Matthew 2:16-18

We have so much devastation going on in California right now due to the fires. Houses are gone and people are losing everything. Please keep them in your prayers and pray that the Lord will reveal himself to them during their difficult time. It seems these fires happen a lot around this time of year. Thank you for your prayers my friends. And I will pray for you if you are in the midst of the fires now.

David
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Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 
      “ A voice was heard in Ramah (Bethlehem),
      Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
      Rachel weeping for her children,
      Refusing to be comforted,
      Because they are no more.” 

Matthew 2:16-18

Herod was very much a proud and paranoid ruler in his time. He killed so many of his close friends and family that it was said to be safer to be a dog in his house then a member of the family. We imagine Jesus was probably around one since Herod goes after all the children two and under, he is probably being overly cautious. We forget that this was Joseph’s home town and though he got Mary and Jesus out, many of his relatives would suffer that night. 

Rachel is here linked to not only Bethlehem but also as the mother of Israel. Her death is recorded in Genesis 35 and it always bothered me as a casual reader of the Bible. As Rachel dies she gives her last child the name Ben-Oni, but Jacob changes the name to Benjamin after she has died. After checking what the names mean, it makes more sense to why the change was made. Ben-Oni means ‘son of my suffering,’ while Benjamin means, ‘son of my Right Hand.’ Jacob loved the Rachel and honored her by giving him that name. We learn in Isaiah 35 that Jesus would be a man of sorrow. We also know that Jesus is reigning at the Father’s right hand. Both are pictures of Christ. 

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled the hand of Herod and the plot of Satan to destroy the Messiah. Throughout the Bible we see similar acts of terror and even history since the days the Bible was written. This is a Jewish family, and we must never forget that our Messiah is the Savior of Israel first and then to the world.