Women of the Bible Part 23

Amen.

Pray it like you mean it, and G.o.d will not fail to provide you with opportunities to exercise your faith. (Don't forget to blow out the candle before you close your eyes!)

Herodias.

HER NAME, THE FEMALE FORM OF "HEROD," MEANS "Heroic"

Her Character: A proud woman, she used her daughter to manipulate her husband into doing her will. She acted arrogantly, from beginning to end, in complete disregard for the laws of the land.

Her Shame: To be rebuked by an upstart prophet for leaving her husband Philip in order to marry his half brother Herod Antipas.

Her Triumph: That her scheme to murder her enemy, John the Baptist, worked.

Key Scriptures: Matthew 14:3 - 12; Mark 6:14 - 29; Luke 3:19 - 20; 9:7 - 9 Monday HER STORY.

Her grandfather, Herod the Great, had ruled Judea for thirty-four years. Herod had brought prosperity to a troubled region of the Roman Empire, building theaters, amphitheaters, and race courses, as well as a palace and a magnificent temple in Jerusalem. In addition to such ambitious endeavors, he had even contrived to lower taxes on two occasions.

But Herod's reign contained shadows that darkened as the years went on. Herodias knew the stories well-how her grandfather had slaughtered a pa.s.sel of Jewish brats in Bethlehem, how he had murdered his favorite wife (her own grandmother) and three of his sons for real or imagined intrigues. Advancing age and illness did nothing to improve his character. Herod was determined, in fact, that his own death would produce a time of universal mourning rather than celebration. So, in a final, malevolent act, he commanded all the leading Jews to gather in Jericho. Then he imprisoned them in a stadium and ordered them to be executed at the moment of his death. But the king was cheated of his last wish: His prisoners were set free as soon as he died in the spring of 4 BC.

Not a nice man, her grandfather Herodias's husband and his half brother Antipas had been lucky survivors of Herod the Great's b.l.o.o.d.y family, but Antipas had proved the luckier of the two. For while Philip and Herodias languished in Rome with no territory to rule, Antipas was appointed tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. She could sense the man's power the first time he visited them in Rome. And power, she mused, was her favorite aphrodisiac.

Though Herod Antipas was married to the daughter of King Are-tas IV, ruler of Nabatea, to the east, he quickly divorced her in favor of Herodias. In one dicey move, Antipas had stolen his brother's wife, compromised his eastern border, and alienated his Jewish subjects, whose law forbade wife-swapping, especially among brothers. But with Herodias beside him, Herod Antipas must have thought himself powerful enough to manage the consequences.

But neither Herod Antipas nor Herodias had expected their transgression to become a matter of public agitation. After all, who was there to agitate, except the usual ragtag band of upstarts? A real prophet had not troubled Israel for more than four hundred years.

But trouble was edging toward them in the form of a new Elijah, whom G.o.d had been nurturing with locusts and honey in the wilderness that bordered their realm. This prophet, John the Baptist, cared nothing for diplomacy. He could not be bought or bullied, and was preaching a message of repentance to all who would listen: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "

John the Baptist spared no one, not the ordinary people who flocked to him in the desert, not the self-righteous Pharisees or the privileged Sadducees, and certainly not Herod Antipas or Herodias, whom he chided for their unlawful marriage. Herodias wanted Antipas to kill John, yet even he had to step carefully, lest he ignite an uprising among John's ever-growing number of followers. That would be all the excuse his former father-in-law, Aretas, would need in order to attack Antipas's eastern flank. So, according to the Jewish historian Josephus, Antipas imprisoned John in Machaerus, a fortress just east of the Dead Sea.

On Herod Antipas's birthday a feast was held in his honor and attended by a "who's who" list of dignitaries. During the evening, Herodias's young daughter, Salome, performed a dance for Herod Antipas and his guests, which so pleased him that he promised his stepdaughter anything she desired, up to half his kingdom.

Ever the good daughter, Salome hastened to her mother for advice. Should she request a splendid palace or a portion of the royal treasury? But Herodias had one thing only in mind. When Salome returned to the banquet hall, Salome surprised Antipas with a gruesome demand: "I want you to give me, right now, the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

Though Herod Antipas was distressed by her request, he was even more distressed at the prospect of breaking an oath he had so publicly made. Therefore, in complete disregard for Jewish law, which prohibited both execution without trial and decapitation as a form of execution, he immediately ordered John's death.

That night, Herodias must have savored her triumph over the man whom Jesus referred to as the greatest of those who had yet lived. John had been sent as the last of the prophets, a new Elijah, whose preaching was to prepare the way for Jesus. Had Herodias heeded John's call to repentance, her heart might have welcomed the gospel. Rather than being remembered as just one more member of a b.l.o.o.d.y dynasty, she could have become a true child of G.o.d. Instead of casting her lot with the great women of the Bible, however, she chose to model herself on one of the worst -Jezebel, her spiritual mother. By so doing, she sealed her heart against the truth and all the transforming possibilities of grace.

Tuesday HER LIFE AND TIMES.

THE HERODS.

Both husbands of Herodias were part of the Herodian family of rulers, as was Herodias herself. Her first husband, Herod Philip, as well as her second husband, Herod Antipas, were her uncles. The family of the Herods ruled in Judea and the surrounding areas for over 125 years. The first Herod, known as Herod the Great, was king of Judea from 37 to 4 BC. His reign was marked by division and domestic troubles, but also by prosperity. While in power, he built amphitheaters, palaces, fortresses, Gentile temples, and the temple of Herod in Jerusalem. This temple was his crowning achievement, noted by the historian Josephus as Herod's most n.o.ble work. The literature of the rabbis of that time states: "He who has not seen the Temple of Herod has never seen a beautiful building."

Herod the Great's five wives produced seven sons, most of whom went on to rule parts of the Near East for the Roman Empire. Philip, Herod's son by Mariamne of Simon, was Herodias's first husband. Hero-dias herself was the daughter of another of Herod's sons. That made her Herod's granddaughter as well as his daughter-in-law by marriage. Herodias wasn't the only one of Herod's children to form such relationships; Herod's great-granddaughter, Bernice, became the consort of her brother, Herod Agrippa II, also a great-grandchild of Herod.

The events at the birthday banquet described in Mark 6 are the culmination of years of corrupt living by a family who had power and knew how to use and misuse it. Herodias's actions, though horrifying, are not really surprising. Each step along the way to requesting John the Baptist's death was perhaps a small one, little noticed, but each step made its relentless way down a path to sin, until what would have been unconscionable years before now seemed acceptable and reasonable. Sin is like that. As your mother told you - and it's true - one small lie leads to another bigger lie that leads to another even bigger lie. The path of sin is strewn with small, seemingly insignificant decisions that lead nowhere but farther along the path away from truth and G.o.d.

Wednesday HER LEGACY IN SCRIPTURE.

Read Mark 6:14 - 29.

1. Note the different responses to John in verses 19-20. What do these responses tell you about Herod and Herodias?

2. How do you typically respond when confronted with a sin or failing? Do you get angry? Sulk? Listen to what the other person says, but without changing your behavior? Cry or feel hurt? Do whatever you can to please the other person? Face whatever is true in the other person's rebuke?

3. What are the signs in this story that power (control, getting her way) was important to Herodias?

4. When has getting your way seemed highly important to you? What did you do to get your way? What were the consequences?

5. What do you imagine it was like to be the daughter of Herodias?

Thursday HER PROMISE.

As negative as it sounds, the lesson or promise learned from Herodias can only be that sin will devour us. If sin always has its way in our lives, it will eventually consume us. There is only one way out: If we abandon our sin and repent, we will find forgiveness and a new life in Christ. He promises to forgive even the most horrific sins, the most depraved lifestyles, the most abandoned behaviors. We may still face the consequences of our sin, but we will no longer have to fear its judgment. With Christ as our mediator, we become as clean as if we had never sinned.

Promises in Scripture I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"- and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

-Psalm 32:5 He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

-Psalm 103:10 - 12 Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

- Isaiah i:i8 Friday HER LEGACY OF PRAYER.

For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him.

-Mark 6:18-19 Reflect On: Mark 6:14 - 29.

Praise G.o.d: That he gives us opportunities to repent and turn back to him.

Offer Thanks: For the men and women in your own life who have had the courage to tell you the truth.

Confess: Any tendency to respond defensively to constructive criticism.

Ask G.o.d: For the grace to respond to correction with humility.

Lift Your Heart Most of us hate criticism. Part of our defensiveness stems from our inability to see the connection between brokenness and grace. How differently we would respond if we understood that repentance is like a garden hoe breaking up the soil to make it ready for the seed. If we want to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control-we must cherish the truth, however it comes to us.

Being receptive to criticism doesn't mean we become women with low self-esteem. It simply means that we will be open about our sins and faults, believing in G.o.d's desire to forgive us and help us to change. This week, take some time for a little soul-searching. Is G.o.d trying to get your attention about something that is off-kilter in your own life? Is he raising up a prophet in your own family-a child or husband who is trying to tell you the truth? If so, listen, and then pray about what you hear. Resist the temptation to make the person pay for his or her words by sulking, holding a grudge, or criticizing him or her in turn. Instead, be the first to say you're sorry. A habit of repentance will make your heart fertile soil for G.o.d's grace.

Father, I know how deceitful the human heart can be. Please give me the courage to be honest and the faith to believe in your forgiveness. May my heart become a place of brokenness, where grace and truth can flourish.

Joanna.

HER NAME MEANS.

"The Lord Gives Graciously"

Her Character: A woman of high rank in Herod's court, she experienced healing at Jesus' hands. She responded by giving herself totally, supporting his ministry, and following him wherever he went. The story of her healing may have been known to Herod himself.

Her Joy: To find the tomb empty except for the angels who proclaimed Jesus alive.

Key Scriptures: Luke 8:1 - 3; 24:10 (and Matthew 14:1 - 12 and Luke 23:7 - 12 for background on Herod and his court) Monday HER STORY.

Joanna was a wealthy woman, accustomed to an atmosphere of worldliness. One didn't live in Herod Antipas's courts without learning to navigate the powerful currents of intrigue that swirled continuously around his throne. But nothing had so troubled and sickened her as the death of the prophet John. A holy man murdered for speaking the plain truth, his head was carried to Herodias on a platter, like a tantalizing dish to satisfy her appet.i.te for revenge. How sad she had been as she watched Jesus grieving his cousin's murder.

Joanna's own life had been so altered by Christ that she may have hoped to influence Herod on his behalf. Married to Cuza, the manager of Herod's vast estates, she was well-positioned for the task. How intently Herod would have listened as she recounted the details of her miraculous healing. But after John's death, Joanna must have wondered what would become of Jesus should he ever have the misfortune of falling into Herod's hands. And what, for that matter, would become of his followers?

Though Joanna would have realized the escalating risks that faith required, there is not the slightest evidence she flinched from them. Unlike Nicodemus, she made no effort to hide her admiration for Jesus. Along with other women, she provided for his needs from her own purse. Perhaps her gifts made it just a little easier on this teacher who had no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).

All we really know of Joanna, in addition to her status as Cuza's wife, is that Jesus cured her of some spiritual or physical malady, that she was among a group of women who traveled with Jesus and his disciples, that she supported his ministry out of her own means, and that she was present at Jesus' resurrection along with Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James. Whether her faith cost her dearly or little in either her marriage or at court is a matter for speculation.

Joanna was probably among the women present at the crucifixion. And like the others who went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body, she must have fallen on her face in awe of the angels who greeted her with astonishing news: "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' "

She would have run with the others to tell the disciples of the incredible discovery. Though Peter and the other disciples discounted the story as the ravings of hysterical women, Joanna would hardly have doubted herself. For she was a woman who lived in an atmosphere of power, and she had just witnessed a far greater power than Herod's. She would have recognized it as the same power that had healed her.

It didn't matter that her husband served a man opposed to Christ; Joanna knew where her allegiance belonged. A woman of high rank, she became part of the intimate circle of Christ's followers, casting her lot with fishermen and poor people rather than with the rich and the powerful. G.o.d honored her by making her one of the first witnesses of the resurrection.

Tuesday HER LIFE AND TIMES.

HEALING.

F or most minor illnesses, ancient people depended on family members or neighbors who had some skill in the healing arts. A more severe illness would be treated by a priest who also acted as a physician. Since most disease was thought to be caused by spirits or demons, priest-physicians were appropriate healers, though there was also an established medical profession, such as "Luke, the doctor" (Colossians 4:14). Medical practice focused heavily on spiritual remedies. Most Near Eastern people thought disease-causing spirits entered through the openings in the head. Some Egyptian physicians went so far as to drill holes in the patient's head in order to give the demons a means of escape.

The information in Scripture on disease has more to do with its prevention than its cure. When a patient recovered from a disease, regardless of the treatment that brought about healing, G.o.d was given credit. For instance, G.o.d is credited with the disappearance of Hezekiah's boil after it was treated with a poultice of figs (2 Kings 20:1 - 7).

One of Jesus' early healings was of a man suffering from the skin disease known as leprosy (Mark 1:40 - 42). People dreaded leprosy not only because of its destruction of skin and extremities but because it was thought to be contagious. Anyone with the disease was an outcast, unclean, separated from friends, family, and all that was familiar, with little or no hope for a cure. But then Jesus stepped into the picture. With only two words, "Be clean!" Jesus did what all the others had failed to do, and the man went away healed.

Joanna is listed with several other women whom Jesus had "cured of evil spirits and diseases." Scripture doesn't say what her particular ailment was, but it must have been something significant, something from which she had been unable to find relief through conventional methods. She and the other healed women now followed Jesus and supported him and his disciples.

No disease or deformity was beyond Jesus' healing power. He removed paralysis (Mark 2:3 - 12). He stopped bleeding (Mark 5:25-29). Those who were mute and blind could speak and see (Matthew 9:27 - 33; 20:29 - 34; Mark 8:22-26). Fevers left bodies at his touch (Mark 1:30 - 31). He restored shriveled limbs (Mark 3:1 - 5; Luke 13:11 - 13). Those possessed by evil spirits of one sort or another found relief and deliverance at Jesus' hands (Matthew 12:22; Mark 1:23-26; 9:17-29).

That same Jesus still heals today. Sometimes through the remarkable ability and knowledge of modern medicine and doctors. Sometimes without any human intervention. Sometimes by bringing the sick one home to heaven. Always divine, if not miraculous. And always with his loving, all-pervasive touch.

Wednesday HER LEGACY IN SCRIPTURE.

Read Luke 8:1 - 3.

1. What does it say about Jesus that women traveled with him and his disciples, and that the women were paying the bills?

2. What does it say about Joanna that she was doing this?

Read Luke 23:55 - 24:12.

3. Jesus' male disciples were hiding for fear that they, too, would be arrested. Why do you suppose Joanna and the other women risked being a.s.sociated with a man who had been executed for treason?

4. What do you think surprised and frightened Joanna and the other women at the tomb (Luke 24:5)?

5. What do you admire about Joanna? How would you like to be like her?

Thursday HER PROMISE.

Joy comes in the morning. Joanna discovered this in a miraculous way on Jesus' resurrection day. She went to his tomb expecting to minister to his dead body and to grieve. Instead, her sorrow turned to tremendous joy. Our joy may not come this morning or tomorrow morning or even the morning after that. We face too many hardships, too many difficult situations, too much sorrow here on earth to think joy will arrive with each morning. But it will come. He has promised. At the end of the day, at the end of this life, there will be a joyful morning for all who trust in him.

Promises in Scripture Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

-Psalm 30:5 Where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy.

-Psalm 65:8 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

-Psalm 90:14 You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy.

- Isaiah 26:19 Friday HER LEGACY OF PRAYER.

Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again."

-Luke 24:6-7 Reflect On: Luke 24:1 - 12.

Praise G.o.d: For the truth the psalmist proclaims: "The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming" (Psalm 37:12-13).

Offer Thanks: That the ultimate victory is G.o.d's - and ours!

Confess: Any tendency to believe G.o.d is well-intentioned but weak.

Ask G.o.d: For a greater sense of his majesty.

Lift Your Heart Handel's Messiah, a traditional Christmas favorite, is worth Is listening to all year round. Handel wrote his masterpiece in just twenty-four days, while on the verge of being thrown into debtors' prison. When he finished the movement that became known as the "Hallelujah Chorus," he turned to his servant with tears streaming down his face and exclaimed, "I did think I did see all heaven before me, and the great G.o.d himself." This week, consider purchasing a recording of the Messiah. As you listen to the lyrics and the music, ask for the grace to "see all heaven before you, and the great G.o.d himself."

Lord, you laugh at the rulers and powers of this world who oppose you. Help me to realize that no evil, regardless of how terrible or prolonged it might be, can ever stand against you. Give me a greater sense of your resurrection power and majesty.

The Syrophoenician Woman.