Tag: Agrippa

The Most Infamous Family In Scripture?

Neal Pollard

    Some names are synonymous with certain attributes and characteristics. Hatfield and McCoy are names associated with fighting and feuding. Hitler is a name associated with prejudice and evil. Even today, some names conjure definite thoughts and conclusions, from Trump to Biden, Shohei Ohtani to LeBron James. Giorgio Armani or Louis Vuitton are fashion. Frank Lloyd Wright is architecture.

    Even in Scripture, certain names draw immediate associations for the Bible student. One such name, which represents a series of rulers spanning about 150 years, is “Herod.” Perhaps you have thought that Herod is one man mentioned in the Bible. In fact, there are seven Herods mentioned in the Bible. Six of them were part of the Herodian Rulers. The first of these in Scripture is Herod I (the Great), king of Judea (Mat. 2:1ff; Luke 1:5). Next is his oldest son, Herod Archelaus, an ethnarch (ruler of a province or region) (Mat. 2:22).

    Herod the Great had other sons who ruled as subordinate princes or portions of a region. One was Herod Philip (Luke 3:1). Another was Herod Antipas (Luke 3:1,19; 13:31ff; 23:7ff). Herod’s grandson, Herod Agrippa I and King of Judea, is mentioned in Acts 12. Then, there was Herod Agrippa II, the great-grandson of Herod the Great and another tetrarch (Acts 25:13ff).

    These were not men of noble character. Herod the Great orchestrated and oversaw the genocide of Jewish baby boys at the time of Christ’s birth. Herod Antipas, an adulterer, had John the Baptist beheaded.

    Herod Agrippa I had the apostle James beheaded and soon thereafter God struck him dead for pompous pride. Herod Agrippa II hardened his heart to the gospel, which he heard passionately preached. Though they lived in both luxury and dysfunction, these men were all little boys in the care of nursemaids if not mothers. They were once innocent children, little babies, helpless, dependent, and impressionable. Spiritual opportunity was missed, and as a result much harm was done to the cause of Christ. Egregious sins were committed against humanity.

    Our family name, in part, is something we inherited (for good or ill). Yet, the greatest impact upon our family name is what we do with it. This applies to what we do with our own lives, but also what we do to bring up our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). Let us protect the family name, and leave a legacy that blesses not just our relatives but impacts the church and the world for good!

THE GLORY-HOG

Neal Pollard

There are people who die some very gruesome deaths in Scripture–Eglon, Jezebel, the Levite’s concubine in Judges 19, Judas, and others, too.  But maybe none is more disturbing than the death of Herod the Great.  A wicked, godless ruler, Herod  Agrippa I had just overseen the execution of the apostle James and intended to do the same to Peter.  About this time, Tyre and Sidon sought to appease and flatter him, subjugated people in need of food from Galilee but who had somehow offended this Judean king.

What happens next is recorded in Acts 12:21-23, but is also found in The Works of Josephus.

Josephus writes that at a festival in honor of Caesar, Herod appeared before the people in “a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful” (344). The sunlight hit the garment making it shine “after a surprising manner” and caused the crowd to spontaneously shout that he was a god.  The people cried, “Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature” (345).

Josephus says that after he had not rejected their praise, “A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner” (346). His pain then became violent and severe, and he lingered five days before he died at the age of 45 in A.D. 44 (347).  The inspired Luke tells us the cause of death–“He was eaten with worms” (Acts 12:23).  Why?  Because he did not give God the glory!

When I understand God’s reaction to those who take for themselves glory that only belongs to God, it should humble me to the core!  If it is a sermon, a program, an idea, an act of kindness or benevolence, a rendered service, an article, a Bible class, a Bible study, an evangelistic success, or any spiritual triumph, I should go the second-mile to deflect and divert that praise! We who preach, teach, and otherwise serve the Lord in any way on any occasion must have a healthy sense of who we are.  Paul says that we have the glorious gospel treasure “in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” (2 Cor. 4:7).

May we be deeply impressed with that, especially when faced with the flattery and praise of men.  The sports analogy, “Don’t believe your own press clippings,” holds true.  Paul was quick to deflect such praise, saying, “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” (1 Cor. 3:5-6).

The next time we are tempted to be a “Glory Hog,” may these biblical truths rush to the forefront of our minds.  After all, thanks to Herod’s demise, we know how God feels about it.  To God truly be the glory!