Herodias

3 For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip). 4 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.

6 But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, 7 so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. 8 At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!” 9 Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. 10 So John was beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother.

this is a woman.. who marries her husband's brother... truly.. that type of thing happens even today... how many of us have been caught up in such a thing?
so John the baptist tells the new husband to be... the brother of the current husband.. that he cannot marry her.. that it is against God's law for you to marry her... (it is incest and adultery all rolled into one... and it would surely make a person defiled in God's eyes...)
Herodias... instead of recognizing her sin when God exposes it.. decides she wants the messenger dead.. (there comes the saying "don't kill the messenger"...)
so she enlists her daughter... the daughter of Phillip.. who is the first husband... to dance for the new husband... that by itself isn't quite right to me... I have a 20year old daughter who is very beautiful.. I promise you I will never want her to dance for my new husband who is not her father... anyways.. the daughter is pleasing to the new husband.. alarms and bells should be going off at this point.. but instead.. all Herodias is thinking about is wanting John the baptist dead... so she has the daughter say that what she wants for her dance is John's head on a platter...
Herodias is willing to sacrifice her daughter's honor in my opinion by allowing her to dance for this man.. and then what is she teaching the girl by having her want a man's head on a platter??? what young woman should be so filled with hate that she would even utter the words? what kind of mother is this.... all because John pointed out her sin...
Herod Antipas as the new husband was called felt bad to kill John but had said it in front of all these people... so now his pride is on the line... and he has John beheaded...

look at how Herodias affected just these two closest people in her life.. instead of being a light shining in their lives.. she was a sword and a dagger.. she was death from the pits of hell.. she allowed the enemy to use her to destroy all of these lives.. including her own...

because of Jesus death on the cross.. all of these people had a chance to get their lives right with God and be forgiven of their sin.. there is no record of this in the bible... they are remembered for the wrongs that they lived... not the rights...

we will all be remembered for something... what will you be remembered for? are you a light? or a cloak of darkness and evil?