19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said,
20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.”
21 So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,
23 and came and settled in a city called Nazareth. This happened so that what was spoken through the prophets would be fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Matthew 2:19-23
Historians tells us that King Herod (or Herod the Great, as he liked to be called) was a cruel, power-hungry ruler who destroyed anyone he feared was trying to topple him from his throne. He even killed several members of his own family because he thought they were plotting against him.
When a group of wise men (or scholars) came to Jerusalem shortly after Jesus was born they asked one question: Where could they find the newly-born king of the Jews? They added, “We have seen His star in the east and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2, NKJV). When word of this reached King Herod, he sent for them and urged them to find the child, so he could worship him, too.
But Herod was lying. His real goal was to destroy the child, fearing (illogically) that in time Jesus would take over his throne. God warned the wise men of Herod’s plot in a dream, and after Herod realized they had evaded him, he ordered the death of every child in Bethlehem below the age of two.
Herod wasn’t the last to try to destroy Christ and His people; even in our own day evil men and women rise up against God’s work. But God’s Word is true: “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, KJV). And some day Christ will come again to judge all evil, and Satan’s defeat will be complete. On whose side are you?
