Day 416: Intellect Versus HeartActs 26:2-3a
[Paul speaking] "King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies."
Thoughts for Today:Here's a little interesting historical background: King Herod Agrippa II (as he was sometimes called) was the last of the Herods. His great-grandfather (Herod) was the one who tried to kill Jesus at his birth. His great-uncle beheaded John the Baptist. His sister was Felix's wife, Drucilla, and his father was Agrippa I who ordered the execution of James and imprisoned Peter (until the Lord released him from prison -- Acts 12). Therefore Paul was very accurate when he said, "...you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies." The Herod clan and Christianity had quite a long history together. (With all this in mind, I'm not quite sure why Paul considered himself "fortunate" to stand before him -- perhaps only because of the opportunity to witness to him.)
The Herods were half Jew and half Edomite. They knew a lot about the Jewish culture -- so much so one might think they were fascinated with the Jews. They studied Judaism and were familiar with its history. Despite this knowledge and their long multi-generational record together, when it came to taking sides this same King Agrippa would team with Titus in 70 A.D. to destroy Jerusalem. He proved his interest in the Jews was purely intellectual and had nothing to do with his heart.
Questions to Ponder:What is the difference between intellectual interest and heartfelt passion? It's what we do with our knowledge that demonstrates our heart. King Agrippa destroyed Jerusalem. Paul met Jesus through Judaism and became one of its greatest spokesmen. You may not be out intentionally destroying anything, but are you allowing God to grab hold of your heart? Are you allowing Him to show you His passion? What do your actions demonstrate, God's love for all or something else?
[Paul speaking] "King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies."
Thoughts for Today:Here's a little interesting historical background: King Herod Agrippa II (as he was sometimes called) was the last of the Herods. His great-grandfather (Herod) was the one who tried to kill Jesus at his birth. His great-uncle beheaded John the Baptist. His sister was Felix's wife, Drucilla, and his father was Agrippa I who ordered the execution of James and imprisoned Peter (until the Lord released him from prison -- Acts 12). Therefore Paul was very accurate when he said, "...you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies." The Herod clan and Christianity had quite a long history together. (With all this in mind, I'm not quite sure why Paul considered himself "fortunate" to stand before him -- perhaps only because of the opportunity to witness to him.)
The Herods were half Jew and half Edomite. They knew a lot about the Jewish culture -- so much so one might think they were fascinated with the Jews. They studied Judaism and were familiar with its history. Despite this knowledge and their long multi-generational record together, when it came to taking sides this same King Agrippa would team with Titus in 70 A.D. to destroy Jerusalem. He proved his interest in the Jews was purely intellectual and had nothing to do with his heart.
Questions to Ponder:What is the difference between intellectual interest and heartfelt passion? It's what we do with our knowledge that demonstrates our heart. King Agrippa destroyed Jerusalem. Paul met Jesus through Judaism and became one of its greatest spokesmen. You may not be out intentionally destroying anything, but are you allowing God to grab hold of your heart? Are you allowing Him to show you His passion? What do your actions demonstrate, God's love for all or something else?
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