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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