Hail! King Of The Jews 2

Mt 2:16-18

Hail! King of the Jews

Josephus on Herod: “A man he was of great barbarity toward all men equally, and a slave to his passions, but above the consideration of what was right. Yet was he favored by fortune as much as any man ever was, for from a private man he became a king, and though he were encompassed by ten thousand dangers, he got clear of them all and continued his life to a very old age.”


It’s no surprise that Josephus describes Herod that way.



His first act as king was to kill the Hasmoneans, the Jewish royal family.




His final two acts were the execution of a son & the ordered execution of Jewish nobility.




His final two acts were the execution of a son & the ordered execution of Jewish nobility.

The description we read of Herod in this text well fits with what we know of him from history.


“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more’” (vv 16-18, ESV).


Secular history tells us nothing of this event.



Only a handful of children were likely killed by Herod.




▪ Bethlehem was a very small village in Jesus’ day with very few residents.





▪ Some scholars believe the death toll may have been under 10.





▪ Some scholars believe the death toll may have been under 10.

When that is compared to the other tyrannies of Herod, it’s little wonder that secular history knows nothing of this event.


Regardless of what secular history records, we know this event took place for it is Scripture.



As the Word of God, there is much we need to learn from this passage.




This morning, we saw HEROD THE DISTRESSED, HEROD THE DUMB, & HEROD THE DECEITFUL.




This morning, we saw HEROD THE DISTRESSED, HEROD THE DUMB, & HEROD THE DECEITFUL.

Tonight, we want to see HEROD THE DECEIVED, HEROD THE DISPLEASED, & HEROD THE DESTRUCTIVE.


v 16


“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men” (v 16, ESV).


Herod was “tricked” by the wise men.



But, Herod wasn’t tricked by them at all.




▪ The magi went home another way because God told them to do so.





▪ There was only one route out of Bethlehem & it went straight through Jerusalem.






The term “saw” can refer to perception.







▪ Simply because someone “sees” something doesn’t mean it accords with reality.








▪ How many people have thought that don’t accord with reality?








▪ How many people have thought that don’t accord with reality?

▪ Herod does the same thing here, but on a more serious scale.



Just because someone believes something doesn’t make it so.



Religiously, many are deceived.




▪ “Such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive” (Rm 16:18, ESV).




▪ “Such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive” (Rm 16:18, ESV).

▪ “There are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach” (Tit 1:10-11).




The only way to keep from being deceived is to know the Scriptures.



When the Jews in Berea heard Paul & Silas, “they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11, ESV).




“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [the teaching of Christ], do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting” (2 Jn 10, ESV).




“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [the teaching of Christ], do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting” (2 Jn 10, ESV). How would the elect lady know those who brought a different doctrine if she didn’t know the truth?



Many false perceptions come from an inflated sense of self.



Herod believed the magi had tricked him because he was the king.




Why are people so easily deluded when it comes to the truth of God?





▪ “I am a good person—God couldn’t possibly send me to hell.”





▪ “I am a good person—God couldn’t possibly send me to hell.”

▪ “This is the way I want to worship—surely, God will be happy.”


We dare not think too highly of ourselves.



“By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think sober judgment” (Rm 12:3, ESV).



“By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think sober judgment” (Rm 12:3, ESV).

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:5-7, ESV).



v 16


“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he has ascertained from the wise men” (v 16, ESV).


We clearly see here the danger of unresolved anger.



“A man of quick temper acts foolish, and a man of evil devices is hated” (Prov 14:17, ESV).




“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools” (Eccl 7:9, ESV).




“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools” (Eccl 7:9, ESV).

“Know this, my beloved brothers; let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires” (Js 1:19-20, ESV).


vv 16-18


“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more’” (vv 16-18, ESV).


Herod’s act is impulsive & is the result of his secret plan’s being thwarted.



We cannot overlook how horrible a crime this was.




▪ The parents of those children surely knew how horrible a crime this was.





▪ “Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, „When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live‟” (Ex 1:15-16, ESV).





▪ “Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, „When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live‟” (Ex 1:15-16, ESV).

▪ “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Ps 127:3, ESV).


Herod’s act is so horrible that Rachel’s weeping can be heard in Ramah.



Rachel was buried in Bethlehem (Gn 35:19).




Matthew quotes from Jeremiah 31:15.





▪ The context of Jeremiah is the deportation of the Jews to Babylon.





▪ The context of Jeremiah is the deportation of the Jews to Babylon.

▪ In Jeremiah 31, Rachel is seen as weeping for her children who are carried off into captivity.


There are two important points to be made here.



Rachel weeps for her children twice—500 years apart.




In Jeremiah 31, God promises redemption for his children & that redemption is now coming in the form of Christ.





Although Rachel is buried in Bethlehem, her weeping is heard in Ramah.






Ramah is 6 miles north of Jerusalem & Bethlehem 6 miles south of Jerusalem.






Ramah is 6 miles north of Jerusalem & Bethlehem 6 miles south of Jerusalem.

The picture is that the lamentation is so loud it can be heard over a wide area.



We must keep ourselves from murder.



“They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness” (Rm 1:19, ESV).



“They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness” (Rm 1:19, ESV).

“As for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all lairs, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Rv 21:8, ESV).


We also see the destruction that anger can bring.



Because Herod was angry with the magi, he destroyed the lives of male children & their families.




If we aren’t careful, we can easily destroy lives through anger.





▪ Because Ahab was angry with Naboth, he & Jezebel plotted to kill Naboth.






▪ When Jesus upsets the scribes & Pharisees for healing on the Sabbath, they begin to plot to kill him.







▪ Because Demetrius was enraged by Paul’s preaching, he incited a riot in Ephesus.







▪ Because Demetrius was enraged by Paul’s preaching, he incited a riot in Ephesus.



Herod destroyed many lives more than two millennia ago.



But, he died in 4 BC, and he has terrorized no one since.



But, he died in 4 BC, and he has terrorized no one since.

Yet, Satan has destroyed lives since the beginning of time.


Spiritual

Hail! King Of The Jews 2