Lessons From Herod’s Poor Judgment and Manifold Sins (Mark 6:17-29)

Mark 6:17-18: “For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John (John the Baptist), and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.”

The law of God is clear on this matter. It forbids men from marrying a woman whom their brother had been married to (see Leviticus 18:16). The Levirate marriage was one narrow exception to this in the law which did not apply in this case.

Mark 6:19-20: “Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him (John the Baptist), and would have killed him; but she could not: For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.”

Even the right things Herod was willing to do were insufficient because he wasn’t willing to surrender to the Lord and do whatever His Word requires. Those who are in the true God’s grace are exercising a living faith in Christ which receives His entire person. This is inseparable from submitting to the authority of His Word and working accordingly. Herod did a lot right, but he didn’t actually repent by utterly casting away his sins and surrendering to the Lord. Only those who wholly surrender can properly use His law as a guide to faith (like it was intended to be used). Anyone who thinks they have surrendered to the Lord who isn’t using His law as a guide to their faith is deceiving themselves.

Mark 6:21: “And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;”

There was obviously no need for the scene that was about to unfold to ever have happened. Herod did not need to have a birthday party for himself- let alone a huge one full of cocky rich people. Herod is acting here like many do who constantly sin and say they’re sorry- and then go back to their sin. He needed to choose to suffer in order to stop doing evil. He was unwilling to die to himself and suffer in order to actually cut the sin out of his life.

Mark 6:22-23: “And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.”

Herod was a slave to sexual lust as well as the opinions of others while this girl might have thought she was something special when she was actually being used as a tool by her exceedingly wicked mother. Herod could have realized he had been a fool to allow this ungodly environment to come about and do right yet by telling the loose little woman to get out as soon as she started dancing. That would have angered her mother (who was Herod’s wife) and upset the big-shot guests. But what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? Since bad decisions have consequences which can easily escalate, Herod sets himself up for a foolish oath which proceeds to put him into an even deeper hole.

It is now considered socially unacceptable for a group of men to watch a female under 18 dance like this (of course watching this dance would be wrong if she were over 18 -though worse yet if she were still a child). Now it is becoming increasingly socially acceptable for adults to let other adults who don’t accept their own God-given gender dance like this before very young children. Those who go with the flow of society and don’t look to the standards of God’s unchanging Word are surely on track to be damned on Judgment Day.

Mark 6:24-26: “And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by (at once) in a charger the head of John the Baptist. And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.”

It is no surprise that someone who would dance lasciviously before others wouldn’t have the moral courage to say no to this murderous request. This was surely a time when a youth should not obey their parents.

The Bible does indeed prescribe oaths in limited circumstances. Deuteronomy 6:13 says: “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.” When Jesus taught to “swear not at all” in the Gospel accounts, He was obviously speaking of oaths that are not made in the true God’s name or oaths which are inappropriate to make in His name (oaths which are false and/or unwarranted). Herod’s oath was unwarranted. It would have been right for Herod to not have gone through with her request. Yet Herod had dug a hole so deep by now that doing as he ought to do became many, many times harder than it would have been if he had just put away his wife whom it was unlawful for him to have; and never had this dumb birthday party for himself to begin with.

Mark 6:27-29: “And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.”

Consider the sample here of the great evil which those who teach against Lordship salvation in Christ, and rather teach that God justifies the ungodly in their sin, are promoting and justifying. They practically shut John the Baptist up in prison and behead him there as well. Yet they cannot alter the validity of his message which is foundational to the one and only Gospel of Christ which can save.

John 1:6-8: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”

Luke 3:7-9: “Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”