Matthew chapter two here tonight. Matthew chapter two. I'll go ahead and hopefully finish out this passage here. So we talk about the wise men. And while you're turning there, let me just mention, I did a little more research on the travel times and all. So it was very interesting to study that a little bit since I knew I wasn't gonna get through an entire passage on the Lord's day. And as I mentioned on the Lord's Day, there's two clear possible places from which these wise men arrived, or traveled from, I should say. I mentioned Babylon, which is based on Balaam being from Pthor of Mesopotamia, according to Deuteronomy 23 verse 4. There's actually a stronger, and I didn't realize this until I was studying this out, that there's actually a stronger possibility that they're actually from Persia, and that they were very likely, or possibly, I should say, Zoroastrian priests. Remember I mentioned on Lord's Day that founder of that Zoroastrianism was actually a Jew, according to history. I was not aware of the history of that. So I did a little checking on the distance from Persia to Bethlehem, if that is the possibility. And so going from Tehran to Tehran, Iran, of course, Iran is ancient Persia, As you understand the history, that was, I think, even as late as the early 1900s if I remember right, it was changed to Iran, of course with Islam taking over. Flying is 971 miles, and I don't think the wise men flew in an airplane. So the driving distance presently today would be 1,222 miles following the roads that are established and that's traveling at a speed of 70 miles per hour, 17 and a half hour trip from Iran to Bethlehem. But I guess they're probably not traveling 70 miles an hour either, so traveling by camel. So I just, out of curiosity, I looked at this years ago, but I couldn't remember the numbers on this. A camel is actually able to sustain travel up to 40 miles a day for four days before needing rest. All right, so intense traveling, all that. But on average, traveling by camel, they're able to travel 25 miles a day on average, depending on cargo weight, terrain, and climate. What's interesting is I was reading one article in particular. It talked about the Silk Road trade. How many have ever heard, historically, the Silk Road trade routes and stuff from Central Asia and Europe? It was actually 4,000 miles long at the full extent of the Silk Road trade routes, and camels could complete that route in three months. So you're talking 4,000 miles in three months. So when you figure the 1,222 miles by driving distance, camel distance, 50 days probably to Bethlehem. All right, so when you think about the reality of 40 days for her purification, all that, well, yeah, but Herod killed two years. We'll talk about that. That does not mean Jesus was two years old. So we'll talk about that here this evening. Also, I thought was interesting, historically, the Medo-Persian king, Darius the Great, built the Royal Road in the 5th century BC and included military checkpoints So we think we're impressed in Germany having the Autobahn and we're impressed with having our interstate systems and all that. They actually had interstate systems millennia ago. So we're talking about these empires that built all of these trade routes and all those things, military checkpoints for safety, for those traveling and all that. Now, the issue with the Royal Road that the Persian Empire would have developed is actually went north of Jerusalem. And so what I thought was interesting, they said that there was actually a King's Highway that could have been taken to Jerusalem connecting up with that Royal Road. So it's interesting to read some of that in history. So they didn't just set out, it's like, well, we can't find the star. No, they got on the highway, on the interstate, and they traveled as far as they could, and they showed up in Jerusalem as we saw on the Lord's day. Notice with me verse 11 again, after they've met with... I want to pick up here verse 11, it says, Now as I mentioned, I believe those gifts probably paid for the the emergency flight to the urgency to get to Egypt for protection that would've been out of Herod's jurisdiction. It says, In being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, notice they, the wise men, departed into their own country another way. Well, the article that I read, it's like, well, if they didn't take that same route back, then how did they go? Well, possibly they went down through Arabia and that way around. So again, there were trade routes that they would often take, that they would use. So as you think about the message then, it says, when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream. So again, we have these repeated dreams that God is sending a message to Joseph, and again, it's assumed it's Gabriel. The Bible, Matthew does not say that it is Gabriel. So again, we need to not add to what the Bible says here, but it says, Arise, take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. Obviously, God knows the end from the beginning. So God knew that His Son, God the Father knew that His Son would have been in danger. And of course, God the Father did not send Him to die, you know, being butchered as a child by wicked King Herod. He had to die on a cross. There was a certain way He had to die. prophetically. So as we notice here again, even as I mentioned on the Lord's Day, Revelation 12, I believe, talks about this as Satan the dragon sought to devour the young child as soon as he was born. Notice when he arose, alright, so immediately he gets up, he took the young child and his mother by night. And again, you notice how the Bible emphasizes that statement. He does not say even that he's taking his wife and Notice it's emphasized the young child and his mother. How many times Matthew emphasizes that on purpose. But notice they go by night, obviously with urgency here to depart before Herod carries out his wicked plans. Notice he departed into Egypt. And again, the gifts I believe are funding this trip and their time there. And notice they were there until the death of Herod, which historically tells us that it was not much longer after this that he actually died horrible, horrible death from what I read of historical accounts, but that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet out of Egypt have I called my son. I want you to notice to me, Hosea 11 verse one. That is a very interesting prophecy there. And what I want to emphasize is, there's actually more than one prophecy that I've come across here recently in my reading. It's very interesting. References to Israel, and it's actually in context, an obvious reference to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so when you think about Jacob even being renamed Jacob, supplanter to Israel, prince with God. So you think about the name Israel, meaning prince with God. What is one of the names of the Lord Jesus Christ? He's the prince of peace. He's the prince of life, as we see in the book of Acts. So what you notice here says, Hosea 11, verse one, when Israel was a child, then I loved him, and notice, and called my son out of Egypt. As they called them, so they went from them. They sacrificed them to Balaam, burned incense to graven images, and so on. Now, I want you to notice, again, the context here. And, of course, this is the verse that's quoted in Matthew chapter 2. When Israel was a child, then I loved him and called my son out of Egypt. And, of course, even as you think about the announcement to Pharaoh, let my people go. But that whole picture of leaving Egypt is actually a prophetic picture of Jesus Christ and, of course, You wouldn't know this until you get to the time of the birth of Christ. And we understand that they went to Egypt so that a prophecy could be fulfilled out of Egypt, have I called my son. Now, I want you to consider here that the same author of Hosea is the author of the book of Matthew, the gospel of Matthew. So again, we see here the Holy Spirit is the one who's bringing this to Matthew's attention as he records this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Then I want you to notice here, Verse 16 says, Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men. Can you show me in this passage anything that indicates that they mocked him? This is Herod's thinking. This is his, you know, Easily insulted mindset. He imagines an insult here. It says, Ben Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, he automatically assumes all of this and then heads start rolling because he easily goes into a rage, killing people just to do it, evidently. But notice he was exceeding wrath. and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in the coast thereof from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently required of the wise men." Notice here it does not say that he killed all the boys two years and younger. It says he killed all the children two years old and younger. He's literally taking his rage out on all the children, not just the one that's his target. But I want you to consider here that there's no restraint from Rome by any means that appears here. Herod was not deposed from the throne for doing this. I know he lived for a short time after this, but his son actually came to power after this. So Rome actually did nothing, nothing to him for doing all of this slaughter. Of course, we have in this time the Pax Romana, the Roman peace. You do what we say, and you have peace. If you don't do what we say, then we're gonna have a rod of iron to bring you into subjection. So in this rage, in this wrath, notice, he slays all the children that were in Bethlehem, and notice, also in all the coasts thereof, all the surrounding area around Bethlehem. And then we have this statement again, two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Now as I studied the timing of the trip and so on and so forth, I believe this is a high estimate so that he actually gets his target. I'm convinced of that. I don't believe there's any indication here that Jesus was necessarily two years old, but this is his full estimate so that he gets his target, this supposed King of the Jews. Now I want you to consider some applications here. First of all, you think about abortion in America. So here's King Herod, and can you imagine this? They don't expect, the parents in Bethlehem and the surrounding area do not expect this. All of a sudden, soldiers sent out from Herod are pounding on their door, checking to see if there's any children in that house. And, you know, was there a birth certificate? Did they have a certificate to be able to prove the date of birth? So in other words, if they look to be two years old or younger, they're butchered right then and there. Can you imagine that? No wonder we have the weeping and lamentation and great mourning in verse 18. So that's going on here because of King Herod's rage. I want you to think about that with that said. All right, so we as Americans sit in judgment, how wicked that could be. And yet our government has butchered and slaughtered 65 million babies in the womb. We cannot sit in judgment of King Herod, because our own government has permitted that. Not only that, well, I thought this was interesting as I was doing some reading. I was not aware of this historically, but Israel, Marxist-Zionist Israel, has permitted abortion since its beginning in 1948. So you think about this. So here's Herod doing this to children, just a blanket slaughter of all children in that immediate area. So here's Israel that we support and they do all of this. But months ago, I came across a book that was referenced and something I was reading. You think about the millions of people who have been slaughtered by wicked emperors and rulers throughout history. This book, got a PDF file of it, but the book was entitled Death by Government in 1994 by R.J. Rummel. Now, I've got so many things I'm trying to read, so it's been in my files for months. I've done nothing with it. Well, reading this and studying through this, I decided to open it up and just kind of look at the introduction for it. And it's very interesting, interesting. He uses a term, democide. I'm thinking, what is democide? Democide is genocide and government mass murder. That's a term, democide. But then also another term that he uses is deca-mega, deca-mega murderers. In other words, deca meaning 10 or tens, multiples of tens, mega meaning million. So we're talking about deca-mega murderers killing millions of people. in our modern day. Now it's interesting, an estimate that he gives in this introduction is 133 million before the 20th century. 133 million people, he's estimated in historical accounts, leading up to the 20th century, democide. But then he emphasizes 128 million dying just from deka mega murderers. 128 million people. Here's a partial list. Almost 62 million in the Soviet Gulag state. And by the way, that was led by Jewish Bolsheviks. I challenge you, if you doubt me, do some history on that. They estimate that as many as 80 to 85% of the Bolshevik leaders were Jewish. That Russian Revolution was not a revolution of Russia, in conflict with itself. It was led by Jewish Bolsheviks. Lenin, Stalin, all of them had ties to Zionism. Then you also think about the 35 million who died in Chinese communist uprisings and so on. Actually Chairman Mao has links to the United States. Also, that Chinese communist movement actually has ties to the Zionist Rothschilds as well. Again, check out the history. Don't just take my word for it. 35 million Chinese were either butchered, slaughtered, or put into slavery. All right, so we think about all of the corporations that went from the United States to China. You know why? Because of slave labor. They're still doing slave labor today. Zionism, the Rothschilds and all that are behind the socialism and the communism. Karl Marx was born into a Jewish family. Check out the history. Also, almost 21 million in the Nazi genocide state under Hitler. Then he mentions other nations as well, mega murderers, not the deca mega murderers, Japan. Cambodia, Turkey's genocidal purges. And I remember, I don't remember what the total number, but I remember there was a genocide done in Armenia years ago. Vietnam, the Polish ethnic cleansing. North Korea, Barbaros, Mexico, and so on. And a total that he gives in the introduction of this book, I mean, just the introduction itself was loaded with information. 203 million. 203 million killed by government rulers just in the 20th century. You think about America, this was not even included in the numbers that I saw, 20 million since World War II, that America has done in 37 different nations. He makes this statement, and this is a common statement, but I was reminded of that as I was reading in the introduction, power kills, absolute power kills absolutely. But you think about this. This is an example of what we've dealt with in the last 100 plus years with these mega murderers in governmental power. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. As we think about the whole situation here, Relation to Herod. Notice verse 17, then it was fulfilled, that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Ramah was there a voice heard lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. This is a quote from Jeremiah 31, verse 15. Notice it says here, by Jeremy the prophet, and this quote in Ramah. So when you think about Ramah, Ramah is actually in the tribe of Benjamin near Bethlehem. And between Bethlehem and Ramah was where the grave of Rachel was, and where she died giving birth to Benjamin, according to Genesis 35. So we see here this prophecy that's based on this whole lamentation of Rachel as she's weeping and mourning as she dies giving birth to Benjamin. Of course, she, gives Benjamin a name that his father changes to Benjamin. But as we see here in verse 19, so this weeping then, again quoting from Genesis 31, in the context I think it's interesting is the covenant, a new covenant I should say, in Jeremiah chapter 31. So as we think about the new covenant, notice all of this is tied and linked to the birth of Christ. Verse 19, But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead, which sought the young child's life." Notice here, Herod the Great, notice the announcement came to Joseph, he was dead, as we understand historically, 4 BC. And of course, we have to understand the 4 BC thing is off according to our calendar. But as we think about this here, the announcement comes that he died his horrible death according to history. So Joseph is now told to rise and take the young child and his mother and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead which sought the young child's life. Again, a few months later, a few months after this butchering of these children, he actually died. And actually what I also read to kind of show you the wicked mindset Herod had, he knew because of his wicked rule that nobody was going to mourn his death. I mean, even his own family, I mean, they looked at him funny, he took their head off. So literally what Herod knew when he was dying, when he knew he was dying, he issued a decree that upon his death, he was to go to all the important families and kill people in those important families. so that there would be mourning at the time of his death. Well, from what I've read in history, they decided not to carry out his orders because he's dead so that they don't have to fear him anymore. But you think about this, how wicked, how wicked Herod is, or was. Of course, he's been suffering for 2,000 years in hell now. But my wife mentioned a conversation that she had recently. And the question is often asked, Why would God allow something like this? Jesus is born, the Son of God comes into this earth, and the Bible doesn't say how many mothers lost their children in this butchering, this slaughter of these children, two years old and younger. Why would God allow this? So then the question is also asked, where was God when this took place? He was the same place He was the same place when his son was killed on a cross. God the Father sees all of these things and he is concerned. And can I remind you that these children, I believe, died and went to paradise. Instead of growing up in a country with a traditionalism that probably would have sent them to hell. See, God is still on the throne. God is still on the throne. So he arose, and verse 21, took the young child and his mother and came into the land of Israel. But he arrives there and he hears that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father, Herod. He was afraid to go thither. Notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee. So let me tell you, just briefly here, something about Archelaus. Archelaus was the son of Herod's fourth wife, and he was appointed as Herod's successor just a short time before his death. He was also very cruel and wicked like his father, and there's differences as far as numbers, how many people were slaughtered, but he slaughtered anywhere from 3,000 to 9,000, depending on which historical account you read. He slew 3,000 to 9,000 people in the temple at the beginning of his reign. It's a time of Passover, a feast of Passover, and literally he butchers a bunch of Jews just to do it. But I want you to consider here he's warned of God because, I believe, of some of these things. And so it says he turned aside into the parts of Galilee. And, of course, we find that in Galilee there's another Herod there. This is Herod Antipas, but he was a little more As Tetrarch and as governor, he was a little more subdued as far as his tyrannical powers. But it was a very interesting statement now as we close out in verse 23. I wanted to save a little bit of time for this. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, plural, he shall be called a Nazarene. So I don't know about you, but When you read that statement, maybe you think, let's see, I wonder where that's found in the Old Testament. First of all, I want you to notice here, there's two words in particular that I want you to especially pay attention to. Notice that it might be fulfilled which was spoken, first word, by the prophets, plural, second word. So he's not quoting from Jeremiah as he just did or Hosea as he just did in verses prior to this. So we're talking about prophets plural. Now, there's some different, as I study this out, there's some different possibilities of this. This might be an unwritten prophecy. It was not written down, recorded by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but something that the prophets, prophets plural, spoke, and it was common knowledge and understanding in the Jewish culture. That's one possibility. But I want you to think about the fact that this is possibly a summary of some prophets as he brings some of this to our attention. I want you to notice something here in Isaiah. chapter 4 and verse 2, here's another possibility of what he's referring to here, and that's based on a Hebrew word, netzer, netzer, N-E-T-Z-E-R, and the word netzer speaks of a branch or a sprout. I believe there's two different possibilities in particular that are mentioned here in this, or possibly in that passage there. Notice Isaiah four verses one and two. And in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man saying, we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel. Only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach. Notice in that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious. and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. Notice the branch. This is a title given to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Also chapter 11, verse one and I believe verse two. I don't remember how far this goes here. Yes, verses one and two. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse. And notice a branch shall grow out of his roots. Notice the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Continued thought here, verse three, it says, and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord, and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears, but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth, and he shall smite the earth with the rot of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. So obviously we see here this reference to the Messiah, Also, Zechariah 3, verse 8 and Zechariah 6 also mentions this branch as well. I want you to notice here Jeremiah, Jeremiah 23, verses 5 and 6. All right, so if this is a reference to Netzer, Nazarene, by the way, he's not called a Nazarite based on Numbers 6, the Nazarite vow, he's called a Nazarene. There's a distinction made there that some, I believe, confuse and miss. But Jeremiah 23, notice verses five and six, says here, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is his name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness. So we notice here we see again emphasis that Messiah will be a righteous branch. Jeremiah 33, Jeremiah chapter 33 verses 15 and 16. By the way, Isaiah and Jeremiah are two prophets that the gospel writers quote quite a bit, and then there's others as well. But Jeremiah 33, notice verses 15 and 16, says, In those days, at that time, will I cause the branch, Isaiah 11, verse one, branch of righteousness, to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. I think about Jesus as Messiah. He was very righteous in his leadership. In those days shall Judah be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this is the name wherewith he shall be called the Lord our righteousness. Now, it's very interesting as we understand Nazareth today. It's still there. It's called in Nazareth today. And the estimate that I found was 6,000 to 10,000 people. There's a main road from Egypt to the interior of Asia that passed through Nazareth. But I think there's another aspect of this as well, and it says, he shall be called a Nazarene. I believe the Bible very clearly says that Jesus would be despised, and of course, Nazareth was a despised city. Notice with me Psalm 22, Psalm 22. He shall be called a Nazarene. And can I remind you what was said in John chapter one, can anything good come out of Nazareth? Can anything good come out of Crete? I mean, you can, can anything good come out of Gary, Indiana, we were talking about earlier? And it's like, all right, so I'm sure something good occasionally comes out of all these places, but Psalm 22, notice verses six and seven. No, I'm referring as far as Crete, slow bellies and all that, so, but anyway. Treat obviously had a little bit of a despised condition in the New Testament times as well. It says here in verses six and seven, I should say, but I am a worm and no man. Of course, this is a prophecy related to the Lord Jesus. I am a worm and no man. I reproach of men and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn. They shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying, he trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him. Let him deliver him saying he delighted him. These Jewish leaders, they did not even think about the fact as they're quoting scripture, they're fulfilling scripture at the cross. Can you think about that? Isaiah 53 verse three says, he is despised and rejected of men. a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised, and we esteemed him not as a Nazarene." As we close, I want you to notice some passages in the book of Acts, Acts chapter 22. Now, Acts 9 does not say this, but as Paul is giving his testimony, as we compare passages here, we see how Jesus described himself as being a Nazarene. Acts 22 verse one, men, brethren, fathers, hear ye my defense, which I make now unto you. And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence, and he saith, I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. And also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders, from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. It came to pass that as I made my journey, it was come nigh unto Damascus. About noon suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Saul of Tarsus did not realize that he was persecuting the Lord of glory. And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And notice what Paul says Jesus said, and he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth. He does not say, I am Jesus of Jerusalem. He does not even say, I am Jesus of Bethlehem, the house of bread. He says, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw indeed the light and were afraid and so on. But notice, Jesus of Nazareth is how Jesus introduced himself to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, chapter 26. Acts chapter 26. And so here's what Paul says about this as he's giving a defense to King Agrippa. It says, I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. that he would be called a Nazarene. Also one more, chapter 24, verse 5. Acts chapter 24 and verse 5. So why don't you think about here, let's look at verse 1 because this is the prosecution here presenting Their information to the Roman government here, it says, and after five days, Ananias the high priest descended with the elders with a certain orator named Tertullus. So here's this golden-tongued orator who's gonna present the case as a lawyer, right? Who informed the governor against Paul. And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, And the very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence. This is what an orator will do. He's gonna say all kinds of nice things so that they get the decree that they're hoping for. We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. We're so thankful for your gracious kindness to us. Notwithstanding that I be not further tedious unto thee, I'll get to the point. I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words. Notice how he introduces their thoughts about Paul. For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Notice at this point, we're talking about, instead of calling them Christians, they're calling them Nazarenes. Remember this despised place of Nazareth? You know, this is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. They're just a fanatic religious group, and they need to be put out of business. Think about that. They refer to them as the Nazarenes. As we think about how Jesus Christ came to this earth, he did not come as some super powerful Man like Herod or Caesar Augustus or anyone like that. He came in absolute humility. Can you imagine the Lord of glory, how much he had to lower himself to not just come as a baby, but to end up being called a Nazarene. Anything could come out of Nazareth. Hallelujah, something good can come from Nazareth. And the Lord of glory spent most of his younger years in a city called Nazareth. He can relate to the lowest of human beings. Lord, I thank you for this amazing story. Yes, Lord, there's sorrow, great sorrow, in this context. But I believe, even as David mentions in the Old Testament, those young children went to paradise. And I want you to consider, I want for us to consider, Lord, tonight as well, that we think about tyrannical governments, They've been on this earth almost since the beginning of time. Lord, you're still on your throne. I thank you for sending thy son to be our savior, in Jesus' name, amen.