Day 3: January 30

Matthew 2:13-23

SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHTS:
“Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.

“This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

“Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:”

“So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

OBSERVATIONS:
Matthew continues to prove that Jesus is the Messiah by showing how the details of Jesus life fulfill the OT prophetic promises.

Herod was a truly evil man. He was so fearful and insecure about potentially losing his power to this baby Jesus who had just been born that he ordered all the boys in the city of Bethlehem under the age of two to be killed. This behavior is even more disturbing in light of the fact that Herod was a Jew who should have been longing for the Messiah and should have celebrated his birth. History tells us that Herod was so hungry to stay in power and paranoid that others were trying to usurp his power that he killed close associates and even two of his sons.

APPLICATION:
Reflecting on the number of OT prophesies fulfilled in the life of Jesus reminded me of the research that has been conducted demonstrating the astronomical mathematical improbability (Impossibility?) that one man could fulfill the Messianic prophesies which were fulfilled by Jesus. (See Evidence that Demands a Verdict Vol. by Josh McDowell)

God’s word is true! There are too many fulfilled prophesies which cannot be explained away.
Herod’s actions remind me that a religious upbringing is no sure antidote to an evil, proud heart. It is possible to learn God’s word and still reject God. Herod reminds me of how seductive and addictive power can be. Any power or authority God grants us in this life must be handled with care and used to serve God and others.
 
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, I praise you for your faithfulness to your promises. Help me to walk humbly with you, My God and to never seek positions of power and authority. Help me to understand that if I have power and authority in this world has been delegated by you and must be used to promote righteousness, honor you, and serve the needs of your people.