The Bible frequently compares God's relationship with Israel to a marriage (both are called covenants, for example), and chapter 16 of Ezekiel really runs with that metaphor. In the chapter, Jerusalem is metaphorically described as an abandoned newborn baby  who is rescued by God, then grows into womanhood. She is protected until marriage age, and then given as a bride to God. After that she becomes tremendously adulterous and lives her life in shame.
King Herod (one of many Herods in the Bible) has the apostle James killed and tries to kill Peter also. But Peter escaped from prison due to an angel's help - and prayers of the church. At the end of the story, Herod does get what's coming to him.  The last in a series in chapters 8-12 of Acts.
As Paul warned the elders of Ephesus in Acts, we must be alert to the reality that Satan seeks to destroy our faith through deception. In this lesson, we consider three critical ways a person can allow themselves to drift down a path to a hardened heart