BLUF: The Wisdom of God vs. the Hubris of Man

Intro: I was studying the contests between the hubris of Herod in the opening chapters of Matthew and the wisdom of God.

Context, Context, Context: Matthew’s gospel hinges upon a fundamental pattern: promise and fulfillment. If you want to understand Matthew, it’s important to grasp this fundamental motif pervading the whole book: Jesus, the Christ, is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises of the Messiah. He’s the true King. He’s the Lord’s Anointed. All of the Old Testament was pointing to him.

But Herod, the Roman ruler over the ancient Near East at the time of Jesus’ incarnation, hated the reality that he (Herod) was not the supreme. He was jealous. He was envious. So, he sought out a plan to get rid of his perceived threat. He’d pretend to want to worship Jesus, too. He thought he’d convince the wise men that he, too, wanted to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah:

And he [Herod] sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” (Mt 2:8, ESV)

But Herod was a schemer and a liar. He had no intention of worshiping Christ. He was out to murder him. How do we know this? In verses 16 and following of Matthew 2, we read this:

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

   “A voice was heard in Ramah,
    weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
    she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Mt 2:16-18, ESV)

Teaching: Herod was indeed crafty. He was a snake. He was a liar, a murderer, and monstrous man. There are even films and countless books that detail his moral depravity that are gut-wrenching to watch and read. But the main idea we should recognize here is this: God sees. God goes before his people. God’s plans are not thwarted by man’s machinations. Jesus was preserved, if you will, by God in order to fulfill his divine role of redemption. Herod would die shortly thereafter. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus would return from their time in Egypt. Jesus would grow up in Nazareth. And at the appointed time, he would fulfill his ministry by showing himself to be the promised Messiah. John the Baptist would prepare the way. And Jesus’ public ministry would begin.

Encouragement: If we are honest, we would all concede that this world is fallen, that wicked people exist today, just like in each generation. Herods come and go. Their plans come and go. And yet God’s mission goes forward. The true church still endures and will prevail. Hell will not prevail over her. Why? Because God is bigger than evil. Because God uses evil to bring about his greater good. Because God uses the Herods in the world to teach all who will come to the truth. And the truth is Christ. And the truth, even if you crucify it, rises again—triumphant over the evils of hell and men.