Herod - God Delivers Us! Series

Herod – God Delivers Us!

The Characters of Christmas

By Greg Johnson

December 10, 2006

http://www.LovingGodFellowship.org

Matthew 2:1-18

The devil will do everything that he can to try to destroy you, but God will deliver you as you trust His Word. In the story of Jesus’ birth, we see this at work. The devil does everything he can to try to destroy the new born King, but God delivers Jesus from the schemes of the devil.

Beloved, hold on to God with everything you have. He will deliver you!

God’s Word tells us the story of Jesus’ birth and God’s delivering power. (Matthew 2:1-18 NIV) "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem {2} and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." {3} When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. {4} When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. {5} "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: {6} "’But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’" {7} Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. {8} He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." {9} After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. {10} When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. {11} On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. {12} And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. {13} When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." {14} So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, {15} where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." {16} When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. {17} Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: {18} "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.""

A DISTURBED KING.

Observe some characteristics with me about king Herod:

Herod was disturbed. (Matthew 2:3 NIV) "When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him." History tells us that Herod was mentally unstable. As a lot of people that are appointed power, Herod was insecure to the point of being paranoid concerning his place of position. Up to this point, he had already had three of his own sons killed because he was concerned they may take his place of leadership from him. The whole city of Jerusalem was disturbed also because they did not know how this unstable king would react to the news of an individual being born a king. Herod was appointed king. Jesus was born a king.

Herod did not know the Word of God and had to depend on other’s knowledge of the Word. (Matthew 2:4 NIV) "When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born." He did not know that the Word of God declared that the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). He did not know God’s Word. No wonder this king was disturbed and unstable.

Herod was deceitful and manipulative. (Matthew 2:7-8 NIV) "Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. {8} He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."" Herod had no intention of worshiping this One that was born king. He wanted to kill this new threat to his throne.