Mark 6:12 “And they went out, and preached that men should repent. 13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. 14 And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. 15 Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. 16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.”
Here is an account of a man haunted by a ghost he put to death. Are there ghosts? Not in the traditional sense, but there are ghosts of the soul. These ghosts let us know we can’t do wrong and live wrong and get by. Herod cut John’s head off. It convicted and haunted him. The only way to heal ghosts of the soul is through Jesus Christ.
You can almost feel Herod’s fear. As the King of Judea, you’d think he would have no fear. In the days of Rome, Herod would have only been a puppet king ruled by Caesar, yet he had anything he wanted and could do whatever he pleased. He got along with Pilate and Rome gave him leeway to live like he was king. He never thought he’d have to answer to anyone. Herod was king only in name; the people were not fooled. This is the way with us today. Man has always had free choice. We can choose who is king of our life. We have the ability to get most all we want. We are not our own master. We can’t do what we want. The devil will manipulate us in every way to keep us from Jesus. He doesn’t care what we do as long as we don’t seek salvation. Don’t let the devil be your puppet king. He too answers to Christ.
Herod would have had it made if not for John the Baptist. He told Herod it was wrong to have his brother’s wife. He inherited Herodias’ daughter as well. He flaunted it. No one dare say anything to him. No one did except John. He tried to help Herod; he reminded him of his sin. Herod couldn’t make all the rules. The rules are the Lord’s, and John pleaded with him to repent. Herod put him in prison. He eventually had him killed. Jesus came on the scene preaching that men need to repent—the same message that John preached. Others said Jesus was Elijah; other said a prophet. Herod said “it is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.”
John called Herod to answer, yet he paid no attention. It pays us to watch who our counsel is. Everyone is an expert about what’s wrong with everything. We can’t trust what man says; we’ve got to trust the Lord. The Word of God is true and always will be. It defines us. John tried to point Herod to the truth. He was disturbed, so Herodias tried to get him away from John. The devil does the same to us today. He wants to stop the voice of God from getting to us. He wants us to be comfortable in our own beliefs. He wants us to believe a lie. Herodias convinced Herod to put John in prison. She didn’t think he could bother Herod from there. Don’t let the voice of God be silenced in your life. Get the Lord out of the dungeon.
Herod had a big birthday party. He was a man of lusts, and Herodias had a plan to get rid of John. The devil also works a complex plan to get us away from the voice of God. He wants to keep us where he wants us. She had her daughter dance for Herod. She knew his lusts would be incited. When asked what he’d give her if she danced, Herod said anything to the half of the kingdom. Through the dancing Herod could hear the voice of John echoing upward from the dungeon saying “repent; judgment is nigh.” The truth was still going out. He still didn’t listen. When Herodias’ daughter asked for the head of John the Baptist, Herod gave in. He had to live up to his image. He thought John couldn’t get to him. It was over….until he heard the message again. His own sin haunted him and convinced him that it was John.
Are we haunted by the ghosts of our sins? The noise at night is not a ghost; the noise can’t hurt you. Ghosts of the heart can hurt. Herod’s conscience was rattled by his ghost. Don’t think as Herod did. The sins will haunt us. Call on God and let the ghosts rest. Listen to the haunting voice of the Holy Spirit. Many have hardened their heart and can’t hear the voice of God. If you’re hearing it today, you still have a chance. Herod had to face it every day. We will too as long as we don’t repent. Some men’s sins go before them; others follow after them. I’d rather have mine go before me.
Herod believed he was haunted. He put it off, and God quit dealing with him. There were no more ghosts. Three years later we see a man who had crossed the line. He wanted to see Jesus to make sport of him. Herod died with the ghosts of his own life.
If I had one piece of advice for you today, I’d say believe in the ghosts of sin. Be conscious of the voice of the Holy Spirit. Be a believer when you hear the groaning of your soul. If you’re haunted, the only way to have it taken away is by the Master.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 