(1) Observation about Herod's sin
a. The curse was first stated before the sin v.14-16
Herod thought Jesus was John who was raised from the dead. However, the readers of the Gospel knew that it was impossible because both of them appeared together when John baptized Jesus.
The delusion was a curse because of what he did to John v.16 (" whom I beheaded").
b. Herod could not completely escape from the guilt when he sinned v.17-20
First, John had repeatedly told Herod for what he did v.16-18. “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herod on one hand did not like what John said and therefore put him in prison. On the other hand, he did not let Herodias kill John because Herod stood in awe of John and knew that JOhn was a righteous and holy man.
c. Herod sinned over and over again once he committed his relationship with Herodias
The word swore/oath was repeated in v.23, 24. Herod was trapped by his own oath. Why was he trapped? It was because Herodias always wanted to kill John and she took advantage of this opportunity v.24. What he eventually had to do grieved himself v.26
d. (IVP) Herod’s affair with his sister-in-law, whom he had by this time married, was widely known. Indeed, the affair had led him to divorce his first wife, whose father, a king, later went to war with Herod over the issue and defeated him. John’s denunciation of the affair as unlawful (besides being adultery, it violated incest prohibitions; see Lev 18:16; 20:21) was an attack against Herod’s adultery, but Herod could have perceived it as a political threat, given the political ramifications that later led to a major military defeat. (Josephus claims that many viewed Herod’s humiliation in the war as divine judgment for his executing John the Baptist.)
(2) Reflection: Just because of the sin of adultery Herod, the life of John the Baptist was taken away. Not only that Herod was not free from guilt. Once he started, he did something that he did not want to do later on. His mind became deluded. Eventually, he himself suffered the consequences.
What is something that you knew was sinful, but you did that and felt very guilty about that? Once we thought we had controlled, but sin actually controlled over us. Which sin is that for you? Which sin has ever given you delusion? You mind cannot think straight, e.g. anger. Like Herod who was defeated we will face the divine discipline of God. Sin has serious consequences and we should be alert about that.
Audrey
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