31st May 2026

God in charge and in control.

Readings: Isaiah 37: 8 – 20 &  Acts 12: 1 – 25 

To be in control the dictionary tells us that you have all the power to make the right decisions.

To be in charge means to handle everything that comes your way.

God is in Control, God is in charge

God expects submission to his will

God’s ways are not our ways.

Let’s get started then.

There are many angelic interventions in the bible. It is not exactly clear when angels were created. In Job 38.4, it seems to suggest the angels were created before the earth was made. One other point of interest - angels are always male.

The first visitation I want to talk about was to the maidservant of Sarai. Abram’s wife, who had failed to bear children, at this juncture. Sarai, impatient with God’s timetable, had taken matters into her own hands. She told Abram to sleep with her maidservant. It is a terrible situation not to be able to bear children, especially in those times, but equally as difficult to watch your maid servant gloating when she becomes pregnant. I can see how the situation can have become difficult, between the two women; with gloating, pride, jealousy, anger, mistreatment etc. with the result that Hagar ran away. Hagar fled into the desert, on her way to Shur. I always felt sorry for both the women. Hagar could hardly refuse, and given the emphasis on bearing children in biblical times, I understand Sarai. The angel finds Hagar by the spring of water, in the wilderness, on the way to Shur. He tells her that she must go back and submit herself under the hand of Sarai. A difficult thing to do under the circumstances, but she returned with the promise from the Angel of the Lord, ‘I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they will not be counted for multitude.’

Similarly, Mary the mother of Jesus, when the angel told her she had found favour with God, and would bear a child, even though she hadn’t known a man. As you can imagine, she was troubled and possibly afraid, knowing the implications, but still, she submitted to the will of God. ‘I am the Lord’s servant…. May your word to me be fulfilled;’

And then we read in Isaiah, Hezekiah prayed to God for deliverance from the Assyrians, as they besieged Jerusalem, and slowly undercut its military defences, and tunnelled through its walls, with the intention of starving the city. But what the people of Jerusalem could not do, God would do for them. The angel of the Lord went out, and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp.  “For I will defend this city to save it. For my own sake, and for My servant David’s sake.” (Is 37:35)

All these are supernatural events and, as a scientist and mathematician, I don’t question these events. Because God is God! Today we think we can explain everything and put everything into neat boxes, but some events are unexplainable. We see God’s brilliance in his answer to Job.

“Where were you, when I lay the foundations of the earth?” (38:4)

“Have you ever in your days commanded the morning light?” (38:12)

The insignificance of Job, of us, compared to God. The power, control and creativity of God can be seen everywhere, and yet he still loves us and wants to be with us, and hear our prayers. How wonderful is that!                                                                            

And so, it is no surprise when the angel turns up in the cell of Peter. God had plans for him. When Jesus asked Peter, ‘Who do men say I am?’ Peter answered; some say John the Baptist, others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked, ‘Who do you say I am?’  Peter replied, ‘You are Christ, Son of the living God.” The plan, through Peter; as we come to know later, ‘The church’ would grow built on the blood of Christ; and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. Herod and his plans and politicising would come to nothing.

NOW, let’s return to the scene. Peter is sleeping. Let me ask you a question. Would you be sleeping if you were condemned to death, knowing that Agrippa had already murdered your friend.  There are so many amazing things in this scene. The bright lights that failed to wake up the guards. The angel tapping Peter on the shoulder, the chains falling off.  The angel telling him to to hurry up, get dressed, to tie his sandals, follow him. They pass the first and the second guards post, they come to the iron gate that leads to the city, it opens on its own.  I can imagine Peter standing in the street, shaking his head, as though he is trying to wake himself up and make sense of what is happening, and then when he goes and knocks on the door, Rhoda does not let him in.

This escapee…. knocking frantically on the door, only to be left stood there, whilst the inhabitants argue inside. First thinking that Rhoda was out of her mind, or it was Peter’s angel. Eventually letting him in phew. A prayer answered. A supernatural event. Unexplainable. The laws of nature turned upside down, but God created the laws. He can do anything.

Herod’s plan thwarted. Four generations of the Herod family are mentioned in the bible. Each leader left his evil mark. Herod the Great massacred all the baby children. Herod Antipas was involved in Jesus’ trial and John the Baptist’s execution. Herod Agrippa I murdered the apostle James and imprisoned Peter, and Herod Agrippa II was one of Paul’s judges.

As we continue examining the story, after the escape, Agrippa has the soldiers put to death and then leaves for Caesarea and stays there. While there, he quarrels with the people of Tyre and Sidon. Dependant on him for their food supply, they befriend Blastus, his personal servant and get an audience with him. Dressed like a god, believing he is a god, he sits ready to address his audience.  ‘He sits there arrogant, unknowing, ‘This is the voice of a god, not a man.’  The people cry. The bible tells us he is struck down and eaten by worms. Josephus the historian says infested with worms an even more gruesome depiction.

All the Herod’s were politicians, meddlers in God’s affairs. Agrippa had no real argument with the new religion, but wanting to appease the Jews and the Romans. Unlike Hezekiah, a king, who didn’t put himself on a par with God, he depended on HIM; He was a man who cried out to his heavenly father for help. His humility, urgent petition, and his sincerity and belief in prayer, led to his victory.

God has plans for the world. God knows things we don’t know. God sees things we don’t see. He does things that we can’t understand. 

God is God.

God is in charge and in control.

God expects submission to his will.

God’s ways are not our ways.

God hears our prayers.                    So let us pray…

We thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, who in his human form submitted completely to the will of God. Father, we pray that we submit to the father’s will, even if it is a path we would not always choose. And Father, while we may never understand your ways, we thank you for being in charge and being in control. Father, we graciously thank you for what you have revealed to us through Your Son and Your Word. We thank you for forgiving us, for  loving us. Father change us, direct us and control us in Your loving way.

We ask this, in the precious name of Jesus, your loving Son.

Amen

Andy McCrae