King Herod



Prayer: Dear Lord God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I bless Your name today. Thank You for this first week of Advent where I begin to re-imagine the wonder of Your birth here among us. Please bring me to worship with Your people on Sunday morning so that I might praise Your name, be  challenged and strengthened in my faith, be a witness to others as we join together in Your house. You are an awesome God who gives us amazing gifts. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Read: Matthew 2:1–3, 16–23

Think about It: Jesus' place in history stands right next to one of the truly most evil men ever placed into leadership, King Herod the Great. While Rome was the true power in the region at the time, Herod was the ruler over Jerusalem, placed there at the leisure of the Romans. While he was probably highly intelligent, he was also ruthless and prone to evil because of his paranoia. He even had many members of his own family, including several of his 10 wives and even his own sons, murdered rather than see them take his throne. While he struggled with his great distrust of everyone around him, he was also a brilliant and accomplished engineer. He was responsible for the construction of the port at Caesarea, the citadel of Herodium (just south of Jerusalem), the fortress at Masada, and the        restoration of the temple in Jerusalem. Had he not had such a hate-filled heart, he may have been a great leader, such as his self-imposed title (Herod, the Great) might suggest.

But even Herod is no match for God the Father's will. While Herod's paranoia caused him to order the murder of every male infant under the age of 2 killed because of his fear of this newborn King, God is able to  protect Jesus and send Him into Egypt (fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy found in Hosea 11:1), thus thwarting the plans of Herod. While Jesus and his family are in Egypt, Herod dies (for no one, not even Herod the Great can escape death) and his son, Archelaus is placed into power. While he is no saint, he doesn't have the same need to destroy babies. Joseph is told to move his family to the north of Judea, to Galilee where they might be a little further away from the reach of the Herods. God's plan hold firm.

As we  examine all of these details in the story of Jesus birth, what we see is that God is firmly in control at all times. He is never having to make a mid-course correction because of something done by man that He didn't see coming. Herod may have considered himself "great" but he was no match for the God of the universe.

Prayer: Father, it is a marvel to see how You worked out the details of   the story of Jesus' birth. The plans of evil men did not have an impact up on the Infant because Your will did not allow it. I stand amazed at Your power and the beauty of Your plan. There is none like You, O Lord. Thanks You for Your love and Your power in my life. In the name of the Infant King I pray. Amen.

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