Leaders who strut around, basking in the glory of power. Hungry crowds begging for sustenance from the government, and willing to follow anyone who would feed them. These things are as old as the Roman Empire and as new as this morning’s headlines. And it’s easy for Christians to get caught up in the drama and urgency of politics. But these chapters should help us put all worldly claims of power into perspective. For here we find that it is not earthly kings who are really in charge, but God alone.

Yes, the crowds from Tyre and Sidon knew that they were dependent on Galilee, the area ruled by Herod Agrippa, for their food supply. So it’s no wonder that they came to Herod’s capital at Caesarea to curry favor with him. It’s even understandable that they would hail him as a god and not as a man (Acts 12:20-22): after all, many people continue to worship the state in various ways even today, looking to the government to provide all their needs.

But in Acts 11:27-28, we learn Who is really in charge of the world’s food supply. For God told His prophets that He was going to send a famine on the whole of the known world, a famine that actually came to pass. So, no matter how extravagantly the crowd may have praised Herod Agrippa, he wasn’t able to give them the food they craved. Moreover, he wasn’t able to keep Peter in prison (Acts 12:3-10). In fact, he wasn’t even able to keep himself alive: God struck him down because of his arrogance and pride (Acts 12:23).

So, at the end of the day, does it really make sense for anyone to expect the state to solve all our problems? In contrast, when the people of God heard that they themselves would be adversely affected by the coming famine, they believed the warnings of the prophets and took up a collection to help those who would find themselves in even greater need (Acts 11:29). So perhaps we should follow their example where it comes to our modern difficulties: simply trusting in God’s Word and caring for one another, instead of worrying so much about what our rulers might think or say or do.

Acts 11:27-30; 12:20-23 (NASB)

27 Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius.
29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea.
30 And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

20 Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country.
21 And on an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them.
22 And the people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”
23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.