The Holy Bible has proven itself to be an accurate source of historic events. Non-biblical accounts of certain events and individuals have been verified. One of the famous people found in the bible AND in the annals of history is the father of the Herodian family, Herod the Great.
Historically, Herod is recognized as a builder of cities and the lavish rebuild of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. He was also known as a destroyer of people. His greatness has been diminished by his ruthless actions towards others. He was highly suspicious of those in his circle of influence and therefore, jealous of those around him. This led to the murder of several of his children and even his wife, Marianne.
Herod was given the title ‘king of the Jews’ by Rome, but he was never accepted by the Jewish people. He was only part Jewish, thus not a part of the Davidic family line. Any building Herod did for the Jewish people, especially the incredible rebuild of the Temple, was dampened by his willingness to build pagan temples as well. All of his actions to win over the Jewish people were rejected because they knew his actions were only superficial. An arrogant man, Herod’s only loyalty was to himself.
Since he was appointed as king by the Roman government and not accepted at all by the people of Israel, he was constantly worried about losing his position. His response regarding the 3 wisemen and their change in plans was typical of his true character. After having seen the Christ child, the Lord warned the 3 men not to return to speak with Herod, as God revealed his evil intentions to them. Matthew 2:16 tells the story: “Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.”Arrogance, plus jealousy will produce a self-destructive personality. Herod was king of Judea from 37 to 4 B.C..
HEROD’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* He was given the title ‘king of the Jews’ by the Romans.
* He held on to his power for more than 30 years.
* He was an effective, though ruthless, ruler.
* He personally sponsored a large number of building projects.
HIS MISTAKES / INJUSTICES:
* Herod had a severe tendency to treat those around him with fear, suspicion, and jealousy.
* He had killed several of his own children & his own wife.
* He ordered the killing of all boys 2 years and under in Bethlehem in the hopes that one of them would be the Christ child.
* Herod claimed to worship God but was still involved in many forms of pagan religion, therefore not an honest, true believer.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM HEROD:
* Great power, as Herod had, brings neither peace nor security.
* No one can prevent God’s plans from being carried out.
* Superficial loyalty doesn’t impress people or God.
Up next are the two main religion groups in Jesus day; the Pharisees & the Sadducees. We’ll break them down in our next posting. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.
In His name & for His glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
No comments:
Post a Comment