Introduction: There are four main points raised in this passage. It is a very sad story with many issues raised. Underneath all of the other issues the thing that hits most people hardest is the turning of Herod, so grossly to thinking of himself and no doubt of his progeny that he is able to order the deaths of many boys and I would be almost certain that those carrying out Herod’s orders would have killed some girls as well! The size of estimates vary greatly from about 10,000 to about 100.000. Probably there were settlements around Bethlehem and almost certainly the children in them would have also been killed. Rural families in Israel at that time usually had about 6 children. You can just skip over it and say either ‘Well it happens!’ or may be ‘It’s just a story’. But for me there are at least four things which I encourage you to think about!
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Q 1. God was able to save His own Son and no one would be surprised at that! Why didn’t He save the others? I had an aunt who claimed that she could not trust a God who allowed little children to be killed in war. I heard it said, and it makes sense to me, that if God took away the results of evil then there would be no consequences of our decisions – but there are consequences!
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. Q 2- If, as we see in so many stylized Christmas scenes the three wise men around the manger even with the Shepherds and certainly a little baby, why did Herod kill the children up to and two years of age? And Joseph and Mary were from Nazareth, which wasn’t all that far away (by modern road which takes a loop 150 Km), why hadn’t they returned to their hometown? I can think of at least two reasons for the slaughter extending to boys under three years old. It would have taken time for the Magi to travel from their home country and Herod wanted to make sure that he got ‘the one’, and the second to fulfill the following prophecy – 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.” Q3. Why Ramah? Why Rachel?This time I will give you a bit of help! Rachel. as Jacob’s (Israel’s) favourite wife was considered as the Matriarch of Israel, and she was buried at Ramah! But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” Q4. Where do you think that Joseph took Jesus, when they arrived back in Israel? We will see tomorrow!
Jeremiah 31: 15 – “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.” Do you blame her?
Prayer: Help me to realize that my choices often have widespread effects, even down the years and very widely!
As I read it! 