We Two Kings

Herod the Great

An Edomite – natural enmity with Israel.  See 1Sa 21:7; 22:9, 18, 22

Appointed King of Judea in B.C. 40 by the Roman Senate at the suggestion of Marc Antony

68 years old – Died at 70 years of age

In the 35th year of his reign – marked by bloodshed

Murdered his wife Mariamne and the two sons that she bore him –

q      Protecting his turf -  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed

q      Self-consumed – He realized that this was possibly the fulfillment of prophecy and so asked people who would know better than he.  When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ {Or Messiah} was to be born.

q      Opposing God’s plans –

q      Duplicitous Nature – Feigned interest in the Messianic prophecy

q      Secrecy –

q      Manipulative nature –

q      Unrestrained morally –

Jesus Christ

Matthew 2

1 ¶ After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi {Traditionally Wise Men} from the east came to Jerusalem 2  and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east {Or star when it rose} and have come to worship him." 

3  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed,

3         and all Jerusalem with him.  4  When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ {Or Messiah} was to be born.  5  "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:  6  "`But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" {Micah 5:2}

7  Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.  8  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."  9 ¶ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east {Or seen when it rose} went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  10  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  11  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

12  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.  13 ¶ When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."  14  So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,  15  where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." {Hosea 11:1}

 16 ¶ When Herod realised that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

SECURITY

Most people never feel secure because they are always worried that they will lose their job, lose the money they already have, lose their spouse, lose their health, and so on.  The only true

security in life comes from knowing that every single day you are improving yourself in some way, that you are increasing the caliber of who you are and that you are valuable to your company, your friends, and your family.

Anthony Robbins