Back to the Bible: Matthew 14:1-12
Matthew reports that the news about Jesus had reached Herod. He was a tetrarch, which means he ruled a quarter of the land of Palestine. This Herod was the son of Herod the Great, the one who had been ruler when Jesus was born.
When he heard about Jesus, he thought it might be John the Baptist, back from the dead, which explained the miraculous power. It seems this is Herod’s guilty conscience at work.
Herod had imprisoned John because John criticized Herod’s marriage. Herod had married Herodias who had been his brother Philip’s wife. Herod wanted to put John to death. But, the people considered John a prophet.
But, on one of Herod’s birthdays, Herodias’ daughter danced before Herod and the group that had gathered. Pleased in what he saw, he promised her whatever she wanted. Her mother, Herodias, pushed her to ask for John’s head on a platter. The king was sorry, but he had made the promise in front of guests. He did not want to go back on his work, so he commanded it.
He had John beheaded, brought on a platter to the girl, who then took it to her mother, Herodias. John’s disciples went and buried him and then reported the news to Jesus.
Lessons to Learn:
—See John’s courage. John’s work was to preach repentance. Even when the person on the receiving end of his message could imprison and execute him, he spoke the truth.
—Not all marriages are pleasing to God. The subject John challenged Herod and Herodias on was their marriage. This was an adulterous relationship. He had her, but she was still, rightfully, his brother’s wife. Obviously, comments about folks’ marriage hit in a sensitive area, but John was committed to calling people to the Lord’s standard.
—Herod had power, but was weak. Herod was in the position of his authority, but he was dominated by his lust, which caused a rash vow, and peer pressure, which drove him to carry out the gruesome act. The text tells us he was sorry, but it was a worldly sorrow that wasn’t deep enough to lead him to change his course.
We’re thankful to share these considerations of God’s word. It’s best if you have a Bible close to evaluate what we say. We want to go “back to the Bible” for all we teach.
Tune in to 100.7 WGOL Sunday at 8:30am for our Back to the Bible Radio Program. Reach out with your questions, comments, or requests for personal Bible study at backtothebiblepodcast.com or at info@backtothebiblepodcast.com.
