Act 12:1-4, 1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.2 He killed James …, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also...4…, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.
As the numbers of believers increased in the early church, so was persecution, but God was doing unusual miracles to counter respond to the attacks. In Acts 5, they arrested the apostles and put them in prison. In the night, the angel of the Lord appeared and released them. In Acts 12 the same happened to Peter, king Herod seized and put him in prison with intentions to kill him. He had succeeded with James and he saw that it pleased the Jews, he, therefore, set to do it again and what a better catch than Peter, one of the main leaders. In order to learn from the last experience, Acts 12:4 ”… he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, …”
What was so threatening about Peter that they needed 4 bands of soldiers (16 men) each to guard him taking turns all night? It was human reasoning that thought it could stop God by it’s borrowed power. King Nebuchadnezzar and King Sennacherib hosted of their powers only to be reduced to nothing. People like Herod perceive themselves great and mighty and have been applauded for that which every one ought to cry shame. How they have been perceived has embolded them to go on and on. They make themselves an easy prey to Satan especially when they make it their business to please men than God. We must be careful that we don’t strive to be men pleasers but God.