We use part of the same passage that we used in the last essay (see the essay, the sins of the fathers).

Acts 12:20-25,

20: And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.
21: And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
22: And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
23: And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
24: But the word of God grew and multiplied.
25: And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

In this passage Herod was eaten of worms because the Bible says he did not give the glory to God. What was the glory he did not give to God in this passage? Apparently, the glory he did not give to God had to do with the excellent oration he gave to the people of Tyre and Sidon. The people said while referring to what happened when he gave the oration “It is the voice of god, and not of a man."

We all have talents given us from above and we need to use them for the glory of God, rather than pride ourselves over our abilities to use them. In the case of Herod here, it seemed it was the people that placed a stumbling block in his path, by the praise they gave to him.

Herod already had a quarrel with this people. They had sought to get the king’s favour. They even made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend. Now to be on the positive side of this king they started by praising him.

We should beware when all man say well of us and praise us. Jesus says in Matthew 6:26 “Woe unto you, when all men would speak well of you for so did their fathers to the false prophets." It is not that all men would speak well of someone as such, that everybody would be saying how great one is, but the vast majority would be doing so. Actually people have their agenda when they speak well of someone.

I have found some cases here in Nigeria where some "men of God" are adored as it they were gods. Usually after thinking about these so called “men of God”, I tend to think this real reason these people are flattering them is not because they are excellent human beings as such, but because they are envious of their material success and their prosperity. In fact the Bible says, so did they unto the false prophets. In their hearts they knew they were false prophets, yet they still spoke well of them. The same situation obtains here in Nigeria. In their heart of hearts people know these called “men of God” are false prophets.

The Bible says in the book of Romans 2:28-29
“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh;

But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."We should rather seek the praise that comes from God and not from men. God’s praise is far better than the praise of men.

Eventually, God’s praise might entail people praising us in a sort of way also, but the praise of God is for better than the praise of men