History records the fact that in the year 1247 AD a hospital was founded in London, England, with the official name, “The Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem.” Two centuries later, at that start of the 15th Century, that same hospital was converted into a psychiatric hospital, a hospital for the severely insane, and it soon became known as an institution characterized by great tumult, noise, chaos and confusion. As time wore on the original name of “Bethlehem” was shorted and slurred into the name “Bedlam” – a word which has worked its way into our English language in reference to a state of tumult and turmoil, chaos and confusion. Well, as we shall see, this transition from “Bethlehem to bedlam” well characterizes the context of our text for today! Ah, but still in all as we now turn to a very careful and prayerful consideration of Matthew 2:13-23 we find ourselves resting and rejoicing in the fact that God’s divine deliverance of the Christ child in the face of King Herod’s deadly decree concerning the slaughter of the innocents has very personal and profound implications for each and every one of us as well both in time and for all eternity!
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Rev. Richard J. Kuiken, Senior Pastor at Pompton Plains Reformed Bible Church, Pompton Plains, NJ. Pastor Kuiken graduated from The King's College in Briarcliff Manor, NY in 1977 with a B.A. Degree in Psychology and subsequently received his M. Div. Degree from Calvin...
