Clearly, not all of our leading ladies are leading in a positive way, and such is definitely the case with the two ladies mentioned today. Perhaps, in their case, ladies isn’t even a good description. You see, these women are pretty messed up–their priorities, their hearts, their relationships–all of them are completely out of whack. Still, we can learn a lot from negative examples, which is exactly why I think it’s beneficial to talk about them today.

The text about these two women comes from Matt. 14:1-12 & Mark 6:14-29. If you’re unfamiliar with their story, please take a moment to refresh your minds. And really, it will only take a moment to read these two accounts.

Now, as we’ve stated, these two aren’t good examples, but they are examples nonetheless. And, like all of those in our leading ladies series, we can learn valuable lessons from them.

1: God’s view of marriage has always made people mad (Mark 6:18-19). The entire reason this story exists–the entire reason that John the Baptist died–is because Herodias did not like God’s law regarded marriage. You see, God established from the beginning that marriage equals one man and one woman for life. Jesus reiterated that teaching, and John the Baptist (a faithful, true to the Bible teacher) held this view as well. Herodias did not. And, not only did she not agree with it, she was living in opposition to it. Thus, when it was brought to Herod’s (her husband’s) attention that he ought not be married to her, she got upset. Obviously, people don’t like it when you tell them they don’t have a right to be married.

Our culture is experiencing the same sort of drama, isn’t it? There are SO many people who are getting angry & defensive about marriage “rights”, mostly because their life stands in opposition to God’s law! Herodias, because of her anger and hatred of the messenger (note that the message didn’t originate with John), had him killed. Today, while it hasn’t gotten that extreme, there are thousands of people who want to ‘shoot the messenger’, but again I say, the message doesn’t originate with us.

God, the Creator of all, has guidelines for His created. Who are we so think we know better than God? Who are we to tell our Maker that we have certain “rights”? Obviously the One who made us has jurisdiction, right? And so, when He says, “male and female”, we don’t get to argue for male and male, female and female, or any other combination. God says it, the end.

Still, there will be those who are against it. There will be those who, as was the case with Herodias, are in adulterous or other non-authorized marriages who will be upset because of this message. As God’s people, His messengers, we cannot quit teaching the truth. Our job is to proclaim what God wants–not our own personal agendas, but that which God has spoken. Will there be those who persecute us? Absolutely. Will there be those who are out to get us? Absolutely. Will we offend those whose lives stand in opposition to the message? Absolutely, though it is never our intent to hurt people with the message. As God’s people, though, we have a job to do. Do not be discouraged when people of our day and time don’t like God’s view on marriage and persecute us for it–we’re in really good company when that happens.

2: Hatred callouses hearts, and stems from guilt. One of the most fascinating instances of this story has to be that when John the Baptist’s head is brought forth on a platter, no one is getting sick! Instead, they take it to Herodias. I don’t know about you, but dead things tend to make me nauseated. I don’t even like looking at the roadkill when I pass it in my vehicle. Yet, here is a severed human head, and no one is making any to-do about it. How calloused has Herodias gotten (and how calloused has she made her daughter?!) that she could rejoice over a man’s head being brought to her? How calloused does one have to be to request for that to be the means by which he die? Clearly, hatred had gotten deep within her soul.

Jesus warned about hatred, saying, “ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” (Mat. 5:22). The apostle John also said, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15). There is no possible way that you can be a Christian and hate someone. Christianity is all about love and spreading the joy & message of Christ to others. When we hate (hold grudges, lack forgiveness, etc), we are not being Christ-like at all. When we hate, we are giving room to Satan, who uses hatred to accomplish his will. When we hate, we are really guilty of so much more.

Had Herodias used this guilt she undoubtedly felt for being married to her first husband’s brother (aka–her uncle), she would have done something about her marriage. Instead, she used the guilt of her situation to lead her to the scary, downward spiraling life of hatred. And that hatred? It caused the death of John the Baptist, the sorrow of her husband, and the loss of innocence of her child. Hate truly is a dangerous, dangerous thing.

3: Sex is one of Satan’s most powerful tools. Why did all of this happen? Why did John the Baptist die? Was it not because of Herod’s ridiculously stupid oath? Because a pretty girl danced inappropriately for him (think: 1st cent. strip club), he starts making outrageous offers in front of his buddies. He was no doubt drunk, highly aroused, and ultimately, not thinking whatsoever. Who offers up to half of their kingdom to someone? Not someone who is using reason and rationale. Instead, someone who is impaired because of the lusty images before him.

When sex is misused (aka: used in any way other than the God-approved way), bad things happen. Whether it’s a teenage pregnancy, life-taking STDs, marriage-ruining affairs, mental anguish (guilt, rape, etc.), it’s bad. If it’s not within God’s “terms of use”, it’s separating you from God, and no doubt causing you to think and do things you wouldn’t normally do, especially if you’re male. Why, then, do we let sex saturate our homes? Why do we applaud it & encourage it, with the TV shows and movies we watch, the songs we listen to, or the banquet/prom dresses we let our girls wear!? Satan is using this powerful tool against us, and we must take a stand. As we see in the case of Herod, it caused the murder of someone he liked. When we think back to the story of David & Bathsheba, we see that it caused the death of her husband, and their subsequent child! The Bible is replete with stories warning against misusing sex! Please, please don’t let our culture & media fool you. It’s not ok. It’s not pretty. It’s not cool. It is TERRIBLE if used in any way other than a God-approved marriage. End of story.