There is an expression we sometimes use, most often
associated with a woman rejected, or deceived.
But while we may like to convey the idea that the anger of a woman is no
small thing, I believe the real fury the kingdom of Satan prefers is the mass
casualties of war. When Satan is able to
convince us we need to kill each other (for whatever reason), he wins. It does not matter which human side of the
war wins, the idea that both sides participate, is a victory for Satan. Murder has the same effect, but its victims
are too limited for the kingdom of Satan.
Mass casualties works better for him.
And if, in those mass casualties you can end the lives of children, you
have hit the satanic jackpot. Ending the
lives of the most innocent, the lives of those who had the most life left, is
the best fury hell has to offer.
Every time hell gets to show us a glimpse of this fury, they
rejoice, while we suffer and die. When
Jesus came to our world, it is only logical that He will be at His weakest as a
baby. If hell was going to make an
attempt on His life, better sooner than later.
Herod had already determined to kill Him. So there was already a human patsy to take
the fall, and very willing to participate.
Herod was a jealous king; infantile, deranged, obsessed, and very
unpredictable. Herod was not much
different than any jealous spouse has ever been, but regarding his kingdom and
power, not the love of another person. But
what was to transpire was not just a random series of events. It was foretold. It was a look into the heart of evil, a look
at the fury of hell, a revelation of how far Satan will go in his quest to kill
the source of all love.
Normal people have rules.
Normal people, even ones who have committed murder, do not usually focus
on babies as their preferred targets.
Babies hardly understand what is going on. Only the parents are left with the pain of
loss that cannot be comforted in this world.
But Satan has no human version of normality. His kingdom has no limits defined by our
sense of right and wrong. Nothing is too
far. Nothing is ever wrong. Killing babies for sport is just another
entertainment venue in the kingdom hell would rule. And Herod was about to distinctively prove
this point, not just for us. Not just to
fulfill prophecy, but that the universe of witnesses could see this was no
bluff, this was no test, this was and this is, who Satan is. And if left to our embrace of sin, this is
who we would become.
Matthew begins by setting the stage for the anger of Herod
as his plans to kill Jesus will not be so easy to accomplish. In chapter two of his Gospel beginning in
verse 12 saying … “And being warned of God in a dream that they should not
return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.” The Magi or kings and nobles of the East,
were warned of God to return home a different way, never to return to Herod’s
courts again. Imagine the context. They have followed a miraculous star here for
hundreds or thousands of miles. They
arrive to see Jesus. And immediately God
appears to them in a dream, protecting the life of His baby Son. Surely this is the long waited for
Messiah. But the warnings did not end
here.
Matthew continues in verse 13 saying … “And when they were
departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying,
Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be
thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to
destroy him.” The Magi leave first. There will be no accidental witnesses to
where Joseph will take his family. Then
the angel comes again to Joseph (I wonder if Joseph knew his name by now). The angel warns them to flee into Egypt until
he rescinds this warning. Herod is bent
on killing Jesus. If Herod can find
Jesus, Jesus is dead. It will take
divine protection to keep Jesus from suffering this fate whether as a baby or
even as a small boy. But what was
happening was not a series of random incidents.
Even the evil of Herod was foretold, both the cause, and the effects.
Matthew continues in verse 14 saying … “When he arose, he
took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: [verse 15]
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” Some timelines put this sojourn to Egypt
lasting about seven years. Over this
time other siblings would be born. Even
though Joseph was a carpenter by trade, the gifts of the Magi would have gone a
long way towards sustaining this young family in Egypt. They could have secured the purchase of a
home (or rental of). They could have
secured food, tools, and supplies; particularly considering the young family
had little to bring with them. But
Matthew again reminds his audience that the Messiah would be called out of
Egypt, as Jesus was, by the prophets ages ago.
The story of Herod and aftermath continues in verse 16
saying … “Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was
exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in
Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under,
according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.” Herod did to the people of Israel what
Pharaoh had done so long ago. Herod
orders the death of all children (presumably male, but Matthew fails to make
this distinction), two years and under.
In addition, this scripture expands the reach of Herod beyond Bethlehem
to “all the coasts thereof”. Herod was
not going to make any mistakes of omission.
If Jesus was nearby He would be killed.
But even this evil was foreseen.
Matthew continues in verse 17 saying … “Then was fulfilled
that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, [verse 18] In Rama was
there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel
weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are
not.” Matthew adds the voice of the
prophet Jeremiah to the growing list of Old Testament prophecies that are
fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ.
It would appear one cannot go more than 5 or 6 verses in Matthew’s
Gospel without finding a reference to prophecies of the past fulfilled in the
life of Jesus Christ. Yet even the
epitaph of Herod finds prophecy to fulfill.
Matthew continues in verse 19 saying … “But when Herod was
dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, [verse
20] Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the
land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.” The Angel of the Lord, as promised, rescinds
his warning of those who sought the life of young Jesus. I should imagine there was no parade of those
paying respects at the funeral of Herod.
He had killed their children. He
was probably the most hated man in all of Israel. That comes when you kill kids. But even in this infamy there is no place of
honor for Herod in the kingdom of Satan.
Satan does not grant honor, only apathy.
Satan has no heroes, only those he would kill again and again. Such is the fury of hell.
Matthew continues in verse 21 saying … “And he arose, and
took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. [verse 22]
But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father
Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a
dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: [verse 23] And he came and
dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Even the unplanned responses are chronicled in prophecy. Joseph was to return to Bethlehem, but fear
kept him from doing so. Joseph who had
so often heard the voice of the Angel of the Lord, as they return, loses trust
in that voice and turns aside to Galilee, to Nazareth to be precise.
This was not God’s intended plan, but it is what Joseph
did. What might have been different for
Jesus if He had returned to Bethlehem.
Would His acceptance by the leaders of the religion been better if Jesus
had been closer, and a full-time resident of the City of David? The Angel did not instruct Joseph to do as he
did, fear caused that action. It was
unplanned, even from the perspective of Joseph.
But it was still prophesied about and cited by Matthew. Fleeing to Egypt was a result of the fury of
hell. Returning and winding up in
Nazareth was a response of fear. How often
do we respond in fear, no matter the assurances of our God? How often do those responses wind up making
our lives worse, instead of better?
This was to end the Gospel of the Hebrews regarding the
topic of early years of Jesus. As
Matthew would continue writing, he would jump ahead to the ministry of John the
Baptist. Much is lost to us of these
formative years. We assume Jesus kept
His hair in the style of the Nazarene’s.
We assume He was taken to Passover every year. We know about His encounter with the Temple
Priests when He was twelve years old.
But Matthew covers none of this.
Perhaps because these events were not as prominent in prior
prophecies. Perhaps Matthew was more
interested in tying the Old with the New, and stories of the childhood of Jesus
would not facilitate that goal as well.
In any case the Gospel of the Hebrews was nowhere near an end …
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