It says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God.—James 4:6-7
Acts 12 presents us with two contrasting scenes: the chapter begins with Peter’s persecution, imprisonment, and miraculous rescue at the hands of an angel, and ends with Herod meeting a swift and violent end after attempting to claim God’s glory for himself. The hymns we sing this morning relate to both these scenes. In the first half of the service, many of the hymns follow Psalm 82 (which we’ll both read and sing), encouraging us to “put no confidence in princes,” and calling the powerful on the earth to give reverent worship to the Lord, “lest [they] perish in [their] stride.” Later in the morning, after hearing the Word preached, confessing our sins, and receiving assurance of pardon, the hymns tend to celebrate how our Lord rescues us from even the direst situations. We call on our Lord in troubled days, and He is faithful to save His servants and preserve their lives. We declare that He is a “mighty fortress” and our helper in the “flood of mortal ills.” Like Peter, we can “leap to lose [our] chains.” Unlike Herod, we joyfully “lay our trophies down” Jesus’ feet. —Henry C. Haffner