BIBLE STUDY LESSON 18

SERIES U --- THE EARLY CHURCH

PETER FREED

ESCAPE FROM PRISON

From Acts 12

As the ranks of the believers grew, King Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, began to persecute them. He arrested some believers and even had the apostle James, the brother of John, murdered. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter also, at the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or Passover, and threw him into prison. To be sure that Peter did not escape, Herod had him guarded by four groups of four soldiers each. It was Herod’s plan to keep Peter there until the Passover had ended, then present him to the Jews for execution. While Peter was in prison, some of the believers met together to pray earnestly for him. The night before Peter was to be executed, he was sleeping between two guards, bound with two chains. The door of the prison also was guarded by soldiers. Suddenly an Angel of Adonai stood beside Peter, radiating light into the prison cell. The Angel struck Peter on the side to wake him. [Hurry! Get up!] the Angel said. Immediately the chains fell from Peter’s arms. [Tighten your belt and sandals,] the Angel commanded. Peter did so at once. [Now put on your cloak and follow me,] said the Angel. As Peter followed the Angel from the prison cell, he kept thinking that this was all a dream, that it couldn’t be happening. After passing the first guard, then the second, they came to the iron gate leading to the city. Suddenly the gate opened before them and they walked into the street. The Angel went with Peter to the next corner, then was gone. Peter realized by now that this was really happening and was not a dream. [Now I’m sure that Adonai has sent His Angel to rescue me from Herod and all that the people were going to do to me,] he said. He left immediately for the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where a number of believers had gathered to pray. Peter knocked at the courtyard gate and a little girl named Rhoda answered. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so excited that she ran back into the house without opening the gate, telling everyone that Peter was standing out there. [You’re crazy!] they told Rhoda. But she insisted that he was there. The people still wouldn’t believe her. [It’s his angel,] they said. Peter kept knocking at the gate until someone finally went out and opened it. When they saw that it really was Peter, they were astounded. Peter motioned for them to be quiet so they wouldn’t attract a guard, then told them how Adonai had rescued him from prison. [Tell James, Adonai’s brother, and the other believers what has happened,] he said. Then he left for a place where Herod’s men would not find him. When morning came, there was a great commotion at the prison. The soldiers could not understand what had happened to Peter. Herod issued orders for them to search for Peter, and when they could not find him, Herod questioned the guards further and then had them put to death. After this, Herod left Jerusalem and went to Caesarea to stay awhile. Herod had very bitter feelings against the people of Tyre and Sidon. Since they depended on Herod’s country for trade, they sent a group of people to Caesarea to win the king’s favour. First, they made friends with Blastus, the man in charge of the king’s personal affairs. Then Blastus made an appointment for them to see King Herod. When the day came, Herod put on his best robes, sat on his royal throne, and gave a speech. Anxious to please the king, they began to shout, [It’s a YHVH speaking, not a man.] Herod accepted their worship and gave none of the glory to YHVH. Immediately, an angel struck him down; he was infested with worms and died. The Word of Adonai continued to spread and grow. When Barnabas and Saul finished their work in Jerusalem, they re-turned to Antioch and brought John Mark with them.

COMMENTARY

COURTYARDS AND GATES

In Bible times, the courtyard was the centre of family life and activities. There people ate meals, children played, and women worked. The courtyard was open to the sky and light, while at the same time it closed off the noise and confusion of the street outside. Trees and shrubs were sometimes planted there, making it a cool and shady haven. The courtyard served as a kitchen as well as the eating area. The cooking fire became a comforting source of heat when the evening grew chilly. There was a cistern, too, to collect and hold water for the household. The courtyard led directly into the rooms of the house, which had no back doors. In wealthier homes, a guard kept watch at the gate during the night. The heavy wooden doors were not unbolted for anyone unknown, because robbers were greatly feared. If a door had a lock, it was made of wood. The keyhole was large, and so was the key -- sometimes over a foot long. The home owner sometimes wore it around his neck as a symbol of his authority. The gate was kept open throughout the day as a sign of hospitality. If it was closed, it meant the family had done something of which it was ashamed. Wealthy homes kept someone at the gate to greet people and direct them to the family. In other homes, the father did this for his household. A small box attached to the doorpost identified the family as Jewish. This box, called a {mezuzah,} contained a tiny scroll of parchment. On it was written the Word of YHVH from two passages in Deuteronomy. One listed YHVH’s blessings on the Jews if they followed His Commandments, and His curses if they did not. The other contained these words: [Hear, O Israel, Adonai your YHVH is One Adonai; and you shall love Adonai your YHVH with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And those words which I Command you this day shall be upon your heart… and you shall write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.] Many Jews in the modern world still place mezuzahs at the doorway to the rooms of their homes. It is a constant reminder that YHVH is Adonai of the household.