“Wild Girls Gone (Part 2)-Salome-She’s Just Like Her Mother!”

Mark 6:17-29 “Herod had earlier married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. But John had told him, "It isn't right for you to take your brother's wife!" So, in order to please Herodias, Herod arrested John and put him in prison. Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she could not do it because Herod was afraid of John and protected him. He knew that John was a good and holy man. Even though Herod was confused by what John said, he was glad to listen to him. And he often did. Finally, Herodias got her chance when Herod gave a great birthday celebration for himself and invited his officials, his army officers, and the leaders of Galilee. The daughter of Herodias came in and danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased them so much that Herod said, "Ask for anything, and it's yours! I swear that I will give you as much as half of my kingdom, if you want it." The girl left and asked her mother, "What do you think I should ask for?" Her mother answered, "The head of John the Baptist!" The girl hurried back and told Herod, "Right now on a platter I want the head of John the Baptist!" The king was very sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests. At once he ordered a guard to cut off John's head there in prison. The guard put the head on a platter and took it to the girl. Then she gave it to her mother. When John's followers learned that he had been killed, they took his body and put it in a tomb.”

The name Herodias is the feminine form of Herod, the title worn by the political rulers during the life and times of Jesus and the apostles. Herod means heroic, but the people in this story were far more hellish than heroic. Herodias is the embodiment of the most despicable traits of this despotic ruling family.

Herod the Great was king at the time of Jesus’ birth and responsible for the massacre of all the children, up to the age of 2, in Bethlehem according to Matthew 2. He married numerous times, but toward the end of his life he became insanely suspicious and murdered member after member of his own family. Herodias’ father was one of the victims.
She marries her uncle Herod Philip, half brother to her father, who was not among the political figures. but lived as a wealthy, private citizen in Rome and they have a daughter, Salome. When Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee visited Rome, he was entertained by his half-brother Philip and his wife, Herodias. However when Antipas leaves, he takes Herodias and her daughter, Salome, divorces his Arabian wife and makes Herodias the new queen. John the Baptist then approaches him with this statement: “It isn't right for you to take Herodias, the wife of your brother Philip.” To finally rid herself of John’s critical voice, Herodias uses her own daughter, Salome, dance a sexually provocative dance for the drunken crowd at Herod’s birthday party. Herod drank too much, lusted too much, and promised too much and Herodias silences her critic by having him beheaded!

(1) Our background and circumstances may influence who we are but we are responsible for who we become.
-Salome came from one of history’s worst families, but dysfunctional practices can be stopped. Women provide the stability for home and society—if not, the infrastructure crumbles and both will implode, like the twin towers of 9-11 but with greater casualties and destruction.

-Antipas and Herodias are equally guilty of this creating this ungodly atmosphere for Salome. The ambition of Herodias to gain a place of political prominence cause her to put her very own daughter in a place of jeopardy. She was willing to pay any price, even the soiling of her daughter, to gain what she desired.

-What price are you willing to pay for your wants, even if they are wrong? The most amazing fact about sin is that many will forfeit a lifetime of accomplishment and honor for a moment of delusional gratification and then live the rest of their life in misery.

-Tradition holds her accountable for the ruin of Antipas. She was so jealous of her brother Agrippa’s appointment as King that she prods Antipas to ask Emperor Caligula for that title. She is then charged with treason, banished to France, and dies in exile and shame!

(2) Herodias did not like what she heard John the Baptist say, because of the convicting power that it brought to the situation.
-John the Baptist was recognized as God’s prophet and his word was critical of her living arrangement. John is called to the king’s place overlooking the east side of the Dead Sea and is imprisoned
-Herod was puzzled and yet drawn to John’s message because he feared and respected John, but the influence of Herodias was too much for Him to overcome. She uses her own daughter, Salome, to entice and create desire in Herod’s heart.
-Herodias hated John the Baptist and all he stood for because it was in direct opposition to her wants and desires and she knew exactly how to handle Herod in order to get what she wanted!
-At Antipas’ birthday party, when everyone was well intoxicated, she capitalizes upon Herod’s impulsiveness-by using Salome. She knew he couldn’t back down from a public vow, and the promise he makes to Salome begets John’s head on a platter.

(3) Some people believe they are above the laws of God.

Mark 6:14-16 “Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” Others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.” But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!”

-When the news of Jesus’ miracles and public ministry spread, Herod’s memories dredged up those feelings of guilt and fear because of his senseless act of killing John
-As much as he might have feared the ridicule or laughter of his cronies for not keeping the hasty vow, he now faces an even greater fear because he thinks John has returned from the dead!
-The Bible doesn’t have asterisks beside certain commandments, laws or principles with your name written in the margin saying these apply to everyone else but you!

(4)When you speak the truth, even in love, it doesn’t always result in the anticipated or hoped for response.
-People will often take a message quite personally and if the Pastor seems to get too personal, they hold a grudge and will try to exact their revenge—just like Herodias.
-Someone might silence the voice of truth and opposition in order to sin in peace, but everyone needs to remember they will one day still have to stand before Almighty God, the great and righteous Judge.

John 3:19, 20 “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

Surely John the Baptist did not want to die, but he was more afraid of defying God than he was of defying man in speaking the truth. This is what Jesus wants from all of us-total allegiance and abiding without compromise in Him and His Word.

(5) Look at the legacy Herodias left for Salome!
-She was recognized as one of history’s most wicked women-not exactly legacy you’d like to leave!
-Her Old Testament counterpart was Jezebel, but she exceeds Jezebel in her hatred of God’s servant and managed to kill him.                                            -Regardless of how much Herod Antipas respected or feared John and His message the influence of Herodias was greater.

Our legacy is constructed from the principles we embrace, priorities we establish and our philosophy for living—these are all indistinguishable from the remembrance of who we are.

What a home Herodias created, by literally throwing her daughter to proverbial wolves in order to use perversion to bring about the murder of the servant of God. Worst of all Salome faced judgment and eternity without knowing God’s forgiveness and grace because of the unrighteous influence of her mother.

2 Corinthians 5:10,11 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.”

Revelation 22:12-15 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”