Matthew 2

Matthew 2:1

THE INFANT JESUS.–Matthew 2:1-12. GOLDEN TEXT.–Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.–Matthew 1:21. TIME.–About B. C. 4. (It is now conceded that the Savior was born about four years before the date assigned at the time our chronology was adopted.) PLACE.–Jerusalem and Bethlehem of Judah. RULERS.–Herod the Great, king of Judea; Augustus Cæsar, emperor of Rome. HELPFUL .–Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-21; John 1:1-5. LESSON .–I. The Wise Men and the King; 2. The Priests and Rulers in Council; 3. The Visit to Bethlehem.. Our lessons now come to the central fact in the history of the world. The fulness of time had come.

The mighty wars and commotions which had tracked the earth with blood for thousands of years had been temporarily suspended. The temple of Janus in Rome, only shut in time of peace, had its doors closed. After long contests, extending through more than seven hundred years, Rome had become the mistress of the nations. The Roman empire held sway over nearly all the known world. Greece was subject to Rome politically, but ruled still intellectually, the school of literature and art. She was crowded with temples and statues, and her schools of philosophy and rhetoric were flourishing.

This was a time of remarkable intellectual activity. Horace and Virgil had died but a few years before. Diodorus Siculus, the Greek historian, Strabo, the Greek geographer (B. C. 54–A. D. 24), Ovid (B. C. 43–A.

D. 18), Livy (B. C. 59–A. D. 17), and Seneca, who died A. D. 65, were living during the life of Christ. Though there was intellectual activity, political might and civic splendor, there was utter moral degradation. Herod the Great, a usurper who held his place by the Roman favor, was a bloody tyrant, and under his heavy burdens the faithful ones in Judea were eagerly looking for the deliverer who was the hope of Israel. The brief narrative of the visit of the Magi, recorded in the second chapter of Matthew, is of the deepest interest in the history of Christianity. It is, in the first place, the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. It brings the facts of the Gospel history into close connection with Jewish belief, with ancient prophecy, with secular history, and with modern science; and in so doing it furnishes us with new confirmations of our faith, derived incidentally, and therefore in the most unsuspicious manner, from undisputed and unsuspected quarters.–Farrar. I. THE WISE MEN AND THE KING-

1. When Jesus was born. T hough the home of Joseph and Mary was at Nazareth, the sure word of prophecy had declared that Christ should be born at Bethlehem, the native place of his royal father David; and this was accomplished by the agency of the Roman emperor. A decree was issued by Augustus for a census of “all the world” over which his power extended, that is, the Roman empire and its subject kingdoms. The connection of Judea with the province of Syria, first established by Pompey, was not regarded as utterly dissolved by Herod’s elevation to the throne; nor was the dying prince, for such was Herod’s condition at this time, likely to contest the authority under whose shelter his reign had flourished, even though the census might betray the intention of absorbing his kingdom into the empire. The sacred pride of the Jews In their genealogies would lead them to hasten to the head cities of their tribes and families; thus Mary, though about to become a mother, traversed with her husband the length of the land, from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the royal city of David, to whose house they both belonged. In Bethlehem of Judea. Bethlehem was one of the oldest places in the land of Judea, and had been in existence at least 1500 years before the Savior was born. It was the scene of the events so touchingly related in the Book of Ruth. It was here that the good Boaz abode; and here the foreign damsel (destined to become the foremother of David and of Jesus), gleaned his field. Still earlier, it was here that the beloved wife for whom Jacob had served fourteen years was taken away from him. It was known as the City of David, because it was the birthplace of the greatest of the kings of Israel. The little town has an imposing aspect and commanding site.

It stands on the summit of a narrow ridge, which projects eastward from the central mountain chain of Judah, and breaks down abruptly into deep valleys on the north, east and south. The steep slopes beneath the village are carefully terraced, and the terraces–clothed with olives, vines and fig-trees–sweep in graceful curves round the ridge, regular as stairs. Below these slopes, in the bottom of the valleys, are fields whose fertility gave the place its name, “House of Bread.” It is about six miles south of Jerusalem, on the road toward Hebron. It contains at the present time about four thousand inhabitants, chiefly Christians of the Greek Church, who obtain much of their sustenance from the sale of relics to pilgrims and visitors. In the days of Herod the king. This statement gives data for ascertaining the time of the birth of Jesus. It has been generally conceded, for reasons that our space excludes, that it took place in the last year of Herod’s reign. But it is known that Herod died about three years before the first year of our era. Therefore, if the Savior was born “in the days of king Herod,” he must have been born about four years earlier than the date assigned. The error is due to the mistake of Dionysius Exiguus in the sixth century, whose reckoning was blindly followed. Herod is called the king to distinguish him from the other Herods, his descendants, who were mostly tetrarchs. He was only partly of Jewish blood, was a man of most bloody and unscrupulous character, a great tyrant, the murderer of even his own wife and sons. There came wise men from the east. The word rendered “wise men” is more correctly Magi, a term which designates an order of priests and philosophers, which belonged originally to Persia and Media, and who were extensively distributed over the region east and west of the Euphrates. Those described in the book of Daniel as wise men, astrologers and magicians, belonged to this order. We can only conjecture where these “wise men” came from, but the probability is that they journeyed from the valley of the Euphrates.

Matthew 2:2

2. Where is he that is born King of the Jews? Their question shows two things. 1. That they partook of the general expectation that about this time there would appear in the East a Ruler divinely appointed to his mission. The works of profane writers of this period show that this expectation was by no means confined to the Jews. It is mentioned by Virgil, Suetonius, Tacitus, and other writers. It is even related by the Chinese that Confucius predicted the coming of the teacher of mankind about this time, and that within about a generation of the time of Christ’s birth they sent a deputation as far west as India to try to find him. There they heard of Buddha, and concluded that it must have been he of whom their sage had spoken. 2.

It is plain that the wise men misapprehended the mission of Christ, and expected him to be a secular king, who would revive all the ancient glories of the Jewish kingdom. The conception of a spiritual reign had to be taught to the world by example before it could be comprehended. We have seen his star in the east. No certain conclusion can be reached as to what this appearance in the heavens was which had such an effect on the wise men, and it is useless to enter into the discussions. Whether it was a conjunction of planets, a comet, a meteor, or some other sign, it was understood by them is signifying the birth of the promised King. Their knowledge of the coming King, their location of Judea as the place of his birth, and their choosing the right time to see the Divine Babe, all taken together, can hardly be accounted for otherwise than by conceding that they were of the number of Gentiles to whom was granted a revelation. It seemed a part of God’s plan that Gentiles as well as Jews should offer homage to the infant King.

Matthew 2:3

3. Herod . . . he was troubled. The trouble of Herod is easily accounted for. He was a usurper, not of the royal line, hated by the Jewish nation, near the close of his reign and anxious to continue the royal title in his own dynasty. This news seemed to portend a legitimate king, a rival for the throne, around whom the Jewish nation would rally. All Jerusalem with him. The capital was in commotion. It was the seat of Herod’s power, and his staunchest supporters were there. Those who did not favor him foresaw a conflict that would desolate the land.

Matthew 2:4

II. THE PRIESTS AND RULERS IN COUNCIL.— 4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes together. Literally, “high priests.” The high priests and perhaps the heads of the twenty-four courses of priests are included. If there were any ex-high priests, as occurred frequently under the Roman rule, they would be embraced. The “scribes of the people” were the successors of Ezra, the official copyists of the Scriptures, who naturally became its expounders. The priests, as the head of the Jewish religion, and the scribes, as the chief expounders of the Scriptures, were the proper persons to answer Herod’s question. Where Christ should be born. This demand concedes: 1. That the Jews demanded a Messiah; 2. That the Scriptures had foretold his coming; 3. That the very place of his birth had been pointed out.

Matthew 2:5

5. In Bethlehem of Judea; for thus it is written by the prophet. The prophet here referred to is Micah, who lived about seven centuries before Christ. (See Micah 5:1-2.)

Matthew 2:6

6. And thou Bethlehem. The quotation is made freely from the Septuagint version (Greek) which was in common use, and from which the Savior and his apostles constantly quoted. The Hebrew is literally, “But thou Bethlehem Ephrata, too small to be among the thousands of Judah (i. e., the towns where the heads of thousands resided, the chief towns in the distribution of the tribes); out of thee shall come forth one who is to be the ruler of Israel.” It is not certain whether the quotation as given in our lesson is the explanation of Matthew, or the words of the scribes in answer to Herod. Princes. Put for towns, where the princes or head of thousands lived.

Matthew 2:7

7. Then Herod privily called the wise men. The crafty and cruel king had gained one point; he now knew where the Christ was to be born. In order to compass his murderous design, and get out of the way one whom he feared might be a rival for his throne, he must learn more. He therefore asks another question of the wise men, by which he hopes to ascertain the age of the royal child. That he asked privately shows his sinister purpose. What time the star appeared. The fact that, as stated below, he slew the children of two years and under, denotes that the star had been seen first about two years before. The great German astronomer, Kepler, first pointed out that in B. C. 7, or within two or three years of the birth of Jesus, there was a remarkable conjunction of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and an extraordinary star. His astronomical calculations on this subject have been verified at the British royal observatory. Whether or not this was what had excited the wise men, there is no doubt that such an event would produce an extraordinary commotion among all close observers of the heavens.

Matthew 2:8

III. THE VISIT AT .— 8. And he sent them to Bethlehem. Herod was not yet satisfied. He had found Bethlehem to be the place and the future king to be a small child, but he desired to have him pointed out. Therefore he deceitfully proposed to have the wise men accomplish his purpose. He commanded them to search out the young child and bring him word, but deliberately lied as to his object, which was the murder of a supposed rival, instead of worship. It was a diplomatic lie, such as kings and diplomats think admissible in overreaching rival powers.

Matthew 2:9

9. They went their way. They probably departed immediately after their interview with king Herod, and as the appearance of the star as soon as they started indicates that it was night, they probably saw Herod in the evening. Night traveling has always been customary in the East, especially during the warmer season of the year. So the star . . . went before them. This language seems to indicate more than a conjunction of the planets, and implies a miraculous appearance like a star which guided the steps of the wise men. Such a view is no less probable than that a pillar of fire should have guided Israel. This luminous appearance stood over where the young child was, either over Bethlehem, or over the house where the young child was sheltered.

Matthew 2:10

10. And when they saw the star. This language shows that for some time, at least, they had not seen the star until they left Jerusalem for Bethlehem. Its reappearance caused them great rejoicing, because it showed them that their quest was not in vain. Their joy was not at the standing of the star over a particular spot, but that they saw it again after it was long lost sight of. It is probable that they had not seen the star since they left the East, until now. They said, “We have seen his star in the East,” the country they came from, and its appearing again, proved that they had come to the right country.

Matthew 2:11

11. And they came into the house. Not, probably, the stable where the Lord was born, but a temporary home obtained after the crowd had left Jerusalem. Many commentators suppose that Joseph and Mary remained at Bethlehem until the forty days of purification were passed; that the young child was presented in the temple as recorded in Luke 2:22; that then they returned to Bethlehem, only six miles away; were visited shortly after by the wise men, and thence fled into Egypt. If this is correct, the young child must have been six or seven weeks old at the time of this visit. With Mary his mother. The child was probably in the mother’s arms. Joseph is not named, either because he was not present, or because he is less important. They fell down and worshiped him. Observe that no adoration is offered his mother. There is not the slightest ground for Mariolatry anywhere in the New Testament. The worship of the Magi was more than the usual reverence for kings, for they were not Jews. They recognized in him a more than human King. When they had opened their treasures. They had brought these all the way from the East as an offering. They offer to him gifts such as were offered to kings by embassadors or vassals. Gold. A usual offering to kings and to the gods worshiped at Gentile shrines. Frankincense. A costly and fragrant gum distilled from a tree in India and Arabia. Myrrh. An aromatic gum produced from a thorn bush that grew in Arabia and Ethiopia and also in parts of Palestine, used for fumigation, for mingling with wine, and for the manufacture of precious ointment. These gifts were costly, and give no clue to the home of the Magi. The providence of God is seen in these gifts. It provided the means necessary for the flight to Egypt that was to follow at once and to sustain in the holy family in a foreign land.

Matthew 2:12

12. Being warned of God in a dream. Probably they were suspicious of Herod, for they could not fail to know his character, and asked God to guide them. He did so by a dream, and hence they avoided Jerusalem on their return. AND . The visit of the Magi is profoundly significant. They were the forerunners of the Gentile converts, and the whole section foreshadows the reception given to the gospel in apostolic times. The brief story contained in this lesson has furnished the basis of many curious legends that are received by the superstitious. Faith finds many lessons in it. Heaven and Earth move, as it were, about the holy child as their center. He is so remote; so hidden, so disowned, yet near, discovered, and acknowledged by those who seek him; their search is helped not only by the Scriptures, but by nature and the most imperfect science; the awakening faith of the Gentiles and the slumbering unbelief of the Jews. The Star of Bethlehem is a beautiful symbol of the nobler aspirations of heathenism and of every soul towards the whom it points, and over whom it abides.–Schaff.In all the ages since then the world has needed only one thing–love. It was the need of yesterday, it is the need of to-day, it will be the need of to-morrow. The Star of Bethlehem has in it the music that soothes every savage and every sensual heart. Where is the center of the world? Bethlehem. Pilgrims traveling through life stop at the inn of Bethlehem and give greeting to the new guest, and find good fare and good company. Let all go, with the wise men, worship and make offerings to the Young Child. He is a King, our King, The King of kings. The birth of Jesus, “born king of the Jews,” is the great event of time. The spiritual darkness which had covered the earth for four thousand years was about to be rolled away. The way to pardon and peace with God was about to be thrown open to mankind. The head of Satan was about to be bruised. Liberty was about to be proclaimed to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. The mighty truth was about to be proclaimed that God could be just and yet, for Christ’s sake, justify the ungodly.

Salvation was no longer to be seen through types and figures, but openly and face to face. The knowledge of God was no longer to be confined to the Jews but to be offered to the whole Gentile world. The days of heathenism were numbered. The first stone of God’s kingdom was about to be set up. If this was not “good tidings” there never were tidings that deserved the name.–Ryle. POINTS FOR . 1. Seek to give a clear idea of the time when Christ was born;–paganism save in one little spot; the Roman Empire ruling the world; the wicked Herod in Judea. 2. Point to the wise men, strangers from afar, show on the map from whence they probably came; show who they were; their object in coming. 3. Observe their visit to Jerusalem; their inquiry; the reason they asked such a question; why they and the world expected a Christ. 4. Note the answer to their inquiry. The Scriptures point the way to Christ.

They always do. “They are they which testify of me.” “Of him have all the prophets borne witness.” 5. Call out the crafty and diabolical purpose of Herod, his deceit; his ground of hate. 6. Point to the Star, the Star of Bethlehem, the Star that guides to Christ. God still gives beacons to show the way to the arms of safety. 7. See the Magi worshiping the babe; their offsprings. The little babe on mother’s lap and gray haired and dignified strangers bowing before him and paying tribute.

The significance of all this. 8. Impress on all the importance of following the Star that leads to Bethlehem, of worshiping the Babe, and of the following him in life’s journey. 9. Contrast the three classes of character. 1. The Christ-hating Herod. 2. The Skeptical and Indifferent Priests. 3. The Devout Gentiles from the East.

Matthew 2:13

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.– Matthew 2:13-23. GOLDEN TEXT.–He delivered me because he delighted in me.–Psalms 18:19. TIME.–B. C. 4. PLACES.–Bethlehem of Judea; Egypt; Nazareth in Galilee. HELPFUL .–Luke 2:22-38; Psalms 2:1-12; Isaiah 53:1-12. LESSON .–1. The Flight to Egypt; 2. The Murder of the Innocents; 3. The Home at Nazareth.. Of the flight into Egypt, and its duration, the Scripture gives us no particulars, telling us only that the Holy Family fled by night from Bethlehem, and returned when Joseph had been assured in a dream that it would be safe to take the Savior back to the land of his nativity. It is left to apocryphal legends to tell us how, on the way, dragons came and bowed to him, the lions and the leopards adored him, the roses of Jericho bloomed wherever his footsteps trod, the palm trees at his command bowed down to give them dates, the robbers were overawed by his majesty, and the journey was miraculously shortened. . . .

All this wealth and prodigality of superfluous, aimless, and unmeaning miracle–arising in part from a mere craving for the supernatural, and in part from a fanciful application of Old Testament prophecies–furnishes a strong contrast to the truthful simplicity of the Gospel narrative. Matthew neither tells us where the Holy Family abode in Egypt, nor how long their exile continued; but ancient legends say that they remained two years absent from Palestine, and lived at Matareeh, a few miles northeast of Cairo.–Farrar.I. THE FLIGHT TO EGYPT.— 13. And when they were departed. Though we cannot be certain, it is probable that the Magi were led by the star to Bethlehem, offered their homage, departed, Joseph was warned, and the Holy Family started to Egypt, all the same night. The warning comes as soon as the Magi depart. This was after the night when the shepherds heard the angels, the most wonderful night in the history of Bethlehem. The Young Child must now have been over forty days old, for on the fortieth day he was presented at the temple and must have returned from thence to Bethlehem. See Luke 2:22. It is likely that as all these things occurred at night that none of them were generally known to the population of Bethlehem. Flee into Egypt. Egypt has a very intimate connection with Bible history. There Joseph, a type of Christ, was carried; there Israel sojourned 400 years, and was called from thence to Canaan; there Moses, another type of Christ, was reared; there the Septuagint version of the Hebrew Scriptures, the most important version ever made, was prepared; there tens of thousands of Jews found a home, so that it was almost a second Palestine. It had, therefore, special advantages as a place of refuge. It was the nearest of Roman provinces independent of Herod, was the home of thousands of Joseph’s countrymen, and was convenient for a return at the proper time.

Matthew 2:14

14. When he arose, he took the young child. The message came while he was sleeping; as soon as he arose from his bed he took the Child and his mother and departed at once. There was prompt obedience, as there should always be, to the divine commands. It was also important that he should flee at once to escape the impending danger, and that he should flee under the concealment of the night that his route should be unknown, lest he should be pursued. The residence in Egypt was to continue until he was divinely directed to return, and those directions would not be given until after Herod’s death.

Matthew 2:15

15. That it might be fulfilled, . . . out of Egypt have I called my son. The prophecy here quoted is found in Hosea 11:1. It was stated of the Israel which was called out of Egypt and who is spoken of as a son. Israel, however, was a type, and the events portrayed in Israelitish history were typical prophecies. That was the dispensation of types and shadows. Hence, the great outlines were prophetic, and the calling of Israel out of Egypt a prophecy of the leader of the true Israel being called out of that land. . . . The devout student should note the reception of our Lord on the earth. While yet a Babe in his mother’s arms the “rulers of the earth take counsel together” and seek to slay him; his enemies are evaded by a swift flight under the cover of night and an exile in a strange land. “He came to his own and his own received him not.” This is the beginning of the persecution of Christ.

Matthew 2:16

II. THE MURDER OF THE .— 16. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked. He had directed the wise men to report to him after their visit to Bethlehem. Their return to their own country without complying with his wishes seemed to Herod a mockery of his authority and excited his rage. As they were not his subjects they were under no obligation to obey him, especially in a matter of this kind. This led to a terrible tragedy. He had ascertained that the royal child was an infant and born at Bethlehem, but he had no means of identifying it. Unaware of the flight from Bethlehem the bloody and malignant king determined to make sure of the death of one whom he regarded as a future rival by slaying all male children under two years, that being the age to which he was led by his inquiries of the wise men.

Some have held that, inasmuch as Josephus, who wrote about eighty years later, makes no mention of this slaughter, it is improbable that it should have occurred, but it must be borne in mind, 1. That Josephus, after the lapse of nearly a century, may have known nothing of it; 2.

That as a prejudiced and dishonest Jew, averse to saying anything whatever in favor of Christianity, he may purposely have omitted it, or, 3. It was so insignificant, compared with some of Herod’s slaughters, that he may have deemed it too trivial to mention. His whole career was red with murder. He massacred priests and nobles; he slew the members of the Sanhedrim; he caused the high priest to be drowned before his eyes; be put to death, at one time, two learned doctors of the law and about fifty of their pupils; he strangled his own wife Mariamne, the only being he ever seemed to have loved; he slew three of his sons, the uncle and father of his wife, his mother-in-law, his uncle, his nearest friends, and thousands who had less claims upon him. So cruel was the lot of the Jewish nation that, after his death, Jewish ambassadors to Augustus Cæsar declared “that the survivors during his reign were even more wretched than those he had put to death.” Besides, the historian Macrobius makes an evident allusion, incidently to the Bethlehem massacre when he says that “Augustus, on being informed that among the boys under two years of age whom Herod had ordered to be slain in Syria, his own son was also slain, said it was better to be Herod’s pig than his son.” While Macrobius was mistaken about Herod’s son being slain in this slaughter his language is, no doubt, a reminiscence of the tragedy of Bethlehem. Sent forth and slew. A band of his murderous satellites were sent, and not only slew the male children of Bethlehem, but those of that vicinity. Attempts have been made to estimate the number slain, and it is held that Bethlehem could not have had over 2,000 inhabitants, not over one-twentieth of whom could have been male children under two years of age, or that about fifty in all were probably slain. Only a fiend incarnate could order such a murder of innocents, and only satellites of a fiend could carry out such inhuman orders.

Matthew 2:17

17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet. The saying is found in Jeremiah 31:15, and was first spoken with reference to the desolation of Israel by Nebuchadnezzar. The survivors of the Israelites were gathered by their conquerors as captives at Ramah. There the voice of lamentation was heard over the woes of Israel, and especially from the mothers bereft of their offspring. In rich poetic strain the prophet describes Rachel, the mother of two great tribes, as weeping and refusing to be comforted. It was still more appropriate to the bereaved mothers of Bethlehem. Within half a mile of that city was the tomb of Rachel and hence the pathetic language of the prophet is again applied to the inconsolable mothers of Bethlehem, as though the Rachel that slept in the tomb were a mourner over her slain offspring.

On the site of the tomb of Rachel is now a Mahometan mosque, much visited by Jewish, Christian and Mahometan pilgrims. For the burial of Rachel see Genesis 36:19.

Matthew 2:18

18. In Ramah was a voice heard. Ramah was a border fortress of Judah where the captives were collected by the the generals of Nebuchadnezzar after the fall of Jerusalem.

Matthew 2:19

III. THE RETURN TO .— 19. But when Herod was dead. This event was the signal for the return to Judea. He died in the spring of the year 750, after the building of Rome, just before the passover. This would place his death nearly four years before the Christian era, the date from whence we reckon our time. That was not fixed upon until five hundred, years after the birth of Christ and was fixed erroneously. If we could determine the exact duration of the stay in Egypt, whether a few weeks or several years, we could determine about the time of Christ’s birth. The message to return was conveyed in the same way as the message to depart to Egypt, by a dream.

Matthew 2:20

20. Arise . . . go into the land of Israel. Notice that Joseph is not required to return to Bethlehem or to Judea, but simply to the land of Israel. As he advances upon his journey he will be informed where he must go. They are dead who sought the young child’s life. As “they” is plural there must have been more than one death of those who sought the death of the Lord. Five days before the death of Herod he slew his son Antipater, a prince of dark, cruel, treacherous character whom he had expected to succeed him. Nothing could be more likely than that he had fully sympathized in the scheme of child murder at Bethlehem. Now both, “they that sought the young child’s life” were dead.

Matthew 2:21

21. And arose and took the young child. He obeyed as promptly as before, waiting obediently upon the Divine will. Come into the land of Israel. This included not only Judea, but Samaria, Galilee, and the country beyond the Jordan. The part first reached by Joseph on his return would be Judea.

Matthew 2:22

22. When he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea. Archelaus is one of the four sons of Herod who are named in the New Testament. He was excluded by will from any part in the kingdom, but subsequently, shortly before Herod’s death, was made his heir. He was removed a few years later by the Romans, and banished to Gaul. He was a cruel monster, and in the very beginning of his reign butchered 3,000 Jews at once in the temple. Was afraid to go thither. This implies that he had designed to return thither. A study of all the facts renders it probable that after the birth of Christ Joseph designed to make Bethlehem his home. It was the city of David, the place where the Lord was to come from, while Nazareth was a contemptible place with a bad name. As he knew the high mission of the child, he thought it due that Bethlehem should be his home. But God sent him away, first to Egypt, and then refused to let him settle in Judea at all, but sent him back to Nazareth, or at least into Galilee.

Matthew 2:23

23. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth. Matthew makes no mention of the previous residence at Nazareth, for that did not harmonize with his purpose, which was especially to point out to the Jew the fulfillment of prophecy, and he now names it first when it becomes the home of Christ. It was an obscure village, nestled on the hills about five hundred feet above the plain of Esdrælon. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets. Not by one prophet, but the summing up of a number of prophecies. No prophet had declared in express terms that he should be called a Nazarene. They, however, did apply to Christ the term Nezer, from which Nazareth is derived; the Nazarites, of whom Samson was one, were typical of Christ; the meanness and contempt in which Nazareth was held was itself a prophecy of one who “was despised and rejected.” (See Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 33:15; Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 6:12.) AND . When total depravity is placed on the pinnacle of power and in the sight of all men, no false glory can gild its unsightliness. Wickedness is repulsive in even the humblest stations, but far more abominable in those who are entrusted with influence and power. Herod’s hatred of Christ typifies the Jewish enmity and persecution of our Lord. How vain is royal dignity and pre-eminence in one who seeks to rule men and cannot rule his own spirit. A king sought to destroy the child Moses, the leader of Israel; a king sought to destroy the child, “the Prophet like unto Moses,” the leader of the true Israel. The preservation of the child Jesus may be considered a figure of God’s care over his church in times of greatest danger. God doth not often, as he easily could, strike their persecutors with immediate destruction, but he provides a hiding-place for his people and preserves his chosen ones from being swept away, even when the enemy comes like a flood.–Doddridge.God teaches us not to despise humble things. Christ was born in a stable, of poor earthly parents, and was carried by night into a strange land, and returned to dwell in despised Nazareth; yet God hailed him from heaven as his beloved Son, sent upon him the Holy Spirit, and finally placed all power in heaven and earth in his hands. CAME TO .–Nazareth was a little town, situated in a fold of land broadly opened at the summit of the group of mountains which closes on the north the plain of Esdrælon. The population is now from three to four thousand, and it cannot have varied very much. The environments are charming, and no place in the world was so well adapted to dreams of absolute happiness. Even in our days, Nazareth is a delightful sojourn, the only place, perhaps, in Palestine where the soul feels a little relieved of the burden which weighs upon it in the midst of this unequaled desolation. The people are friendly and good-natured; the gardens are fresh and green. The beauty of the women who gather there at night, this beauty which was already remarked in the sixth century, and in which was seen the gift of the Virgin Mary (by Antonius Martyr, Itiner., 5), has been surprisingly well preserved.

It is the Syrian type, in all its languishing grace.–Renan.POINTS FOR . 1. Note the shifting scenes of this lesson.

It begins in Bethlehem, shifts to Egypt, ends in Nazareth of Galilee. A pupil should give a description of each of these, and the duty should be assigned the week before. 2. Follow the travels of the Holy Family upon the map. 3. Portray the striking changes of the lesson–(a) The Young Child receiving homage of foreign ambassadors and tribute in Jerusalem; (b) carried by night in hot haste and in concealment to Egypt; (c) the return from thence to dwell in a humble home in a despised hamlet. 4. Point out the care of God of his own–(a) The wise men not allowed to go back to Herod; (b) Joseph warned to flee to Egypt; (c) sent to Galilee on return; (d) Abundant means provided to pay the expenses of a home in exile. 5. Note the abominable character of the usurping king of the Jews, contrasted with him who was “born to be King of the Jews.” Yet the Jews rejected the latter. 6.

Bring out the sad tragedy at Bethlehem–its cause, its circumstances, and the weeping Rachel. 7. Trace the parallels between Joseph, Moses and Christ, and show how Egypt was connected with all. 8.

Note that God called Israel out of Egypt, Christ out of Egypt, and still calls every “son” out of Egypt. 9. Bring out all the facts narrated by the gospels about the Young Child, up to the date of the return to Nazareth. 9. Illustrate in Herod the utter ungodliness of those who surrender themselves to evil; an example to be shunned and abhorred; but the Young Child an example to be loved and followed.