Well, my dear friend, I cannot give you a single Scripture that would cover the fulness of God’s divine plan and purposes in His allowing His servant to leave the earth in such a way. Matthew 14:1-10 gives the account of the wicked thoughts and designs which were in Herod’s mind when he ordered the execution of John. But God is sovereign and His divine purposes are always right and good. God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8,9), so even when we do not understand, we must trust that His will is always best. Despite the sin of Herod’s heart and Satan’s apparent influence on the wicked Herod, we must accept that God allowed this thing to happen according to His own divine purposes by His perfect and sovereign will. As for my ideas, I sometimes think that perhaps John’s mission on earth was completed once Christ Jesus was revealed at the Jordan River, and what was that purpose? John himself testified that he came to make straight the way of the Lord (John 1:23), and he went on to confirm in John 3:28-30 that he himself was not the Christ, but that he was sent before Him. John stated also in verse 30 that “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Perhaps it was, in part anyway, that the Lord Jesus was now being seen by many in Israel to be doing the mighty signs and works, and speaking the Words showing Him to be the Messiah (Isaiah 35:5,6; Isaiah 61:1), so now that the way of the Lord had been made straight, John’s ministry would no longer be needed and Christ Himself would become the center of focus in Israel.

But, my dear friend, whatever God’s sovereign will determined to be necessary in John’s case, we must believe that His will is always perfect and good, even though it might seem harsh to us. Let’s read Acts 4:27-28, as this prayer of Peter is very instructive, “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.” Here we plainly see that the wicked works of Pilate and Herod against our Lord Jesus were in fact allowed by God.  Why would this be? So that the Christ could lay down His life to redeem poor, ruined sinners like you and me. Pilate and Herod all played their part inspired by Satan and their own wicked hearts, but God turned all this around to His own purposes to allow His only begotten Son to purchase our pardon on the cross of Calvary. Thus, through the dying love of Christ Jesus , God was glorified and we who believe are blessed beyond belief.

But now my dear friend, let me suggest a few more Scriptures about God’s divine purposes. God is the creator of the heavens and the earth and all that exists; He is all knowing and He alone is wise (Jude v. 25). Above all, God loves us (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10).  In fact, the Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8). So, whatever the situation in our lives, be it pleasant or be it painful, there is God’s divine wisdom and love behind all, and we must accept all from His hand through faith. Now, God knows exactly what He is doing and the divine purposes He has in mind (Job 23:10; see also Psalms 139:1-16). He never makes mistakes, and He never does anything wrong. In Deuteronomy 32:4 we read: “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.” God loves us and wants us to know Him and to love Him too, and so He has given us His Word, the Bible, which is true from beginning to end and tells us all about our loving God who has a plan for glory for those who love Him. Therefore, as believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, we must never doubt or question God’s actions, even when we encounter unpleasant things that we simply do not understand. We can know beyond any doubt that God knows what He is doing, and all that He allows is for our good (Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). In Jeremiah 29:11 we read: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  (SF)  (709.5)