Thursday, 6 November 2025   For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Matthew 14:3   “For Herod, having seized John, he bound him, and he placed in prison for Herodias, his brother Phillip’s wife” (CG).   In the previous verse, Herod exclaimed his belief that John the Immerser had risen from the dead, which is why he had the miracle powers working in him. The narrative will now explain what led to John’s imprisonment. That begins with the words, “For Herod, having seized John.”   Herod himself was behind the arrest of John. One can already sense that his conscience was nagging at him as the narrative begins. Something about John’s death came about because of Herod. Understanding this, the narrative continues, saying, “he bound him, and he placed in prison.”   Cambridge notes the location of this prison –   “At Machærus, in Peræa, on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, near the southern frontier of the tetrarchy. Here Antipas had a palace and a prison under one roof, as was common in the East. Cp. Nehemiah 3:25, ‘The tower which lieth out from the king’s high house that was by the court of the prison.’ It was the ordinary arrangement in feudal castles.”   The reason Herod put him in prison is stated as, “for Herodias, his brother Phillip’s wife.”   To understand the abbreviated thought, and in anticipation of the words of the next verse, Albert Barnes states –   This Herodias was a granddaughter of Herod the Great. She was first married to Herod Philip, by whom she had a daughter, Salome, probably the one that danced and pleased Herod. Josephus says that this marriage of Herod Antipas with Herodias took place while he was on a journey to Rome. He stopped at his brother's; fell in love with his wife; agreed to put away his own wife, the daughter of Aretas, King of Petraea; and Herodias agreed to leave her own husband and live with him. They were living, therefore, in adultery; and John, in faithfulness, though at the risk of his life, had reproved them for their crimes. Herod was guilty of two crimes in this act:   Of “adultery,” since she was the wife of another man.   Of “incest,” since she was a near relation, and such marriages were expressly forbidden, Leviticus 18:16.   John was the last prophet under the Law of Moses. His duty was to call the people to repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Instead of the king turning and accepting his wrongdoing like David, he doubled down in his sin like so many of the biblical kings under the law had done.   And like so many of those kings, he acted against the Lord’s prophet, attempting to silence him from publicly exposing his deeds.   Life application: Under the New Covenant, there is no Law of Moses for believers to condemn people with by living it out for them to see. However, there is the truth, like during the time of Noah, that the world is accountable to God for its actions.   Paul says, “because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression” Romans 4:15. And yet, he speaks elsewhere about the law of conscience –   “...for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” Romans 2:14-16   Because of conscience, especially since the coming of Christ and His fulfillment of the Law of Moses, it is still right for believers to call out wrongdoing in others, particularly those in positions of authority.   In the world, this has been a dicey thing to do at times. It is becoming that way again in much of the world. Like in the times of Noah, the whole world is marching towards ungodliness and acti