Darkness...and Light

When you think about it the end of the advent story is really very dark. A wicked fearful king- plots- chaos-child murder-unthinkable pain.

God’s Hand is upon the magi and upon the newborn King….who could be up to the age of two it seems and they all escape the terrible plans of Herod. Think about the evil surrounding this plan, annihilation of any would be king…the reasoning? They don’t know who, so kill them all. I can’t even imagine.

Make no mistake, Herod is responsible and will be held responsible but there is a much deeper and evil being at work here as well. Satan himself. Feel the hatred, the fear, the rage….and then the murder. Darkness wanting to snuff out and extinguish the Light. But is cannot be so….

Matthew 2:12-23

12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
13 Now when they had gone, behold, 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 is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”
14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.”
16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 “A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE.”

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21 So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, 23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene."

Even these events were prophesied about hundreds of years before….nothing is going to stop the Redeeming plan of God-Jesus. Interesting that Jesus eludes death on the front end and willing succumbs to death at the end- to bring Life….and Light. Darkness will not win. Praise His Name.