John the Baptist Reproves Herod and Herodiasby CBPepper
6:18Mark 6:18
For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
John told Herod to his face and again and again that keeping his brother's wife Herodias while her husband was still living broke God's law. He set God's law before him, laid open his guilt, warned him of punishment to come, and urged him to break with her and obey wholeheartedly if he would have any part in the Messiah's kingdom. Herod was condemned in conscience, feared John as a just and holy prophet, heard him gladly, did many things he said, and came near to following the truth. Herodias in hatred fastened her hold on Herod, had John shut in prison, and then secured his beheading at a drunken birthday revel to gratify her revenge. Such plain and pointed reproof of a ruler at the cost of freedom and life is the pattern for God's messengers, and John's death warns those in authority and those who love pleasure against intemperance and turning away after conviction.
John's Rebuke and Setting
John spoke to Herod directly and repeatedly, telling him to his face that keeping his brother's wife Herodias was unlawful under God's law while her husband was still living. He did not soften the charge but denounced the alliance as iniquitous and condemned their unlawful life together. The rebuke was plain and sharp truth that exposed the transgression.
He set Herod face to face with the law of God, reproved the transgression, and warned of the future punishment that must fall upon the guilty. He told him he could have no part in the Messiah's kingdom unless he broke away from Herodias and with his whole heart obeyed the commandments of God. He could not marry her in defiance of God's law and at the same time share in that kingdom, but must end the unlawful union and submit to God's restrictions.
Herod had heard John's preaching in the territory east of Jordan under his own dominion. He was held by a chain of lust through Herodias, a woman of vile passions who had gained his affections and controlled his mind, and who sought power and authority by becoming his wife. Being weak in principle and vacillating in mind, he yielded to the pleasures of sin rather than submit to God's restrictions. He did not turn from intemperance and sin but persisted in it until his heart grew harder.
Herod's Conviction and John's Death
Herod heard the rebuke with deep interest and was convicted and condemned in conscience, trembling under it and fearing John as a just and holy man and a true prophet. He heard him gladly, did many things he said, opened his mind to him, and asked what he must do to become his disciple. He was at first inclined to act on John's advice and told Herodias so, honored John, intended to release him from prison, and nearly followed the truth as his disciple.
Herodias in intense hatred and anger sought revenge for the rebuke that condemned their unlawful life, fearing John might persuade Herod to change. She fastened Herod more firmly in her toils and regained her favor and influence over him when he was weak and vacillating. She thus induced him to cast John from the free air of the wilderness into a dungeon cell in the fortress prison, though Herod had intended to release him.
Moved from active labor to gloom and inaction, John found week after week with no change weighing heavily on him until despondency and doubt crept over him. His disciples still visited him and brought tidings of the works of Jesus and the crowds flocking to Him, yet questioned why if Jesus was the Messiah He did nothing to effect John's release and permitted His faithful herald to be deprived of liberty and perhaps of life, and those words bruised John's soul and suggested doubts that otherwise would never have arisen. Like the Saviour's disciples he did not understand the nature of Christ's kingdom, expecting Jesus to take the throne of David and becoming perplexed and troubled when the Saviour made no claim to kingly authority. He had declared that every valley must be filled and mountains and hills made low and crooked places straight and rough places plain, looking for the high places of human pride and power to be cast down, and had pointed to the Messiah as the One whose fan was in His hand to thoroughly purge His floor and gather the wheat into His garner and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire, and like Elijah in whose spirit and power he had come to Israel he looked for the Lord to reveal Himself by fire.
Herod punished John for the reproof and, during a drunken birthday revel where intemperance impaired judgment and left conscience dormant, honored his oath after the dance of Herodias's daughter and ordered John's execution to please Herodias. He had been deeply impressed by John's teaching and called to reform but did not turn from intemperance and sin, and when faced with the choice to follow the truth he yielded to temptation. His martyrdom amid the feast shows how intemperance among men in authority allows a wicked demand to prevail, and later at Passover Herod was still with Herodias. John had faithfully rebuked Herod for having his brother's wife, and Herod repeatedly remonstrated with yet murdered him to honor the oath and satisfy resentment.
After John's death his preaching still troubled Herod's conscience and its influence continued, with fear that God would punish him for his sin. At first remorseful for the murder, Herod's conscience grew less sensitive as he continued in licentious sin until his moral sense was degraded and his sins seemed trifling to him, for turning away from truth after conviction leads deeper into iniquity. His enemies could take John's life because he bore witness against Herod, but they could not take away his hope or eternal life.
Pattern for Faithful Witness
John spoke plain sharp truth directly to the ruler's face, denouncing as unlawful his living with his brother's wife while her husband was still living, an iniquitous alliance that drew the anger of the woman and cost him first the free air of the wilderness for a dungeon cell in the fortress prison and then his life. His message grew more and more pointed in direct reproof of wrong, yet he would not preach smooth sermons, let policy take the place of faithfulness, allow grievous sin to go unrebuked, or move along silently to save himself from wrath. Faithful messengers must do the same, cutting men to the heart and speaking plainly against sin rather than remaining silent to avoid displeasing those who sin, so that the people will not be deceived.
His imprisonment and martyrdom at the birthday feast came through impaired judgment and dormant conscience among men in authority, when a wicked demand was allowed to prevail. That end warns those who love pleasure and those in authority against intemperance, and calls for Christian temperance and self-government. The ruler had known the reprover was a true prophet and had nearly become his disciple, but having yielded to temptation and turned away from truth after conviction, his remorse faded as a licentious life degraded his moral sense until his sins seemed trifling to him, showing that turning from light after conviction leads deeper into iniquity.
John told Herod to his face and again and again that keeping his brother's wife Herodias while her husband was still living broke God's law. He set God's law before him, laid open his guilt, warned him of punishment to come, and urged him to break with her and obey wholeheartedly if he would have any part in the Messiah's kingdom. Herod was condemned in conscience, feared John as a just and holy prophet, heard him gladly, did many things he said, and came near to following the truth. Herodias in hatred fastened her hold on Herod, had John shut in prison, and then secured his beheading at a drunken birthday revel to gratify her revenge. Such plain and pointed reproof of a ruler at the cost of freedom and life is the pattern for God's messengers, and John's death warns those in authority and those who love pleasure against intemperance and turning away after conviction.
John's Rebuke and Setting
John spoke to Herod directly and repeatedly, telling him to his face that keeping his brother's wife Herodias was unlawful under God's law while her husband was still living. He did not soften the charge but denounced the alliance as iniquitous and condemned their unlawful life together. The rebuke was plain and sharp truth that exposed the transgression.
He set Herod face to face with the law of God, reproved the transgression, and warned of the future punishment that must fall upon the guilty. He told him he could have no part in the Messiah's kingdom unless he broke away from Herodias and with his whole heart obeyed the commandments of God. He could not marry her in defiance of God's law and at the same time share in that kingdom, but must end the unlawful union and submit to God's restrictions.
Herod had heard John's preaching in the territory east of Jordan under his own dominion. He was held by a chain of lust through Herodias, a woman of vile passions who had gained his affections and controlled his mind, and who sought power and authority by becoming his wife. Being weak in principle and vacillating in mind, he yielded to the pleasures of sin rather than submit to God's restrictions. He did not turn from intemperance and sin but persisted in it until his heart grew harder.
Herod's Conviction and John's Death
Herod heard the rebuke with deep interest and was convicted and condemned in conscience, trembling under it and fearing John as a just and holy man and a true prophet. He heard him gladly, did many things he said, opened his mind to him, and asked what he must do to become his disciple. He was at first inclined to act on John's advice and told Herodias so, honored John, intended to release him from prison, and nearly followed the truth as his disciple.
Herodias in intense hatred and anger sought revenge for the rebuke that condemned their unlawful life, fearing John might persuade Herod to change. She fastened Herod more firmly in her toils and regained her favor and influence over him when he was weak and vacillating. She thus induced him to cast John from the free air of the wilderness into a dungeon cell in the fortress prison, though Herod had intended to release him.
Moved from active labor to gloom and inaction, John found week after week with no change weighing heavily on him until despondency and doubt crept over him. His disciples still visited him and brought tidings of the works of Jesus and the crowds flocking to Him, yet questioned why if Jesus was the Messiah He did nothing to effect John's release and permitted His faithful herald to be deprived of liberty and perhaps of life, and those words bruised John's soul and suggested doubts that otherwise would never have arisen. Like the Saviour's disciples he did not understand the nature of Christ's kingdom, expecting Jesus to take the throne of David and becoming perplexed and troubled when the Saviour made no claim to kingly authority. He had declared that every valley must be filled and mountains and hills made low and crooked places straight and rough places plain, looking for the high places of human pride and power to be cast down, and had pointed to the Messiah as the One whose fan was in His hand to thoroughly purge His floor and gather the wheat into His garner and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire, and like Elijah in whose spirit and power he had come to Israel he looked for the Lord to reveal Himself by fire.
Herod punished John for the reproof and, during a drunken birthday revel where intemperance impaired judgment and left conscience dormant, honored his oath after the dance of Herodias's daughter and ordered John's execution to please Herodias. He had been deeply impressed by John's teaching and called to reform but did not turn from intemperance and sin, and when faced with the choice to follow the truth he yielded to temptation. His martyrdom amid the feast shows how intemperance among men in authority allows a wicked demand to prevail, and later at Passover Herod was still with Herodias. John had faithfully rebuked Herod for having his brother's wife, and Herod repeatedly remonstrated with yet murdered him to honor the oath and satisfy resentment.
After John's death his preaching still troubled Herod's conscience and its influence continued, with fear that God would punish him for his sin. At first remorseful for the murder, Herod's conscience grew less sensitive as he continued in licentious sin until his moral sense was degraded and his sins seemed trifling to him, for turning away from truth after conviction leads deeper into iniquity. His enemies could take John's life because he bore witness against Herod, but they could not take away his hope or eternal life.
Pattern for Faithful Witness
John spoke plain sharp truth directly to the ruler's face, denouncing as unlawful his living with his brother's wife while her husband was still living, an iniquitous alliance that drew the anger of the woman and cost him first the free air of the wilderness for a dungeon cell in the fortress prison and then his life. His message grew more and more pointed in direct reproof of wrong, yet he would not preach smooth sermons, let policy take the place of faithfulness, allow grievous sin to go unrebuked, or move along silently to save himself from wrath. Faithful messengers must do the same, cutting men to the heart and speaking plainly against sin rather than remaining silent to avoid displeasing those who sin, so that the people will not be deceived.
His imprisonment and martyrdom at the birthday feast came through impaired judgment and dormant conscience among men in authority, when a wicked demand was allowed to prevail. That end warns those who love pleasure and those in authority against intemperance, and calls for Christian temperance and self-government. The ruler had known the reprover was a true prophet and had nearly become his disciple, but having yielded to temptation and turned away from truth after conviction, his remorse faded as a licentious life degraded his moral sense until his sins seemed trifling to him, showing that turning from light after conviction leads deeper into iniquity.