Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men,
was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in
Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under,
according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Herod considered himself mocked by the wise men and so what did he do? He slew all the male children 2 and under in Bethlehem and the area surrounding it. What a terrible massacre to preserve a throne!
It is important to note that Herod knew that Jesus was two or younger
because he inquired of the wise men. Many movies and stories show the shepherds
and wise men coming to Christ the night of our Savior’s birth. However, that is
not very Biblical. The shepherds were there the night of Christ’s birth, but
the wise men came when Christ was around two or so. Interesting that the Star
was still there over Christ’s abode isn’t it?
17 Then was fulfilled that which
was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and
weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would
not be comforted, because they are not.
Rachel, Jacob’s (later re-named Israel by God) wife was buried right
around Bethlehem. Jeremiah prophesied hundreds of years before Christ that
Rachel would weep for her children who were dead—symbolically Rachel is the
mother of the children of Bethlehem because those living there, the Israelites,
are her and Jacob’s descendants. So begins the life of Christ—He entered the
world in obscurity, His life is sought before He can even speak, He is visited
by wise men from afar, and He is exiled to Egypt.
Matt 2:16-18 (KJV)
