“BTW, There is a New King in Town” S31e12

What does a King do when he hears about a NEW KING in town?

Watch as the ruthless Herod makes some first steps in response.  None of them are good.

Though it is convenient to throw stones at evil Herod, the question also comes home to us.  What will WE do, with our little kingdoms, when the NEW KING shows up?  watch and repost. 

https://youtu.be/wPyR4SlG5fk

Transcript

“BTW, There is a New King in Town” S31e12

Hope you enjoyed the best Frankincense podcast of all time yesterday.  The Wise men have brought gifts for the baby Jesus.  They are prophetic for His kingship, His sacrifice (frank) and His death and burial (Myrrh).  They were valuable because of their scarcity and distance that the objects had travelled. Bring news.

Today we look at the evil in the story. The wise men obey a prophesy they heard about 700 years earlier. It noted a star will come out of Jacob.  So they go on a quest to find a baby.  Basically a needle in a haystack, but they have a star to guide them.  The first thing they do is go to the “country of Jacob” Israel.  

Then they go to the capital of that country: Jerusalem

Then they go to the regional leader of that people: HEROD.

This is Herod the great.

Herod the builder. Many of his buildings are still here today: Masada, the temple mount, renovation of the Temple. Yes, that temple, the one David planned and Solomon in 950 bc built. He’d previously the temple 27-13 bc

Shrewd. Soldier, orator. Tax collector for the Romans.

Period of domestic strife 13-4bc. Been in office x 33 years.

Ruthless: married 10 women had 15 children.

         Killed own wife. Killed own children when they weren’t politicallyexpedient. 

Instructions that Jewish leaders would be killed at the time of his death so that the contry would be in mourning after his death.

Rival King Jesus. Rival king of the Jews

Thought to be a third generation Jew. Some scholars think Herod to have considered himself a Jew.

Pick and choose: when it suited him, fashioned himself as a king of Jews like David 

However had blatant disregard for Jewish law

Appointed the High Priest

 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, 2 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.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 

6    “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, 

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; 

       for from you shall come a ruler 

who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he 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

One day wise men show up.  

Have come to WORSHIP “king of the Jews”

         four things Herod learns about Jesus: King title. Star. Followers of some means. Young.

Gather Chief Priest, scribes INQUIRED about THE CHRIST

         Greek anointed anointed to what: KINGSHIP

         Kings mean authority.

Where is his origin? Bethlehem in southern Israel, 7 miles from Jerusalem.

Gather wise men. Secretly. Let’s keep the kingship of Jesus quiet.

Should I be threatened by a child king? Absolutely. 

         If others recognize align behavior, allegiance, finances, swords

Children kings are a real thing, and always have been.

Inquire, send the wise men on a secret exploratory mission: 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Usurpted by a Dream from God. Real warning. Stay away from Herod.

         What happens to the witnesses of a new king? Killed.

         I killed my own wife and children, I kill a few wise guys.     

The Flight to Egypt

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

We know when Herod dies to a greater extent, more accurately than when Jesus was born. 

Most important day in world history… Savior arrives

Near the end of Herod’s reign in 4bc.

Herod is on a search.  No kidding.  Not to worship. But to destroy.

The fact that Herod wants to destroy Jesus serves to tell us that Herod understood the potential power in a long awaited messiah. The Christ. The office of anointed one. 

Joseph is protecting. Joseph is listening to the Lord. He has already done so well in these early days of pregnancy, resolved to divorce her QUIETLY. Rise. Take flee to Egypt. Out of jurisdiction and power influence of Herod. Egypt. Desert desert desert until nile. Sinai pen.

Finally, Egypt. The history of the Jews cannot be told without the history of Egypt.  Moses. Exodus. Riches. Fulfillment of prophesy: 11 When Israel was a child, I loved him, 

and out of Egypt I called my son. 

Every single person has a realm that they have been king over. Now we find there is a new king in town.  What am I going to do about it?