I was among those invited to the state dinner to commemorate the ruler’s birthday. It was a time to meet other rulers and be happy. On such occasions, we drank the best wine 🍷, listened to the best music, and had the best of meat and food. Surprisingly, the daughter of the ruler’s wife came to dance; she danced so well that we were dazzled…
After eating such fatty and spiced food, and drinking the best wine, the soothing music and flirting dance 💃🏽 perfectly threw away our conscience and reasoning. We were enchanted by pleasure and excitement until we were so paralyzed with joy that we failed to save a righteous man from death. Since that night, all of us who attended that birthday dinner has been guilty with remorse, but it is too late now.
The governor had married his brother, Philip’s, wife. This was condemned by the prophet. Herodias, the former wife of Philip, became angry at this rebuke and had John thrown into prison. Nevertheless, she could not convince Herod to kill🗡️ him for Herod believed John to be a righteous man🧎🏽. Although Herod tried to heed John’s advice and break free from Herodias🏃🏽♂️, he failed. Herodias increased her charms and affections💋 to fasten him in her grasp.
Unbeknown to us, she had plotted and planned✍🏻 for years to be avenged of John for speaking the truth to Herod. Thus, when her daughter, Salome, danced before us and enchanted the governor to promise her anything she would want, Herodias knew that her time was come. Salome was horrified and reluctant to agree to her mother’s demands for the head of John🙅♀️, but her mother prevailed, and she returned to Herod with her wish…
On stating her desire, the whole place fell into a deep silence. The governor was horrified and deeply troubled! Like Darius of old, who was tricked into making a law⚖️ that later implicated Daniel, his best governor, so was Herod trapped🪤 by his own promise. He desperately looked into our eyes👀, hoping for someone to stand up in defense of John☝🏽…but we were all dazed by wine🍷 and numbed by food and mirth.
Our consciences were sold to pleasure, and we had no moral authority to stand up and defend that just man before Herod. Had anyone raised an objection, John would have been saved☝🏽! Like Belshazzar on the eve of his fall, food, alcohol, music, and women had blinded us to justice until the hands of God wrote on the wall🫵🏼: mene mene tekel upharsin (Dan. 5). By our silence, we condemned an innocent man to the ire and thirst of a revengeful and bitter woman.
Wine is a mocker; strong drink is raging🥂: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise (Prov. 20:1)! It is not for kings🫅🏽, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes, strong drink🍻: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgEment⚖️ of any of the afflicted (Prov. 31:4-5).
Oh John! What a life was his! He was the first to preach about Christ, and the first to be martyred. He never had the opportunity to witness the miracles and works of Christ. His death was only a foreshadow of what was to befall Christ Himself🩸! Just as Herod bowed to Herodias’ pressure and killed John, so did Pilate to Christ under pressure from the Jews. So shall civil governments⚖️ bow to Babylon and her daughters💅🏼 (Rev. 17:5) to persecute the saints in a church-state 💒New World Order…
On a silver platter lied the head of a righteous man🥹. A party that began with joy, ended with sorrow☹️. A peaceful Sabbath to all the saints of God🕊️🌈.
