Most of us probably wonder how anyone could be cold-hearted enough to order the deaths of children. Israel saw children — especially firstborn boys — as their future. This devotion looks at how Herod ordered the massacre of all the baby boys in Bethlehem.
Nuggets
- The wise men would have had to be asking why this king was scared of an infant.
- God was protecting His Son by sending angels to both the wise men and to Joseph.
- Since Herod didn’t know which baby he was looking for, the order went out that all of them should die.
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Children are precious. Parents who have had their first child especially think this.
But to have someone purposefully vocalize the words, “Slaughter them,” is unfathomable. Surely, it was Satan attempting to kill Jesus. But what if it was something else, too?
An arrow of lights did not suddenly appear over Jesus, pointing to Him as Messiah. However, there was enough prophesy in the Old Testament to give people a good handle on the when and where of it. People were looking for the Messiah to be born around then.
Let’s wind our way through this.
Let's Put It into Context
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: Because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel” (Mt. 2: 6 CSB)
The wise men knew enough to come looking for the king associated with the new star in the sky. Unfortunately, they went right when they should have gone left.
They ended up in Jerusalem at Herod’s palace. Now, that would be the logical place to go searching for the King of the Jews.
But the Baby wasn’t one of Herod’s relatives. It was one of David’s descendants.
That might have given a Baby Jesus some comfort. I am sure He thought David was a better king than Herod.
Instead of being in luxury in Jerusalem, Jesus was in a house elsewhere. I think the Holy Family went back to Nazareth after all of the baby ceremonies were over. The star came back out and helped guide the wise men to where they were going.
Betrayal
“And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route” (Mt. 2: 12 CSB)
I wonder what the wise men thought. I am sure they knew of King Herod. Even without the internet back in those days, I am sure they knew at least some of what was happening in other countries.
Even if they didn’t know about Herod, they would have had to be asking why this king was scared of an infant. They had to have seen through Herod’s “I want to worship Him, too” line.
I mean, Herod had to have been seething when he told them to report back. I don’t think the anger that she surely felt would have let him pull of the acting job.
Unless the wise men were so caught up in their joy. Their close to two-year journey was almost over — and they were right! There was a Baby at the end of the star.
Maybe they weren’t really picking up on what was going on with Herod.
It didn’t matter. God was protecting His Son.
Verse 12 says that the wise men had a dream. It didn’t say it was an angel like in Joseph’s dream (Mt. 1: 20).
It didn’t matter. They got the memo.
Escape
“After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, ‘Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.’ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son’” (Mt. 2: 13-15 CSB)
Joseph got the same dream, just different instructions. He was to take Mary and Jesus and head for Egypt.
Now, Egypt was a favored running-away-to place. Abraham spent some time in Egypt, telling everyone Sarah was his sister (Gen. 12: 10-20). Isaac thought about going to Egypt when there was a famine, but God told him not to go. After Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, Jacobs’ whole family immigrated there. It took a while for them to get out, but they finally did.
So, here we go again. Joseph wanted to keep Baby Jesus safe. Yes, Joseph is just stepping in to fill the role of father, but he is a righteous man. He is going to do it to the best of his ability. He is going to follow God’s directions.
God gave Joseph directions to go to Egypt, but He didn’t say how long they would have to stay there. All God told him was “until I say come home.”
Retaliation
“Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men” (Mt. 2: 16 CSB)
I know. This verse is hard to read. We’ve read of kings killing people to ensure their tenure on the throne. They have even killed family members.
But all of the boy babies in a town at one time. It is heart wrenching.
Meade and Pott called them “unconscious martyrs for Christ” and “holy innocents [who] died for Christ’s sake.”
Herod gave the order, and they were killed. Since he didn’t know which baby he was looking for, the order went out that all of them should die.
I just can’t see how Herod could give the order. Look back at verse 4 in this chapter. “When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ would be born” (Mt. 2: 4 CSB).
Herod knew he was trying to kill the Messiah. And he tried anyway!
In his defense, Herod was probably thinking like everyone else was. This was a military Messiah.
Nope.
I love what Seiss said. “Jesus in His cradle is mightier than Herod on his throne.
Herod didn’t get Jesus. God made sure that He was safe.
Prophecy
“Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they are no more” (Mt. 2: 16-17 CSB)
If you look at Jeremiah 31, that is quoted in Matthew is verse 15. The first 14 verses have been talking about God bringing His people home from exile.
Isn’t that what Jesus is doing? Ever since Adam and Eve’s original sin, we have been in exile.
Only through Jesus’ birth and death can there be restitution for our sin. Only He was found worthy to pay the price and redeem us.
You see, redemption is where something is used in exchange for something else to gain or regain something. Jesus is our Redeemer because He was born of a virgin, making Him 100% God and 100% man; gave His life on the cross for us so that His blood could pay the price for our sins; and because of God’s great might and power, rose from the grave, conquering death and paying the price for our sins. Redemption allows us to receive forgiveness for our sins.
Sin is when we disobey God and break one of His laws and commandments. These laws and commandments not only show us what we have done wrong, but they also show us the character of God.
Forgiveness is when God pardons us because we have broken His laws and commandments. We accept the pardon by letting go of the guilt and remorse that we feel because we have done something wrong. It is a conscious decision to accept His forgiveness.
When we ask for God’s forgiveness of our sins, we call that repentance. Repentance is expressing sorrow for things we’ve done wrong. But it is not just feeling sorry for doing those things. It is making the commitment to changing ourselves so that we no longer do the wrong things.
When we repent, we gain salvation. Salvation is the deliverance from the consequences of sin. This deliverance is necessitated by the original sin committed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, which made everyone sinners.
This only happens through God’s grace. Grace is a free and unmerited gift from Heavenly Father given through His Son, Jesus Christ that enables salvation and spiritual healing to believers. Because of God’s infinite grace, He devised the plan of salvation that made Jesus our Redeemer in order to forgive us of our sins.
Making the Connections
I can see a reason why God allowed the murder of the innocent children to happen. I am not saying He caused the massacre to happen. God used it to ensure His Son’s mission.
Let’s say little Rueben was born three days before Jesus a couple of streets over from the stable. Let’s say Herod got mad and sulked but didn’t send out the troops when he figured out the wise men had not kept up their end of the bargain.
So, Rueben grows up. He and his family are very religious. Maybe it was him, maybe even Grandpa, who puts the Messiah puzzle pieces together.
Then, all of the sudden, Rueben is the Messiah.
God didn’t want that to happen. He wanted to make sure that no imposters could make claim to His Son’s throne.
Again, that isn’t to say God ordered the inhalation of the children. No, He probably hung His head in sorrow when He heard the wails of the mothers and fathers.
God may not have been the instigator, but He allowed it.
Why? “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who hav been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8: 28 NIV). Even the insensible, heinous acts have a place in God’s overall plan.
For us, it may be the death of one of our innocent loved ones. It may be the inhalation of a treasured relationship. It may be the murder of a cherished dream or the passing of the perfect job.
Whatever the circumstances, God uses it to further His plan for our lives. And He is there to guide us through.
How Do We Apply This?
Cruelty isn’t limited just to kings. We will have cruel things happen in our lives.
God may call us to give up things we don’t want to give up. I would have rather not given up my job and my Ph.D. program.
But God has a plan for my life. You wouldn’t be reading this right now if I would have had my way.
God knew someone somewhere needed this now, not ten years from now.
And I am good with that. Yes, I am crying right now because this is the first time that I’ve really been able to say it and mean it.
But I mean it with all my heart. I have put my trust in God. He has me.
God has you, too. Even through the massacres.
Precious Father. There are times when the pain from the trials You have allowed to occur is too great. We question how we can go on. We rant and rave against the unfairness of it. We cannot see how the God of love could allow this to happen. We look to You for comfort and guidance. Show us how this, too, has its place in Your plan. Amen.
What do you think?
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