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Someone asked, “Does God treat people differently?”

This question brought forth as evidence the manner God treated two different persecutors of God’s people of faith, namely, King Herod (Acts 12), and Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9).

King Herod Agrippa persecuted the early Christian church and as a final judgment God had him die eaten by worms.
— About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. (Act 12:1-3)

We read of Herod’s terrible end in judgment…
— On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. (Act 12:21-23)

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Now Saul of Tarsus also persecuted the early Christians.
— But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. (Act 9:1-2)

Saul however receives a different judgment from God as we read…
— Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Act 9:10-16)

The question asked is, “Why does Herod get treated one way and Saul the other? – Is God unfair?

The answer is found in our own understanding of God.
— When we put our own human limits on God, the answer is yes, this discrepancy of justice between Herod and Saul is unfair.

— However, God is not limited by our understanding. He knows our beginning and our ends…
(I purposely use the plural for our ends, because though we start out life from one place in time, the length of our days and the subsequent end of our lives, may vary according to our choices in life.)
– I don’t think anyone would deny that we make choices that determine our life’s course and therefore the end of same.
— When we incorporate an acknowledgment of God’s superior knowledge of our ends, we may grasp the understanding of how God saw the unrepentant end of King Herod, and on the other hand, how He also knew Saul would repent and turn to serve God with all the vigour and loyalty Saul had misplaced in his former passionate beliefs.

We all need to ask and receive a better understanding of our human limitations versus God’s omnipotence, if we ever truly desire to comprehend His ways.
— This is not gained by a study of man’s education, it can only be gained by a knowledge given of God’s own Holy Spirit.
– I pray that if you are a believer, you have already asked for this spiritual rebirth to God’s understanding and faith.
— If you have not made that decision to follow Jesus, I pray that you do it today, so you also will better understand our loving God at work in your own life.

I will let the words of Jesus close this matter for your own better understanding…

From John 3:5-8…  Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ (8) The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”