Today we start with the three remaining paragraphs of chapter 2: The flight into Egypt, The slaughter of the innocents, Return to Nazareth.
Behold, another news flash, the North Koreans attack a South Korean Island. Christ's life here on earth starts with controversy and continues in the shadow of death. Herod now has caught the scent of the new birth and will attempt to end the life of the child. God has ordained his life, however, and protects him from harm through the watchful eyes of the angels. His mother and father are warned to leave the area and flee to Egypt. Do we have angels watching over us, guiding us in our daily life, giving us premonitions about things that we should or should not do? If we look back in our recent history can we find things that have happened to us that we could not explain??
So Joseph leaves Bethlehem and flees to Egypt. Meanwhile Herod is overcome with anger when he discerns that the Magi have not returned to him to tell him where the baby Jesus was born. The evil within him moves him to craft a plan that will surely eliminate the problem, killing all newborn babies two years old or younger. The slaughter of the innocent children takes place by the hand of Herod. How great is his sin?? It brings to mind the sin of other leaders that have slaughtered thousands of people in the name of some cause, The Holocaust, The Rowandan genocide, The Serbian massacres, etc. Evil works through the pride of men. And the little ones were sacrificed for the life of the baby Jesus. How great must their reward be in heaven!!
Now after the evil Herod had pasted away and received his just reward, Joseph again, protected by the angels, receives instructions to return to Israel, to Nazareth where he settled to raise the child Jesus. And the life of Jesus develops without incidence for a number of years, and the scriptures are being fulfilled.
Behold, another news flash, the North Koreans attack a South Korean Island. Christ's life here on earth starts with controversy and continues in the shadow of death. Herod now has caught the scent of the new birth and will attempt to end the life of the child. God has ordained his life, however, and protects him from harm through the watchful eyes of the angels. His mother and father are warned to leave the area and flee to Egypt. Do we have angels watching over us, guiding us in our daily life, giving us premonitions about things that we should or should not do? If we look back in our recent history can we find things that have happened to us that we could not explain??
So Joseph leaves Bethlehem and flees to Egypt. Meanwhile Herod is overcome with anger when he discerns that the Magi have not returned to him to tell him where the baby Jesus was born. The evil within him moves him to craft a plan that will surely eliminate the problem, killing all newborn babies two years old or younger. The slaughter of the innocent children takes place by the hand of Herod. How great is his sin?? It brings to mind the sin of other leaders that have slaughtered thousands of people in the name of some cause, The Holocaust, The Rowandan genocide, The Serbian massacres, etc. Evil works through the pride of men. And the little ones were sacrificed for the life of the baby Jesus. How great must their reward be in heaven!!
Now after the evil Herod had pasted away and received his just reward, Joseph again, protected by the angels, receives instructions to return to Israel, to Nazareth where he settled to raise the child Jesus. And the life of Jesus develops without incidence for a number of years, and the scriptures are being fulfilled.
