Don't be like Herod - he was not really 'great.' 28/12/2023

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. [Mathew 2:1-4 ESV]

I once studied history at university and I have learned to be very suspicious of kings (and queens) who carry the title, 'the Great.' This Herod referred to in these verses liked to be described as Herod the Great. He built lavish palaces and constructed huge monuments to enhance his reputation. There is only one who deserved the title 'Great' and that was the one who was being fed and looked after by a young peasant girl at this very time.

One historian at the time is very critical of Herod:

“He was no king but the most cruel tyrant who ever ascended the throne. He murdered a vast number of people and the lot of those he left alive was so miserable that the dead might count themselves fortunate. He not only tortured his subjects singly but ill-treated whole communities. In order to beautify foreign cities he robbed his own, and made gifts to foreign nations which were paid for with Jewish blood.” [Josephus Flavius]

The arrival of the wise men (magi) produced a conflict for Herod. They were speaking about the birth of the King of the Jews - did they not appreciate that Herod was the only king of the Jews - although he depended on the favour of Rome for this title. The mention of a special star was even more sinister – this was associated with special births - birth of Alexander the Great, Mithridates and Julius Caesar. Herod did his research carefully to ascertain the probable location of this child. He was still cunning enough to disguise his true feelings – He had a secret meeting with the wise men - ‘bring me word so that I too may come and worship him.’

This was a major challenge to Herod's authority. He was already suffering from a serious illness. Two years before he had put his two sons to death because they were too popular. His eldest son was on trial for ‘treason’ at this time. His spies and informers would have told him that priests and people were looking for the consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25) and that there were rumours of the arrival of the Messiah. Herod was aware that he was unpopular with the Jews who were complaining about the burden of heavy taxation.

When Herod realised that the wise men had tricked him, he was furious. His instant reaction was to proclaim an edict that all male children under the age of 2 were to be slaughtered in Bethlehem and the surrounding region. This incident is not recorded by Josephus the historian – but it is in keeping with what we know about Herod. It may not have involved the deaths of many children – experts have estimated that only between 7 and 20 children might have been involved. This resulted in the flight to Egypt – prophesied in the Old Testament many years before the birth of Christ.

There are some important lessons to be learned from Herod.

1. Uncontrolled ambition had turned Herod into a monster. As Christians we need to put Jesus first in our lives and God will give us the right perspective on other matters.

2. Jealousy is seriously destructive and harmful. It bitterly affected King Saul in the Old Testament. We must be vigilant to prevent the seeds of envy and jealousy from affecting our lives.

3. Great accomplishments are meaningless if they destroy our spiritual life. The Bible does not give him the title Herod the Great.

4. The importance of relationships – they are more precious than material possessions.

Here are some 'if only' statements which could apply to Herod's story.

• If only Herod had appreciated the significance of the birth of this baby – the Son of God. [Like Simeon]

• If only he had realised the true greatness of the child living in poverty in Bethlehem – He will be great [Luke 1:32]

• If only he had learned the lesson of the servant king - true humility

• If only he had not regarded Jesus as a threat and had responded to God’s intervention in his life.

• If only he had grasped that what really matters to God is what we think of His Son.

• If only he had taken his cue from his visitors. The magi worshipped the child Jesus – they were Gentiles but they appreciated that this was no ordinary birth.

Josephus reported that Herod the Great died of a painful, debilitating disease that caused breathing problems, convulsions, rotting of his body and worms. He was concerned that no one would mourn his death and so he had arranged for a large group of distinguished men should come to Jericho, and he gave an order that they should be killed at the time of his death so that there would be public displays of grief. However, his son Archelaus and his sister Salome did not carry out this wish. Scholars agree that Herod had suffered throughout his lifetime of depression and paranoia.

This is the site of the Temple built by Herod the Great in Jerusalem. This was perhaps the greatest of Herod's achievements. Solomon's temple had been built on this site and in 20BC the work of reconstruction of the temple began. It took 46 years to complete - long after Herod's death (See John 2:20).

Masada means 'fortress' in Hebrew.' This is the place where the Jews made their last stand against the Roman invasion in 70 AD. It overlooks the Dea Sea and there is a 450 metre drop down to the Dead Sea making this a prominent fortress. Herod turned this into a royal citadel with two lavish palaces - one of them was built on three levels. He also built heavy walls and defensive towers. He built aqueducts to pipe water to Masada and the water was stored in cisterns which held 200,000 gallons of water (750,000 litres).