Jesus, you win.
If you stand against Him, you lose.
Give God the glory.
It wasn’t Herod who provided; it was God all along.
Aghhhh! It’s so good! And just when it seems it can’t get any better, in Chapter 13, we see Paul and Barnabas set out on the first missionary journey.
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I love you,
George
Uncovering Scripture
George Sisneros is a full-time missionary in Guatemala and the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 26 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
George and his family are expanding to Cuba in 2024.