Hope in Their Future

The Coming Kingdom: Matthew 2.1-23 (5)

Pray Psalm 85.1-3
LORD, You have been favorable to Your land;
You have brought back the captivity of Jacob.
You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people;
You have covered all their sin.
Selah
You have taken away all Your wrath;
You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.

Sing Psalm 85.1-3.
(Lyons: O, Worship the King)
O LORD, You Your favor showed to Your land;
Your people You saved by Your mighty hand.
Their sins You forgave, all Your wrath You withdrew.
You turned back the anger which to them was due.

Read Matthew 2.1-23; meditate on verses 16-8.
Pray for Christians who are being persecuted around the world.

Prepare.
1. What did Herod do? 

2. How did this fulfill God’s Word?

Meditate.
Herod, furious at the Magi’s having snubbed him, sent a contingent of Roman soldiers to Bethlehem, where they murdered every male child under the age of two. Herod calculated two as the outside age, based on what he had learned from the Magi about the time of the star’s appearing. He included two kinds of buffer room in his wretched deed—one of age and the other of extent (Bethlehem and “all its districts”)—just to make sure.

Those faithful people of God who endured this tragedy and loss would have been comforted by the remainder of the passage from Jeremiah 31, which Matthew begins to quote here (Jer. 31.15):

Thus says the LORD:
“Refrain your voice from weeping,
And your eyes from tears;
For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD,
And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
There is hope in your future, says the LORD,
That your children shall come back to their own border” (Jer. 31.16, 17).

In the face of horrors, tragedies, losses, and persecution, true believers weep and mourn. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4.13). We have the comfort of God’s Word, and the assurance that He does all things well and for our good. That may not make sense to unbelievers, but we know it to be true, and thus, through our weeping and sorrow, we cling to this promise in the joy of the Lord.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints” (Ps. 116.15).

As Matthew Henry tenderly points out in the quote for today: Many Old Testament saints were killed for their hope in God and service for Him; but these small children were the first Christian martyrs. And they were, indeed, precious in the sight of God.

“He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; 
and precious shall be their blood in His sight” (Ps. 72.14).

God sees these events through different eyes than we do; and His dear purposes prevail.
“The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; merciful men are taken away, 
while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil. 
He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness” (Is. 57.1, 2).

Even amidst tragedy we hold dear God’s promises: 
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, 
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29.11).

The angel told Joseph: “Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him” (Matt. 2.13).
And thus it has been so, since the beginning. If Herod’s name is removed, and the space left blank, Christian people from every generation could fill in the blank with name after name after name of those who have sought to destroy Christ and His followers. 

These blank-filling-tyrants try; but it never works. For God’s Kingdom will never be destroyed.
“Then the kingdom and dominion, and 
the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, 
shall be given to the people, 
the saints of the Most High. 
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and 
all dominions shall serve and obey Him” (Dan. 7.27).

“The kingdoms of this world have become 
the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, 
and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Rev. 11.15).

Until such time as all His enemies will be put under His feet, His saints will be martyred for their faith—as our baby forebears portended. But take heart, this is the way of things in His glorious kingdom.

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, 
as though some strange thing happened to you; 
but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, 
that when His glory is revealed, 
you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 
If you are reproached for the Name of Christ, 
blessed are you, 
for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Pet. 4.12-14).

Precious in His sight; just like the martyred babes of Bethlehem.

Reflect.
1. Do you think you would be ready to lay down your life for your faith? Explain.
2. Do you pray for persecuted Christians? How do you pray for them?

3. How should you respond to people who mock or scorn you for your faith?

[T]he murder of these infants was their martyrdom. How early did persecution against Christ and his kingdom begin! Herod now thought that he had baffled the Old Testament prophecies, and the efforts of the wise men in finding Christ; but whatever crafty, cruel devices are in men’s hearts, the counsel of the Lord shall stand. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 2.16-18

Pray Psalm 85.4-13.
Whatever difficulties, setbacks, failings, or regrets we may undergo, Jesus is always ready to restore us to Himself. Spend some time listening for the Spirit to remove every stain from your soul, and pray for those in your Personal Mission Field who need to know the restoring grace of God.

Sing Psalm 85.4-13.
(Lyons: O, Worship the King)
Restore us, O God, renew us in peace,
and cause all Your wrath against us to cease.
Will You evermore all Your wrath to us show?
Revive us that we may Your joy again know.

LORD, show us Your love; restore us, we pray!
And help us to hear the words that You say.
Speak peace to Your people; in truth let us stand.
We fear You; let glory and grace fill our land.

In Jesus God’s grace and truth are combined;
both goodness and peace in Him do we find.
Truth springs from the earth as He walks in our midst,
and righteousness flows from the heav’ns as a gift.

The LORD by His grace will give what is good;
our land will produce abundance of food.
And righteousness will go before the LORD’s face,
and make of His footsteps a way in this place.

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast pushes on through our readings from Joy to Your World!. Our Crosfigell teaching letter continues its brief series on the early 6^th-century Irish saint, Coemgen. The ReVision column considers how to grow the divine economy. Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.