For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
John told Herod Antipas to his face, plainly and repeatedly, that keeping Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, was sinful and contrary to God's law. The wrong was under God's statutes, not human law, in taking his brother's wife while her husband was still living. He warned Herod of coming judgment according to deeds and taught that Herod could have no part in the Messiah's kingdom unless he broke off the union and obeyed God's commandments fully. The reproof laid bare the king's sin and struck terror into his guilty conscience, so that Herod feared and honored John as a true prophet and wished to release him, while Herodias resented the rebuke and by her revenge drove Herod to imprison John and put him to death. John's bold message at the cost of his life shows that God's messengers must faithfully reprove sin even before a king rather than suppress truth to please men.
The Unlawful Marriage
John told Herod Antipas that having Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, was unlawful and sinful. The unlawfulness was under God's law and statutes, not human or Roman law. It specifically condemned marrying his brother's wife while her husband was still alive and still living.
John appealed to divine statutes and to God's law rather than human laws. He warned Herod of future judgment, when God would judge each person according to deeds or works. He taught that Herod could not share in the Messiah's kingdom unless he broke away from the relationship and ended it. That breaking away had to be joined with obeying God's commandments wholeheartedly.
John spoke the rebuke directly to Herod's face and told him the truth to his face. He spoke plainly and repeatedly, reproving the unlawful life with Herodias. In doing so he made known to Herod the secrets of his heart and life.
Herod was at first inclined to follow John's counsel. He told Herodias he could not marry her in defiance of that law. But he chose sinful pleasure over obedience and married her anyway despite the rebuke. He refused to give up the marriage, and under her influence John was imprisoned.
Rebuke, Death, and Example
John's truthful reproof laid open the king's sin and struck terror into his guilty conscience, laying bare the secrets of his heart and life. Herod honored and feared John as a true prophet of God, was convicted by the truth and came very near to becoming his disciple, and intended to release him from prison. He kept putting off the release from time to time through fear of displeasing Herodias.
Herodias resented the rebuke against their unlawful life, feared that John's remonstrances might prevail with Herod, and in revenge determined that John should be put to death. Under her influence and determination Herod refused to give up the marriage, imprisoned John for his faithful condemnation of the immoral alliance, and later put him to death to satisfy her revenge. At the point of decision Herod turned away from light into darkness and fell into Satan's snare.
Guilt over John's prophetic witness and death left Herod fearful and troubled, feeling keen remorse afterward. As he continued in sin his conscience and moral sense grew dull and less sensitive, his licentious life degraded his moral perceptions and judgment until his sins seemed trifles. The fading of remorse shows that those once convicted who turn from light become capable of the worst crimes, and Herod later even boasted to Jesus of the punishment he had inflicted on John for that reproof.
John's martyrdom followed a feast where intemperance left men in authority unable to exercise sound judgment and silent as his death was decided. Debased with wine in revelry and entrapped by his promise after the captivating dance of Herodias' daughter, Herod gave Herodias occasion to demand John's death. He wrongly treated keeping the oath as binding and chose the real guilt of murder over the supposed guilt of perjury, ordering John's beheading and having his bleeding head brought in before his guests, a horror he could not shut from his sight. The event warns against intemperance and calls for Christian temperance.
Herodias was still living with Herod as his unlawful wife a year after John's death, when he brought her with him to observe the annual Passover as a Jew. Herod Antipas, who murdered John, was Agrippa's great-uncle.
The account belongs to John's violent death, which Jesus had power to prevent by revealing Himself in His true character and asserting His authority as king to save John, yet He did not save him. The disciples, blinded by love of honor, impatient under reproach as followers of a false prophet, and eager to see Jesus exalted and their own way made less painful, stumbled over this. With unbelief taking possession of their minds and hearts they were brought into great spiritual darkness and questioned whether Jesus was an impostor as the Pharisees asserted.
John's pointed, bold, fearless and plain message was spoken directly to a ruler at danger to his life and ultimately cost his life. His example shows that God's messengers must faithfully confront wrongdoing and speak God's word even to a king, reproving sin rather than suppressing truth to please people. Such a message warns people so they will not be deceived, and God's testimony must be given whether they heed it or refuse it, though those who reprove wrongdoing may be hated.
John told Herod Antipas to his face, plainly and repeatedly, that keeping Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, was sinful and contrary to God's law. The wrong was under God's statutes, not human law, in taking his brother's wife while her husband was still living. He warned Herod of coming judgment according to deeds and taught that Herod could have no part in the Messiah's kingdom unless he broke off the union and obeyed God's commandments fully. The reproof laid bare the king's sin and struck terror into his guilty conscience, so that Herod feared and honored John as a true prophet and wished to release him, while Herodias resented the rebuke and by her revenge drove Herod to imprison John and put him to death. John's bold message at the cost of his life shows that God's messengers must faithfully reprove sin even before a king rather than suppress truth to please men.
The Unlawful Marriage
John told Herod Antipas that having Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, was unlawful and sinful. The unlawfulness was under God's law and statutes, not human or Roman law. It specifically condemned marrying his brother's wife while her husband was still alive and still living.
John appealed to divine statutes and to God's law rather than human laws. He warned Herod of future judgment, when God would judge each person according to deeds or works. He taught that Herod could not share in the Messiah's kingdom unless he broke away from the relationship and ended it. That breaking away had to be joined with obeying God's commandments wholeheartedly.
John spoke the rebuke directly to Herod's face and told him the truth to his face. He spoke plainly and repeatedly, reproving the unlawful life with Herodias. In doing so he made known to Herod the secrets of his heart and life.
Herod was at first inclined to follow John's counsel. He told Herodias he could not marry her in defiance of that law. But he chose sinful pleasure over obedience and married her anyway despite the rebuke. He refused to give up the marriage, and under her influence John was imprisoned.
Rebuke, Death, and Example
John's truthful reproof laid open the king's sin and struck terror into his guilty conscience, laying bare the secrets of his heart and life. Herod honored and feared John as a true prophet of God, was convicted by the truth and came very near to becoming his disciple, and intended to release him from prison. He kept putting off the release from time to time through fear of displeasing Herodias.
Herodias resented the rebuke against their unlawful life, feared that John's remonstrances might prevail with Herod, and in revenge determined that John should be put to death. Under her influence and determination Herod refused to give up the marriage, imprisoned John for his faithful condemnation of the immoral alliance, and later put him to death to satisfy her revenge. At the point of decision Herod turned away from light into darkness and fell into Satan's snare.
Guilt over John's prophetic witness and death left Herod fearful and troubled, feeling keen remorse afterward. As he continued in sin his conscience and moral sense grew dull and less sensitive, his licentious life degraded his moral perceptions and judgment until his sins seemed trifles. The fading of remorse shows that those once convicted who turn from light become capable of the worst crimes, and Herod later even boasted to Jesus of the punishment he had inflicted on John for that reproof.
John's martyrdom followed a feast where intemperance left men in authority unable to exercise sound judgment and silent as his death was decided. Debased with wine in revelry and entrapped by his promise after the captivating dance of Herodias' daughter, Herod gave Herodias occasion to demand John's death. He wrongly treated keeping the oath as binding and chose the real guilt of murder over the supposed guilt of perjury, ordering John's beheading and having his bleeding head brought in before his guests, a horror he could not shut from his sight. The event warns against intemperance and calls for Christian temperance.
Herodias was still living with Herod as his unlawful wife a year after John's death, when he brought her with him to observe the annual Passover as a Jew. Herod Antipas, who murdered John, was Agrippa's great-uncle.
The account belongs to John's violent death, which Jesus had power to prevent by revealing Himself in His true character and asserting His authority as king to save John, yet He did not save him. The disciples, blinded by love of honor, impatient under reproach as followers of a false prophet, and eager to see Jesus exalted and their own way made less painful, stumbled over this. With unbelief taking possession of their minds and hearts they were brought into great spiritual darkness and questioned whether Jesus was an impostor as the Pharisees asserted.
John's pointed, bold, fearless and plain message was spoken directly to a ruler at danger to his life and ultimately cost his life. His example shows that God's messengers must faithfully confront wrongdoing and speak God's word even to a king, reproving sin rather than suppressing truth to please people. Such a message warns people so they will not be deceived, and God's testimony must be given whether they heed it or refuse it, though those who reprove wrongdoing may be hated.