Herod, the Mad King

Author: Joseph

Date: November 5, 2019

Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem and Mary gives birth. They remained there a while before being visited by magi from the east, who were looking for the King of the Jews.

The magi had passed through Jerusalem before reaching Joseph and Mary. In Jerusalem, the magi encountered king Herod, who learned of the purpose for their travels and was troubled by their message. The chief priests and scribes came together with Herod to counsel with him, explaining that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. King Herod used this knowledge to send the magi as his scouts and find the Messiah – he secretly wanted to kill the new King of the Jews.

Innocently, the magi had agreed to inform king Herod of the baby’s location, thinking he was sincere when he said he wanted to come and worship the Messiah as well. When they arrived in Bethlehem they worshipped the Messiah and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The magi worshipped Him and honored Him with the gifts they gave.

During the night, God gave the magi a dream, warning them not to return to king Herod. The magi obeyed this warning and went another route back to their home land in the east. Herod would never know where they had been and he would never see them again.

The night after the magi left, an angel from the Lord gave Joseph the message that he should take the child with Mary and flee to Egypt. The magi had obeyed God and did not return to Herod, but Herod still wanted the child dead at any cost. God knew beforehand Herod’s evil intentions and so directed Joseph to protect his family from harm. Joseph, Mary, and the Messiah went out to the land of Egypt.

The magi were gone and when Herod discovered they had gone another way, he was enraged. Herod decided that all children 2 years and younger would be murdered within Bethlehem and the region surrounding it to make sure the Messiah was dead. Innocent blood was spilled and young lives were destroyed in a mad attempt for Herod to retain his reign.

Herod failed to kill the Messiah and his true murderous heart had been revealed to his people by the slaughter of their children. The mad king, Herod, was only satisfied with the self-deception that he had been successful in his mission through the mass murder of innocent lives. The Messiah still lived, however, and God’s will would still be done, no matter how much Herod wanted to stop it.

Herod was willing to murder to get what he wanted (which was against God’s will). How far are you willing to go to get what you want? Herod even took council with the priests and scribes who informed him of God’s plan. Instead of using the knowledge of God’s will for good, Herod attempted to act against God’s plan – an impossible task for Herod that would never succeed. The knowledge Herod gained should have acted as a warning against the evil in his heart, but instead he acted in rebellion to the truth he learned.

No plan working against God’s plan will succeed and no man’s intentions are more powerful than the will of God. Do not waste time and effort attempting to divert God’s will in your life or the lives of others. Instead, seek God’s will and even ask Him to use you for helping others. The magi, unlike Herod, were willing to listen to God, even against their original plans and were able to be used for God’s greater plan for salvation. Joseph and Mary were similarly willing to listen to God and were greatly involved in God’s plan and the life of the Messiah.

Do not be the mad king of your own life, instead let God reign as your King and use you for His plan for your life.

Matthew 2:1-23