"They never sought in vain that sought the Lord aright."
"If you cannot pray over a thing, and cannot ask God to bless you in it, don't do that thing. A secret that you would keep from God is a secret that you should keep from your own heart."
After having completed his labors at Lydda, Joppa, and the adjacent towns, Peter returned to Jerusalem and continued his earnest work in the ministry.
A Wicked King.
But there was a wicked king ruling over Judea at that time, named Herod Agrippa, who "stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Church." He was a grandson of Herod the Great, who, you remember, slaughtered all the little children in Bethlehem in his effort to kill the little baby Jesus. He was also a nephew of Herod Antipas, the wicked king who had John the Baptist beheaded. Herod Agrippa possessed the same wicked passions as his grandfather and his uncle; so, of course, he hated and despised the righteous men who, in preaching the Gospel, were condemning sin and wickedness.
Peter Thrust Into Prison.
The first apostle to suffer from King Agrippa's wickedness was James the brother of John whom he killed "with the sword." When he found that this murderous act pleased the haughty and stiff-necked Jews, he thought he would kill some others of the apostolic band. Accordingly, he arrested Simon Peter; but, fortunately, concluded not to kill him until after Easter, so thrust him in prison until a more favorable time for a public execution.
Strongly Guarded.
As if to make sure that Peter would not escape this time, he "delivered him to four quarternions of soldiers to keep him." "This meant four distinct pickets of four guards each, sixteen in all. Each picket was to keep watch three hours and then be relieved by another during the night watches. Two officers must guard at the outer gate of the prison, and two be in the cell, one on each side of the prisoner, with his arms chained to them." Thus firmly guarded and chained, Peter lay down to sleep "between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door."[[1]]
James' cruel death and the report of Peter's imprisonment spread consternation among the saints in Judea. Some, perhaps, were fearful; all were prayerful.