When Herod realized 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. Matthew 2:16
You kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Psalm 2:10-12
What kind of man would issue such a wicked order, the slaughter of all the male infants to ensure that one particular boy baby could never rise to challenge him? Ironically, this is the very many called “Herod the Great.” Ultimately the greatest thing about Herod was his evil. But despite his overwhelming jealousy and murderous rage, God’s plan could not be stopped.
What does history reveal about the king who gave this command?
Under his rule, the temple was refurbished and expanded with massive stones and garnished with marble and gold. The temple of Jesus’ lifetime was generally called “Herod’s Temple.” Herod did this in part to compensate for his true ethnicity as well as for the hatred he had earned from the Jewish population. What of his ethnicity? Amazingly, he was given the title “King of the Jews” though he was actually Idumean, not a Jew at all! His father, Herod Antipater, had done some favor for the Romans and as a result, Herod’s family was given the right to rule Judea under Roman rule.
Herod was the consummate politician, and he did everything to curry Roman favor and maintain his power. In return, the Roman Senate gave him an army and with it, he extended his reign to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.
"The one born King of the Jews will reign on his throne as King of kings forever."
He was also ruthless and pitiless as a ruler; he slaughtered Zealots who opposed any Gentile rule over the Promised Land. Herod wanted to be guaranteed they wouldn’t do that to Roman rule, so he simply slaughtered them all. Herod had ten wives and twelve sons; one of his wives, Mariamne, had a brother named Aristobulus, who was high priest. Herod felt threatened by him, so he had him murdered; he then killed her as well. He was so paranoid that he had his two eldest sons put to death… his entire life was one of plots and assassinations designed to keep him in power.
One of the final acts of his life was to arrest a number of the leading men of Jerusalem and command that they be slaughtered the moment he died. His reasoning: “The people will not weep when I die, and I want them weeping, even if they weep over the death of someone else.”
As I ponder the career of this tyrant and his paranoid attempt to slaughter Jesus the moment he was born, I can’t help but think of Psalm 2. In that Psalm, the nations and rulers of the earth plot against the Lord and his Messiah. Their desire is to stop the Messiah’s rule and throw off his authority. But Almighty God, enthroned above the highest heaven, laughs at their puny efforts. Then he threatens them directly with his wrath, warning them to be wise and delight in the Son of God. Herod’s wicked paranoia was all for naught. He died shortly after Jesus was born, ending all his glory. The temple he adorned for the praise of his name was eventually destroyed by the Romans he sought to please. And the one born King of the Jews will reign on his throne as King of kings forever.
