Deranged Rulers Can’t Stop Hope

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. — Matthew 2:16

Most of us know that unmoderated fear can result in acts of self-preservation. And acts of self-preservation have the potential to escalate, inflicting harm to others. And this is King Herod. He was a deranged ruler who frequently used threats and murder to save face when he felt outmaneuvered. Historical records tell us that he even murdered his wife and two children. And right here, his deranged saga continues when he feels threatened by the news of a coming King. So Herod seeks to locate and destroy the baby. But he became furious when he discovered that the wise men made him look foolish. In a horrific act of self-preservation, he aborted all the male babies born over two years. And while we don't exactly know how many this might have been, most believe around 100 infant boys.

But while this was a great injustice, greater injustice needed to be resolved. The sin that had separated mankind from God since the dawn of time. And God's plan was not to be undone. In the shadow of this injustice, justice was born and rescued from the terror of a deranged king. A Savior was saved. A King would rule. Hope would live on in the only surviving boy from the town of Nazareth.

If you feel a little hopeless today, don't give up hope. God saved all mankind in the middle of what looked like a hopeless situation.

ASK THIS: Are you looking for hope?

DO THIS: Don't give up just yet. God saved mankind in what appeared to be a hopeless moment.

PRAY THIS: God, I believe. You are my hope. Help me to see hope through my hopeless moment.

PLAY THIS: Hope Has A Name.