Unlawful Divorce and Remarriage | Mark 6:17–20
17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John
and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,
because he had married her. 18 For
John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s
wife.” 19 And
Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could
not, 20 for Herod
feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him
safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
The house of Herod was a nest of sin. It wasn’t a biblical reign over Israel, but
instead established by Rome. It didn’t herald
the One “born king of the Jews” (Mt 2:2) but instead tried to murder Him (vv.
16–18). And in this text, it
alternatively arrested and sought to kill a prophet of God who called for its repentance.
A specific sin had caught the attention of John the
Baptist. Herod Antipas had stolen the wife
of his brother (Philip), a flagrant disregard for God’s ways. John pointed to Scripture, which forbade taking
a brother’s wife to oneself (Lv 18:16; 20:21).
The only right course of repentance would be for Herod to give Herodias
back to Philip. That sparked two
responses within Herod’s house.
An embittered Herodias
sought to kill God’s messenger. It
seems that she wanted to remain where she was.
Herod Antipas was a more ambitious man than Philip, and perhaps she saw a
better life for herself as his queen. That
some guy from the desert would come spouting Bible verses about sin threatened
her spiritual and social status, and she wanted to silence him permanently.
A concerned Herod
sought to keep God’s messenger. Herod
also feared John, but he protected him from Herodias. Scripture reveals that Herod knew John was “a
righteous and holy man.” Even though John filled him with uncertainty, he “heard
him gladly.”
Don’t be deceived: the second response is no better than the first. While God’s message might cause you great
emotion—fear, confusion, gladness—that doesn’t mean it has penetrated your
heart. In Herod’s case, he never
repented of his illicit marriage, and we’ll see in the following verses that
Herodias got her way. Genuine faith will
produce good works; otherwise, it’s a false or dead faith (Js 2:14–26).
Know that being close to church and the Bible won’t help in
the Day of Judgment. If you are in an
unlawful relationship, end it now for the sake of your soul. Repent (turn from your sin to God) and
believe that His gospel message will save you.
