OUR ANCHOR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE FOR today presents the story of the Birthday celebration of Herod Antipas, the King of Galilee and the incestuous husband of Herodias.
HERODIAS, in her great quest to become Queen, divorced her rightful husband, Philip, the brother of Herod Antipas and consequently, Herod Antipas divorced his own wife and married her. So, theirs was an iniquitous union that was openly in defiance of God’s law. Because of it’s patent ungodliness, John the Baptist, spoke against it; telling Herod matteroffactly that it was wrong for him to marry his own brother’s wife.
For having the audacity to speak against their “marriage”, Herodias sought to kill John but couldn’t because Herod stood on her path. This was because despite the blunt rebuke by John the Baptist, Herod still had a strong belief that John was a Holy Man of God.
Not willing to let go of the matter, Herodias nursed a fiery hatred against John the Baptist; seeking earnestly for how to shed his blood someday. For her, the Birthday of her false husband was a good opportunity. So, what did she do? She schemed, plotted and deviced with great subtlety. She was going to arm twist her weak-minded “husband” into doing her bidding!
First, she got her daughter, Salome, and instructed her to prepare to do a special dance performance during the King’s Birthday party. She instructed her on the kind of dance she was going to perform. It had to be a lewd and sexually provocative dance that would get the attention of the highly placed men that would be Guests at the celebration. The dance had to be seductive, stirring the carnal admiration of those men and strong enough to move the King to make her a royal promise.
Secondly, she, Herodias, purposed NOT to be in the party. Puppet Masters don’t stay in the open to pull the strings, do they? No. So she needed to be away from the party to pull the strings from behind the scene.
The D-Day finally came and as the celebration progressed, Salome stepped out just at the right time as planned and danced. Such was the dance that the King stood on his feet and uttered words that Wisdom would vehemently forbid. Moved by the dance steps of a young girl, he told her WITH AN OATH to ask whatever she desired and it would be hers; even up to half of his kingdom! What would a young girl do with half a kingdom? What a thoughtless utterance!
The young girl ran to the Puppet Mistress backstage and gave her the situation report and asked what she should do next. The Puppet Mistress told to ask only one thing: the Head of John Baptist!
The young girl returned and asked for John’s head to be given her right there on a charger.
King Herod we’re told was exceedingly sorry but still went on to order the immediate beheading of John, the Baptist. His head was brought and given to the girl dancer as the guests watched in astonishment. I really wonder how that party continued from that point forward, because everyone of those guests knew that John the Baptist was a dominant Spiritual figure in all Israel.
🍷🍗TAKE-HOME LESSONS:
(1) BE QUICK TO REPENT ONCE GOD SENDS SOMEONE TO REBUKE YOU OR ELSE YOU’LL FALL INTO GREATER SINS
John rebuked Herod to the end that he would REPENT. If he had repented and sent Herodias away, she wouldn’t have been in his life to arm twist him into committing this great Sin.
(2) HERODIAS INSTEAD OF REPENTING NURSED A BURNING GRUDGE AGAINST JOHN.
Herodias’ response to John’s rebuke was anger, hatred and malice rather than repentance. She began plotting how to achieve her purpose of killing John. Somehow, God allowed her scheming to succeed but today she’s in burning hell. When God’s Word rebukes you, do the right thing: REPENT. Or else you’ll end up in hell fire like Herodias.
(3) WHEN A MAN OR A WOMAN IS READY TO BETRAY THEIR SPOUSE “TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU” , RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
From the moment Herodias indicated to Herod Antipas that she was willing to divorce her husband and marry him, Herod Antipas should have instantly known that her heart was full of evil and run for his life but he didn’t. And now, she’d made him a murderer of a great Prophet.
(4) HEROD WAS A FAKE, WEAK AND UNWISE HUSBAND
(a) Only a weak man would be moved by ordinary dance steps to make a ROYAL PROMISE to a mere girl child for dancing.
(b) Herod was an unwise man. Telling the girl to ask ANYTHING was bad enough but telling her that he would even give her up to HALF HIS KINGDOM was stupid and idiotic.
(c) HEROD WASN’T SMART.
As soon as the girl turned girl turned to leave the room, Herod should have commanded her to ask what she wanted immediately or forfeit the promise but he didn’t and the Puppet Mistress had her way.
💕❤️ TONIGHT’S ONE FLESH ASSIGNMENT IN THE BEDROOM
Reread today’s devotional together and make some decisions.
If you’re a weak husband, pray that God strengthen you.
Are you a scheming and plotting Wife, repent or else your plotting will work directly against you someday.
🍏🍎 MARRIAGE REVOLUTION CONTINUES!🍎🍏
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ANOINTED MUSIC SECTION