THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 2
The Magi, The Escape to Egypt, King Herod’s Slaughter of the Babies
The Visit of the Magi
Matthew 2:1, Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of [footnote ‘a’] Herod the king, (or Herod the Great), [footnote ‘b’], [footnote ‘c’] magi, ( also known as wise men), from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, Verse 2. “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star [footnote ‘d’] in the east and have come to worship Him.” Verse 3. When Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. Verse 4. So he called together all the chief priests and [footnote ‘e’] scribes of the people and [anxiously] asked them where the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), was to be born. Verse 5. They replied to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what has been written by the prophet [Micah]:
Verse 6. ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, IN THE LAND OF JUDAH,
ARE NOT IN ANY WAY LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
FOR FROM YOU SHALL COME A RULER
WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE, ISRAEL.’”
Verse 7. Then Herod secretly sent for the magi and learned from them [footnote ‘f’] the [exact] time the star [had first] appeared. Verse 8. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”
(Commentary Break: This text informs that King Herod and ‘all Jerusalem with him were disturbed’ by the news of the birth of Jesus. It was being assumed and Herod had been informed that a prophecy from the Old Testament book of Micah 5:2, foretells of a coming ruler for Israel. “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” This would have been a direct confrontation of Herod’s rule.
There is some discussion among theologians and Bible commenters, about the reference that ‘all Jerusalem was disturbed’ along with Herod, since many Jews were looking anxiously for the prophesied Messiah’s arrival. It is assumed that Herod was concerned or disturbed that the Jewish inhabitants of Nazareth and Galilee might rebel and follow this coming Ruler. So, it is conjectured ‘all Jerusalem’ most likely was referring to ruling authorities within Herod’s government.
The rest of verses 1 though 8, are self-explanatory. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 9. After hearing the king, they went their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, [continually leading the way], until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was (located). Verse 10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Verse 11. And after entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary, His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, after opening their treasure chests, they presented to Him gifts [fit for a king, gifts] of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Verse 12. And having been warned [by God] in a dream not to go back to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
The Escape to Egypt
Verse 13. Now when they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to destroy Him.”
Verse 14. So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. Verse 15. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet [Hosea]: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.”
Herod Slaughters the Babies
Verse 16. Then Herod, when he realized that he had been tricked by the magi, was extremely angry, and he sent [soldiers] and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that area who were two years old and under, according to the date which he had learned from the magi. Verse 17. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
Verse 18. “A VOICE WAS HEARD IN [footnote ‘g’] RAMAH,
WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING,
[footnote ‘h’] RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN;
SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED,
BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE.”
Verse 19. But when [footnote ‘i’] Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, Verse 20. “Get up! Take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” Verse 21. Then Joseph got up, and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. Verse 22. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea [footnote ‘j’] in place of his father Herod [the Great], he was afraid to go there. Then being warned by God in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee, verse 23, and went and settled in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a [footnote ‘k’] Nazarene.”
(Commentary Break: Notice that with every evil intent and every evil deed, God shepherded Joseph, Mary and Jesus to safety. God spoke to Joseph, instructing and guiding him, and it was as if the trouble at hand was an ‘invisible shield’, repelling them away from harm’s way. This is important to recognize and remember, for a time may be coming when trouble will repel you from your current path and the voice of God, although it may be small, still and quiet, will speak to you, telling you to take another path. Do not let the attractions of this world, nor your appetites and passions, blind your eyes or deafen your ears to God.
Instead of remaining in Egypt or returning to Judea, Joseph and Mary fled to Nazareth in the region of Galilee. The northern province of Galilee was decisively distinct—in history, political status, and culture—from the southern province of Judea, which contained the holy city of Jerusalem. Even the name, Galilee, was descriptive of these differences, as it is translated as “Circle of Gentiles”.
Even an impeccably Jewish Galilean in first-century Jerusalem was not among his own people; he was as much a foreigner as an Irishman in London or a Texan in New York. His accent would immediately mark him out as “not one of us,” and all the communal prejudice of the supposedly superior culture of the capital city would stand against his claim to be heard even as a prophet, let alone as the “Messiah,” a title which, as everyone knew, belonged to Judea. (text in purple is an excerpt from The Gospel Coalition web page.)
Being true to His calling, Jesus has not been sent by God to the ‘healthy’ but to those who were ‘sick’. Mark 2 verses 15 through 17 tell us, “And it happened that Jesus was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating with tax collectors and sinners?” And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus may have been avoiding a conflict with the Pharisees at this point, or perhaps his words were full of sarcasm, because in Matthew chapter 23, He calls these same Pharisees and their scribes, hypocrites, blind guides, full of robbery and self-indulgence, whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones, outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly, full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (see Matthew 23). At any rate, Jesus is teaching and leading by example. We should watch, listen and learn. (End Commentary Break).
“What does it say; what does it mean; what does it mean to me?” In other words, what should I now do, with what I know? 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17 tell us that “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.”
As Christians and disciples of Jesus, we are to imitate Jesus in our calling. We, too, should be going out into the ‘Galilee of our lives’, and not retreating to the religious pride and comfort of ‘our Judea’. We are to take the Good News to the world around us instead of preaching to one another in the confines of ‘our Nazareth’.
We are drawing ever closer to the amazing teaching of Jesus, which are not only beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness, but as you remain in Him, and His words remain in you, you may ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (see John 15:7 ) This is so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work!
You really don’t want to miss this!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
NEXT: THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 3, The Preaching of John the Baptist, The Baptism of Jesus.
PREVIOUS: THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 1 – The Genealogy, The Conception
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