0734. The Slaughter of the Children

The Slaughter of the Children

"Then Herod * * sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under" (Mat_2:16).

1. Joseph’s Great Fear. The Seed had come, and satan now must soon be bruised. Surely none knew this better than satan himself. He had heard of Gabriel’s word to Mary. He sought to make Joseph put away his wife, and give her shame; for when Joseph would have married her, he found her "great with child." But God assured Joseph’s heart and sent him word to calm his fears: "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost" (Mat_1:20).

2. The Wondrous Star. The wise men came from the East guided by a star. They came with hearts aglow with joy. They came to behold and to worship Heaven’s gift–the Holy Child. They brought with them precious ointments and valued gifts.

3. Herod’s Questioning. As the wise men halted in Jerusalem, Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem was astir. Herod demanded where Christ was to be born and he was told "In Bethlehem of Judea."

4. Herod’s Order to Slay the Innocents. One of the sad verses of the Bible is Mat_2:18 :

"In Rama was there a voice heard,

Lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children,

And would not be comforted, because they are not"

That cry was satan’s work. It was he who gave forth the decree for the slaughter of the innocents. It was he, who in their death, sought the death of Mary’s infant Son.

Thus Herod played into the hand’s of the wicked one. He who, of old, had sought to slay the line through which the promised Seed must come, now sought to slay the Seed, the little Babe of Bethlehem, the Son of God.

God, however, forewarned Joseph thus: "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word" (Mat_2:13).

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR