Bernice: The incestuous partner of King Agrippa

The history covered in the Bible considers the good, the bad and ugly lived experiences of those whose stories are presented in the Holy Book. For example, the religious people who were looking forward to God’s coming Messiah worked tirelessly to kill the Messiah and as if that was not enough, they even considered the testimony of the Messiah’s followers as enough reason for them to die. Yet, day in and out, these religious fanatics were praying and trusting God for a Saviour. The irony of the matter was the fact that when one of their fanatic people had an encounter with Jesus, God’s living Messiah, these Jewish authorities did all they could to kill him. Paul, the man with the testimony of Jesus, the words of life and hope, was considered not fit to life. After facing different trials, Paul was left in prison for 2 years by Felix. The new Roman governor Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?” (Acts 25:9). Paul appealed to Caesar and before Festus sent Paul over to Caesar, he made Paul appear before king Agrippa. The focus of this post is Bernice, the incestuous partner of King Agrippa.

A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. (Acts 25:13)

King Agrippa also known as Herod Agrippa II, was the great-grandson of Herod the Great. His father was also known as King Agrippa I and the father died while Agrippa II was a teenager being educated in Rome. Finally, in 48 AD and 53 AD, the new King Agrippa II was given the right to oversee the temple in Jerusalem and ultimately to rule over a larger region northeast of the Sea of Galilee. According to history, Agrippa never married but committed incestuous relationship with his sister Bernice. On the other hand, Bernice married thrice, she was twice a widow and at one time the divorced sister of King Agrippa. At the request of Festus, the case of the righteous Paul was to be determined by the sinful Agrippa and his incestuous sister. On the day of the hearing, “Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.” (Acts 25:23). The irony of this case was that Bernice and Agrippa who were the chief culprit and breakers of the Jewish laws were escorted with great pomp while Paul, the man who was propagating righteousness came in chains (see Acts 26:29).

Bernice and her brother Agrippa were committing incest but they were treated as royalty with pomp and glamor. On the other hand, Paul the apostle was treated as the criminal. Who were the real criminals in this case? Both Bernice and Agrippa were Jews and they knew the laws. Paul even acknowledged that Agrippa was “well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies” (Acts 26:3). Yet, he and Bernice had the boldness to openly defy God laws regarding incest between siblings:
“If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.” (Leviticus 20:17)
Agrippa did not marry Bernice but they had sexual relations and it was not done in secret. It was known by all.

It is quite difficult to understand the lifestyle of Bernice from the 1st century perspective. She married three husbands, two of these men died leaving her as widow and she divorced the last man to have sexual relations with her brother. As much as this post is not targeted to condemn Bernice personally, certain things need to be mentioned. The flaws in her character seemed to have attracted to her a man of her type; her pleasure-seeking and never-ready-to-commit brother. These two were birds of the same feature and they openly expressed their love throughout their Jerusalem and Galilee. Even in the extremely liberal 21st century, “Bernices” don’t always flaunt their lifestyle in public delight. Of course there are some modern day “Bernices” who have taken their lifestyle onto the public spaces and wrongly influencing young women about the notion of love and self gratification.

The author of the book of Acts, Luke, carefully presented Bernice not as the wife of Agrippa because she was not (see Acts 26:30). If you are drawn to the lavish lifestyles of certain women, take time to know and understand what they do and where they are coming from. Don’t envy people whose lives are contrary to the word of God. No matter how powerful, rich and famous they become, they remain sinners until they change their ways of lives and accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Dear sister, don’t spend time on lifestyles that do not glorify God but rather promote godlessness and immorality. Dear brother, don’t misuse the power and authority you have to promote vile lifestyles. God sees and judges all things.

The sisters in the church in Jerusalem

Apostle Paul finally arrived in Jerusalem after many days of missionary work. His journey has been eventful and he had the opportunity to minister to both Jews and Gentiles. The power of God had been strongly manifested: the unbelievers believed the gospel of Jesus, the sick were healed, the dead were raised to life and the kingdom of God was preached to the nations. These feats were indeed marvelous and demonstrated the power of God. However, there were people who saw the ministry of Paul as a threat to Judaism and had plans to bring Paul down. Through the Holy Spirit, Paul was informed by the brothers and sisters in the churches he visited that imprisonment awaits him in Jerusalem but that did not deter Paul from going to Jerusalem.

When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. (Acts 21:17)

When Paul and his team arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received them warmly (Acts 21:17). Like many of the churches Paul visited, the brothers and the sisters in the local churches were welcoming to Paul and his team. The sisters in the Jerusalem church might have heard of all the accusations against Paul. They had been informed that Paul had been teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to the Jewish customs (Acts 21:21). Although the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem believed in the ministry of Paul, these allegations could have caused the church to be divided over the ministry of Paul. But, that wasn’t the case. The whole church with one accord welcomed the Apostle Paul not to condemn him over the allegations, but to find ways to make sure that the Jewish community doesn’t accuse Paul of abandoning the faith.

The sisters in the Jerusalem church might have prepared to host Paul and his team. They would have made background arrangements for accommodation, logistics and feeding. They were actively involved in welcoming Paul and his team. Luke describes the welcome as “warm”. It is important to understand that church growth thrives on variables such as unity within the members and between the different local churches. The sisters and the brothers of Jerusalem advised Paul to join four others who are undergoing the Jewish purification rites so as to prove to the people that Paul is not teaching others to turn away from the faith. The church made contingency plans to help Paul navigate the issues raised by the Jewish people.

First, we need to understand that Paul was aware of the challenges that awaited him in Jerusalem. Second, Paul was willing to even die if the need be. Yet, the church did all they can to help Paul navigate through this. The ministry of both the brothers and sisters were needed for this purpose.

Women are generally seen as emotional beings and most times excluded from certain “important conversations” in the church. As we navigate the challenges of the 21st century church, we should be intentional about engaging everyone and giving people the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the church. If possible, we should encourage discipleship training to equip both men and women to be able to contribute meaningfully in their respective ministries.

Prominent Greek women in Berea

The post on Eunice elucidated on the cultural gap between Jews and Greeks as at the time of Jesus and even during the days of the early church. We identified that historically, there was a huge cultural gap between Jews and Greeks at the time of Paul. We saw that historically, the Greeks had conquered and controlled the Jews until the Romans took over. Which made the Jews develop some sort of rivalry towards the Greeks. The period of the Greeks’ rule infiltrated Jewish society with Hellenistic culture. The presence of the Greek language, Greek gods and Greek temples in Jewish communities was a testament of the massive religious and cultural influence. This post will focus on a section of Greek women who lived in Berea. The city of Berea was 43 miles southwest of Thessalonica and it is estimated that traveling from Thessalonica to Berea was likely to have taken two days of walking. After Paul and his Silas fled Thessalonica, they went to Berea. When they arrived in Berea, they went to the Jewish synagogue (Acts 17:10).

As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. (Acts 17:12)

Very early in life, I understood that I needed the attitude of the Berean Jews for a concentrated Christian growth. What was the attitude of the Berean Jews. Acts 17:11 states this: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” By cross-examining scripture, they were able to verify all the claims Paul and Silas made about the Messiah. The result of their due diligence to investigate scripture in accordance with the words of Paul and Silas was this: “As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” (Acts 17:12). The prominent Greek women were women of esteem. They were highly regarded in the society. They were influential and possibly some of these prominent women controlled businesses and commerce. The prominent Greek women were women of power and might have been instrumental in the growth and development of the city of Berea.

The Greeks were considered highly philosophical and they had a huge crave for wisdom unlike theJews who were seeking for signs (1 Corinthians 1:22). Thus, in a city infiltrated with Greeks and Greek culture, the apostle Paul and his team had to explain scripture from the viewpoint of wisdom and knowledge. The prominent Greek women did not just jump to believe. Like the Jews in Berea, these women might have carefully analyzed the evidence of Paul’s submission in relation to both historical sources and current oral narrative on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, the Revealer of truth did His work of conviction and this led to a successful evangelistic experience. The prominent Greek women were part of those believed. The Berean Jews together with these prominent Greek women and many Greek men came to faith and these began the church in Berea.

The success in the church in Berea attracted a common enemy. When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up (Acts 17:13). The Berean believers, knowing the danger ahead, immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea (Acts 17:14). Thus, the work in Berea did not cease. Under the watchful eyes of the prominent Greek women, Silas and Timothy might have enjoyed some freedom to disciple the church and to win more souls into the faith. The church in Berea was helped by God and through the presence of these influential women, God established His church even in the midst of strong opposition.

The Berean church benefited from the influence of these highly esteemed women. God does not place us in our local churches to just add to the numbers. You have been assigned there for a specific purpose. You might not be the prominent Greek woman, but you could be the Anna interceding for the church. Never underestimate what you can do to bring growth in the church. Be a Berean Christian who diligently searches scripture and be generous enough to share God’s love with the people around you.

Esther: The requests of the Queen

As we continue our study on Esther also known as Hadassah, we have come to a critical point of Esther’s salvation of the Jews. From the previous posts, we have seen that Esther was an orphan who rose up to become the Queen of Persia. She replaced Vashti, because Queen Vashti dishonoured king Xerxes through her disobedience. In all her journey to the royal throne, Esther won the favour of Hegai, the keeper of the harem, she won the favour of those who saw her as she moved to the Palace for her one night with the king. Ultimately, Esther won the favour of the king. Esther seemed to have a blissful moment until one man,  Haman, was promoted as the second in command to the king. Haman was angry at Mordecai, Esther’s uncle for not bowing down to him. Instead of Haman to punish Mordecai for what he did, Haman decided to exterminate all the Jews in the Persian kingdom. Esther had a secret and the secret was that  her nationality was unknown to the king. Thus, Haman, the king’s second in command, declared death for the Queen. Esther had to do something about it but she was afraid that if the king did not extend his scepter, she would be killed. Esther requested that the Jewish people fast for her as she and her household also fast for three days. 

Thus, Esther and the Jews prepared for Esther’s meeting with the king. Esther had to let go of the luxuries of the palace for three days. She denied herself pleasure. She subdued her flesh in order to uplift her spirit. She humbled herself to God through fasting. She demonstrated her neediness for superior help. She understood that her position as queen was not enough to turn the verdict. She knew the systems and dynamics of authourity. In fasting and committing the situation to God,  Esther and the Jewish people brought King Xerxes under God’s superior authourity. Esther understood that in the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that He channels toward all who please him (Proverbs 21:1). Esther understood that to please the king, she must first please the Lord. After dealing with the spiritual side of the battle, this is what happened, “On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.” (Esther 5:1). Esther made a move, she went to the court of the palace even though she had not been summoned. Thus, the fasting did bring the king to Esther, but Esther had the courage to face the king. Thus defeating her greatest fear and uncertainty. The second victory was this, “When he (King Xerxes) saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.” (Esther 5:2). The king favoured Esther, the Lord directed the heart of the King towards Esther. Instead of condemnation, Esther received acceptance. 

Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” (Esther 5:3)

Finally, after Esther had gained courage to meet the king, received favour for acceptance before the king, something happened. Esther didn’t even say a word, but the king spoke and asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” (Esther 5:3). Imagine! The Queen wanted less than half of the kingdom, she went to plead for her life and that of her people but she was offered half of the kingdom. Indeed God turned the heart of Xerxes towards Esther. You would have expected Esther to quickly state her request that she wants the Jews spared. But, she knew better that the court was not the right place.  Esther’s request was this, “If it pleases the king, let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.” (Esther 5:4). Esther invited the King and Haman (the man who wants her and her people dead) for a banquet. It sounds ridiculous but Esther did just that! The king’s reply was this, “Bring Haman at once, so that we may do what Esther asks.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared (Esther 5:5). At the banquet, the king asked again, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” (Esther 5:6). Esther’s reply was this,  “My petition and my request is this: If the king regards me with favour and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.” (Esther 5:7‭-‬8). Esther was not quick to answer. God was working behind the scene to honour Mordecai. If Esther had let the cat out of the bag on the first night, maybe Haman would have been killed but Mordecai’s honour would have been different.  The delay was for God to bring the perfect opportunity for Mordecai to be honoured and Haman to pay for his vile intentions. 

The night after the dinner was a long one for the king and Haman. While the king couldn’t sleep, Haman couldn’t sleep either. The king’s sleeplessness was because Mordecai had to be honoured. Haman’s sleeplessness was because he wanted Mordecai killed. In just one night, two forces competed for Mordecai (honour and dishonour). But, Mordecai, Esther and all Jews had fasted and brought the case before the Chief Judge of all (the Lord). The matter was settled in heaven and earth had to align to heaven’s verdict. Esther’s request was for a second banquet with the king and Haman. Between the night of the first banquet and the evening of the second banquet, the heavens declared the heart of God. The tables turned and Haman walked straight into the pitch he dug for Mordecai. We shall continue this…

Esther: For such a time as this!

The new Queen of Persia seemed to have an uninterrupted years of bliss until one man was promoted. Prior to the event that shook the whole Persian kingdom, “King Xerxes honoured Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honour higher than that of all the other nobles. All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honour to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honour” (Esther 3:1‭-‬2). Even after persuasion from the royal officials at the king’s gate, Mordecai still refused to kneel and pay honour to Haman. The matter was reported to Haman. Esther 3:5-6 states that, “When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honour, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.” Why would Mordecai’s impudence be punishable to all Jews? Haman was a vile man who hated the idea of being disrespected by a Jew. Some scholars believe that Haman might have been a descendant of King Agag, the Amalekite king (1 Samuel 15) and as such Haman was avenging for the way King Saul destroyed their nation. The Bible does not specifically state that so we shall consider Haman as a vile person with no compassion. How can Mordecai’s refusal to bow become a national sin?

Mordecai, being Jew knew that bowing to anything other than God was sinful (see Exodus 2: 4-5). All this while, Esther was enjoying life in the Palace without the slightest idea of what was happening. Haman went ahead and chose a day to destroy the Jews through lot casting (the pur). Thus, in the twelfth year of King Xerxes, Haman decided the fate of the Jews (Esther 3:7). After choosing the date, he told the king how the Jewish people are a threat to his kingdom and the king gave Haman the nod to do to the Jewish people what he pleases. The edict was sent throughout the kingdom with a set date for the destruction of the Jews. All the Jews in the whole kingdom were in shock and afraid for their lives. Mordecai after hearing all these tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly (Esther 4:1). Queen Esther had no idea of the plight of her people. Her eunuchs and female attendants told her about Mordecai and how he was dressed. Esther even sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. Then Esther sent someone to find out why Mordecai was acting that way (Esther 4:4‭-‬5). After Esther heard the fate of her people and the evil plans of Haman, her response was that she cannot help because if she goes to the king uninvited, she would be killed unless the king extends her his golden scepter. Esther hadn’t been called in the last thirty days. 

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

Literally, Esther said, I CAN’T HELP OR ELSE I WILL DIE. The truth is, she had been condemned for death anyway. When Mordecai heard Esther’s reply, he sent this answer to her: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13‭-‬14). Mordecai revealed to Esther that her ascension as the Queen of Persia was for such a troubling time as this. Esther’s whole life was in preparation for this assignment, the salvation of the Jews. All the people God placed in Esther’s life, was to help her fulfill this task. From Mordecai, to Hagai, and King Xerxes himself, Esther was just preparing for her big day. Esther might have been overwhelmed with the idea of going to the king uninvited but after the words of Mordecai,  Esther gained strength. If God brought her up for a time such as this, then only God could help her. Esther understood the dynamics of authourity. God is the ruler of King Xerxes. Therefore, before she talks to Xerxes, she must talk to God, the ruler of Xerxes. Esther didn’t just take matters into her hands. Although the book of Esther doesn’t explicitly mention God, we see God working through different people for His glory.

Esther told Mordecai to “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). Esther declared a national fast to intercede for her. Thus, Xerxes was so powerful that his own Queen could not just walk up to him as and when she wanted. Esther trusted that when the Jewish people fast for her, she will gain favour with the king.

This story teaches us valuable lessons. First, we need to understand that our communion with Christ is not just a Palace lifestyle,  it is an everyday, everywhere lifestyle. We don’t suddenly become obscured to the enemy because we are in Christ. In fact Paul reminded the Ephesians church to daily put on the Armour of Christ (Ephesians 6:11). We need to understand that we don’t fight the enemy with baseless words. We fight with powerful weapons. Esther understood that Haman, the king’s right man cannot easily be defeated. She knew that fighting the spiritual side of the battle before the physical one, guarantees victory. Fight on your knees in your secret place before you appear before the king in the public place. The assignment of your life cannot just be accomplished with degrees and qualifications. You need to be aligned with God and understand the spiritual needs of your call. Heaven is watching and the earth is waiting. Haman is plotting and you have to make a choice because God made you for a specific assignment. Don’t disappoint God and humanity.