Do you know why God describes Himself as being a “jealous God”? (Exodus 34:14.) He explains it for us this way, “I will not give My glory to another, or My praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8.) You see, if someone does something good, it would be wrong for someone else to get the praise?
Can you spot the mistake the people in Lystra make in this story? Be careful you don’t make a similar one today.
Paul and Barnabas had been sent out to preach about Jesus, whom God raised up in Israel as the Saviour of the world. (Acts 13:2,3,23.) When they came to Lystra “there was a cripple man who had been lame from birth and had never been able to walk. He sat there listening to Paul’s words. Paul saw that he believed and could be healed, so he looked straight at him and said in a loud voice, ‘Stand up straight on your feet!’ The man jumped up and started walking around.” (verses 8-10.)
The people in Lystra, having seen this great miracle done in Jesus’ name, should have been filled with praise and worship to God. Instead, they began shouting “in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have come down to us in human form.’ Barnabas, they called Zeus, and Paul, they called Hermes … The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gate, because he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices to them.” (verses 11-13.)
“Why are you doing this?” shouted Paul and Barnabas, “We too are only men, human like you!” (verse 15.)
You see, giving undue honour to God’s servants is an insult to God! (Revelation 19:10. 22:8-9. Acts 10:25-26.) Yet, often people will still ignore GOD’S WORD, and treat the words and actions of religious men as being the very authority and power of God! Such people are not serving or pleasing the One True God. (Matthew 15:8-9.) They have the wrong god! Jesus was the only man identified and demonstrated to be God. (John 1:1-4,14. Matthew 24:4-5.)
Paul and Barnabas called out to the crowds that day and said, “We are bringing you Good News, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the Living God, who made Heaven, earth, sea and everything in them.” (verse 15.)
The apostles, even with all their protests and teaching against such behaviour, “had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.” (verse 18.)
Are you one of those today who still wants to believe that your fellow-man can take the place of God for you? Who do you have as your Priest and Saviour? - Is it Jesus, the Son of God? or is it some religious person? God’s Word is very clear about Jesus: “There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12.)
Read about the foolishness of priests of Lystra in Acts 14, verses 8-18.
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