Canvas 2
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.
(Matthew 2:13)
HEROD’S BACKGROUND
He was a King with a jealous insane and unstable mind. Herod was ruthless also cunning in his ways, a madman who killed children, including his own. He murdered his wife in a fit of jealousy. A great number of rabbis died at his bloodstained hands.
Augustus said of him: “It is better to be Herod’s dog than one of his children.”
At the same time Herod was the greatest builder in Jewish history. He had Rome’s complete support in his administration of Judea – a very important territory which included several major trade routes. Everything moved through Judea, the lucrative incense trade coming from the Yemen up the Arabian Peninsula and going out through the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally Judea was one of the most agriculturally productive pieces of land in the Middle East famous for its olive oil – the main source of light and cooking, for its dates, used as the main sweetener before the times of sugar, and for its wine.
HEROD’S BUILDING
Herod used the huge profits from this massive trade and ploughed them into a series of tremendous building schemes and projects, some of the most magnificent in the world. Herod was a creative man with an eye for form and function and the resources to realise his most outrageous visions. He required his architects to think the unthinkable.
HEROD’S BLUNDER
Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him. In these words the flash of clear light reveals the dark and sinister things of sin and evil.
As we look at the young Child he is the Child born into humanity, the Son given by God and in Him we have the unveiling of God’s love for man.
As we look at Herod he is the very incarnation of perversity, pollution and pride. His worst blunder was to seek to destroy Jesus. He did not succeed; it was he who was destroyed in the life time of One he sought to destroy.
Matthew highlights so many facts concerning the events that changed history.
Our Lord Jesus Christ a King who continues to build an eternal kingdom.
The other King whose buildings and kingdom is now a pile of ruins.
One killed little children in cold blood. Jesus blessed little children with love.
The Gospel of Matthew needs telling to the world today.
Have you been called to the ministry of God’s unchanging Word? We need you to help.
