CHRISTMAS STORY HALL OF FAME! Herod/And a New Beginning

"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation.  Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more."  Matthew 2:18   It was prophesied by Jeremiah that this calamity was to come.  It is not determined how long after the birth of Christ the wise men arrived in Bethlehem.  But they did not see him on the night of his birth.  Although it is possible the star in the sky appeared that very night.  When Herod hears about the new born king, and when they first saw it, he becomes enraged; violent and uncontrolled.

When Herod discovered he had been tricked by the wise men, he began to formulate a plan.  A plan of evil content; a plan so wickedly devised that you could almost smell his wickedness and furious rage.  "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 which he had ascertained from the wise men."  Matthew 2:16

In an old book written in the 1800's, tells of Herod giving a birthday party for his son who was 2 years old.  He invited all the boy toddlers of 2 years and younger to celebrate with his son.  Invitations were sent out and the children were even escorted to the palace.  As they arrived they were to wait in the outer room near the parapet.  When they were all there one child would be allowed into the room which led out onto the terrace in front of the parapet.  Unknown to the parent and even the child; death awaited him on the other side of the door.

As the child went thru the door, a soldier would lift him up and throw him over the parapet to his death below.  This was Herod's way of insuring all baby boys were killed and there would be no king to take his place.  Makes no difference how it all actually took place, what Herod did was evil.  Even today it is hard to be consoled just thinking about it, for as the prophet said; "they were to be no more".  

When God told Joseph to take his family and go to Egypt; Joseph remained there until Herod died!  "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.  And he rose and took the child and his mother and went into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee."  Matthew 1:19-22

Mary and Joseph returned to their home in Nazareth to fulfill the words spoken by the prophets;  "He went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth.  He shall be called a Nazarene."  Matthew 2:23   Because nothing more is said until Jesus is 12 years old, we assume their lives became that of a normal, Jewish family.  Other children came, but all these things that happened 12 years earlier, Mary pondered in her heart.  Joseph became the father that God created him to be and together he and Mary became the parents that God knew they would be.

We can only marvel at this story.  We can only imagine the anxiety and discomfort as they walked thru this.  We can assume that their trust and obedience was above reproach.  I love happy endings!  What more could you want if this was a fiction book that you began to read and just couldn't put down.  However, this is not fiction, it is truth; it is fact!  It is the history of our beginning! "God sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!"  John 3:16  If you haven't made this decision to believe in Jesus, remember it is your choice and God will honor your choice.  By Jane Ann Crenshaw 12/21/09