Matthew 2:7 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Matthew 2:7

Comments

Herod had a private meeting with the wise men and he quizzed them to find out exactly when the star appeared, because he believed that the first appearing of the star must coincide with the birth of the child. He badly wanted to know the age of the child because he had already formed in his mind a murderous plan to exterminate the child. According to the Scriptures which had been quoted to him, he sent them to Bethlehem to search diligently and report back to him. They knew their business better than he did, and Herod was content to let them find the child. He must have put himself across to them in a very convincing way, putting on his most respectful and sincere demeanour, for they went away suspecting nothing. He was concerned to find the child as they were, because like them he too wished to worship, they thought. In saying this he showed that he knew what was the only right way to respond to this revelation given to the wise men and backed up by Scripture. The word ‘worship’ is not used without significance. The wise men knew, and every Jew knew, that worship could only be offered to God; Herod also was aware of this. This was no ordinary child. Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Messiah made this clear: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6). But in saying this Herod shows his typical lying hypocrisy. While he feigned a desire to worship, he really intended to commit murder. What dark schemes men and women hide under the pretence of serving God! Two things met together here which could not be further apart: the worship of the incarnate Son of God, and his murder. So Judas betrayed the Son of man with a kiss. Satan always works with lying schemes and he urges his servants to work in the same way, and certainly it was Satan who was behind these terrible events for Revelation 12:4 tells us that ‘the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.’

Application

How vain are all attempts to overthrow the purposes of God. What Herod thought to do here in his wickedness is captured and recorded in Scripture for all generations to see: an exhibition of human wickedness, and an analysis of the sinfulness of sin. He attempted to overturn God’s purposes, but all such attempts must fail. He thought he could use the prophecies of the word of God to gain information by which to destroy the Son of man in his infancy. What foolishness, to think he could outwit God. Does the Lord tell us what he is going to do so that we can prevent him doing it? And yet God allows sin to express itself, so that he can demonstrate his skill in outwitting it. How wonderful that God’s purposes are so firmly established that it is safe for him to reveal what his enemies will try to use against him, and yet there is no cause to fear that he will be thwarted in any degree.

Bishop Hall comments, ‘The sages came out of the east to worship him whom the village [of Bethlehem] refused. The Bethlehemites were Jews; the wise men Gentiles. This first entertainment of Christ was a presage of the sequel: the Gentiles shall come from afar to adore Christ, while the Jews reject him.’ He has the wise men speak in this fashion: ‘What, do we come so far to honour a King whom no man will acknowledge? what mean we to travel so many hundred miles to see that which the inhabitants will not look out to behold?’

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Matthew 2:7 Commentary and Bible Study