Mark 6v25

And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

This verse follows immediately the verse studied in the previous section. Herod’s niece/stepdaughter was in a hurry to ask her reward, no doubt at her mother’s urging, while the gathered guests were still there. Verse 26 shows that Herod regretted what he was about to do, and the main reason he granted the request was that he didn’t want to be seen breaking his oath in front of his guests. Herodias no doubt knew Herod well enough to see the potential for not keeping his oath had the request been delayed or not asked for in front of the gathered witnesses.

Herod’s niece/stepdaughter, by her actions, put loyalty to her mother above loyalty to God and His laws – such as “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20v13, Deuteronomy 5v17). This will always be an issue for some, who will do wrong and refuse to do right just because a close relative or friend suggests and puts pressure on them. If you find yourself in this sort of situation, the consequences – both immediate and eternal – need to be thought through very carefully before any action is taken.

This passage is a reminder that a message such as John preached – repentance from sin, baptism for remission of the price of sin, (for an explanation of the word “remission”, refer back to section {18 }) and continuing on in holiness – is bound to bring opposition from those with the most to lose. Even having deserved the title “The Baptist” will bring all sorts of problems flooding in from devilish quarters. Some may even have to pay the price of keeping true to God’s word with their lives, just as John did.