Welcome to the Table of the King

Welcome to the table of the king. If, as in the case of Esther, the king presents the scepter, so she can come forth, we should always remember that we are drawn by the loving kindness of the King of Kings, as we approach his table of grace.

Last week I spoke about Augustus Caesar, and how He gave reason for Mary and Joseph’s presence in Bethlehem – among other things. This week, I’ll talk about King Herod, who provided the path for the magi, which took place when Jesus was a child – probably 2 years old. This is important, because what is a gift unopened or in this case, the miraculous birth of Christ and there are no seekers outside the realm to validate this victory?

1. History of Herod the Great. Was an idumean (id-yoo-mee-oh). Greek = edom.
   1. Born circa 73 BC-S. Of Palestine, around Petra, which was taken over by Arabs.
   2. Father was anti-pater (anti-father), and mother was an Arab.
   3. At age 10 Pompey came and his influence made impression on young Herod of Roman military might. Started thinking in terms of gaining ground.
   4. His father aided Julius Caesar in the Egyptian campaign and looked favorably on the Jewish people.
   5. At age 26 he was appointed by his father as governor or magistrate of Galilee (47 B.C.), and as such, asserted himself. He killed nests of brigands, though killing was against Jewish law. Hyrcanus, the high priest, brought Herod before the Sanhedrin, but Herod’s good looks preempted any punishment, although Herod never forgot the people who turned him in. Long memory.
   6. In the story, the magi are asking where is He to be born? The word “where” is “pou” (poo), and means “in what place?”.
   7. This one “having been born”, which is “tikto”, meaning “to beget, bring forth, produce or yield fruit”. He feels he was born to be king of all so this birth got Herod’s attention, especially when they said they have come to worship him. “Worship” is the greek word “proskynesal”, meaning “to do reverence, go on one’s knees”. It comes from “pros”, meaning “toward”, and kuneo”, meaning “to kiss”. Kiss ground, being prostrate before a superior, sovereign. He wants full allegiance. His pursuit for Jesus is not holy.
2. Histronics – dramatic representation; theatrics, acting in grand display.
   1. After he was proclaimed king in 40 B.C., by the Senate -and with favor of Antony and Augustus Caesar,
   2. Threw himself into public works programs- rebuilt and enlarged the temple, which began in 20 B.C., by employing 1,000 priests as masons, plus thousands of other workers. It was undone by the time of Christ.
   3. Became known as Herod’s temple and you can seethe thread from Augustus woven into Herod and how this political alliance both expanded Christianity and sought – in Herod’s case, to kill it at the core.
   4. So this Edomite – man of red (earth, anger), was troubled (vs. 3).
   5. “Troubled” is the Greek word “tarasso”, meaning “to stir up, trouble, agitate, cause one inward commotion – take away calm”. When Herod was troubled, everyone was upset. Misery loves company. You can tell when an enemy is moving – the intention is to take away peace, trust.
   6. Herod’s plan was to gather chief priests, scribes (needed ones who could read and write Old Testament prophecy). “Having gathered” is the Greek word “synagogon” and where synagogue comes from.
   7. The answer was Micah 5:2 (vs. 6) -Bethlehem is the “where”, but Herod is still afraid of the “who”.
3. Hysterics of Herod. Herod spent the upward climb of his life gaining power and the downward spiral trying to keep it. Josephus, the Jewish historian, cites that Herod occasionally dressed as a normal citizen, so he could go around the listen to what was being said about him. Consequences occurred from that.
   1. Killed his wife Mariamme because he thought her unfaithful. Actually her mother Alexandra simply nagged Herod so much and Salome, who was Herod’s sister, was jealous and sowed the seeds in Herod to doubt his wife.
   2. Everyone knew that Herod was increasingly paranoid, so any little thought of doubt would escalate in his mind and do damage round about.
   3. After killing his wife, he did become ill with grief and was never the same. So you had someone always trying to keep power, yet knowing he betrayed the most important one to him.
   4. His last decree was that the leading men of various communities would meet at Jericho, be shut up in the Hippodrome, and he gave orders to kill them when he died, so there would be great wailing in the city at the same time. He thought no one would cry for him.
   5. Fortunately that last decree was not carried out, but he did manage to have his father kill and it was shortsighted, because he was named as Herod’s successor in his will. By this time Augustus Caesar had grown cool to him and his sons Aristobulous and Alexander were executed because he thought they were plotting to kill him – and that was seeded to him by his sister Salome.
   6. Inverse 7 Herod secretly tells the magi to go to bethlehem and tell me about it, that I may worship too. “Secretly” is the word “lathra” and means “privately”. He is setting up a trap to know the timing (Greek word “chronos or chronon”, meaning time, season, particular time”. Where we get chronological.
   7. His purpose is not worship, but murder, and after the magi are divinely warned in a dream not to go back to Herod (vs. 12), the angel tells Joseph to take Mary and the child to Egypt – the very place Herod aided Augustus Caesar in his battle there.

Herod died in 4 B.C. In Jericho, and since Jesus was born probably in 6 B.C., and it would have taken the two years to find the child, this killing of the infants up to two years old was Herod’s way to keep alive his kingdom. Murdering babies has always been the enemy’s way to destroy life and true spirituality. Today: are you Edom – red, angry – get agitated when your world is adjusted or perceived so? Let the King of Kings direct your path: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” Matt. 6:33.