Only God’s Way Is Perfect

 HEROD: ONLY GOD'S WAY IS PERFECT

Read Matthew 2.1-18

We have all experienced something that hasn't quite gone according to plan. Maybe you've had a big game cancelled due to rain. Maybe you planned to get your homework finished but got completely distracted and missed the deadline.

Unexpected challenges constantly arise and throw off our plans, it's just part of life. But the story of King Herod we read today shows us that God's sovereign plans are never derailed even in the face of challenges.

Meet Herod

At this point in history, Herod has been the king of the Jews for about forty years, but he actually has very little power. Since the Jewish nation is part of the Roman Empire during this time, Herod himself is actually under the control of Caesar and the Roman governors. This means he would have had to answer to both the Jewish people, who he ruled over, and the Roman rulers, who ruled over him.

Herod is not a man of good character. He is full of pride and a lust for power, which makes him a terribly fearful and weak leader. He is known for his hunger for power and demonstrations of violence to provoke fear and will go so far as to kill anyone who even remotely threatens his position of leadership, even his own family members.

Naturally then, Herod is displeased when he, the king of the Jews, hears that there are men in Jerusalem asking,

"Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?" (Matthew 2.2). 

In his paranoia, he calls for the chief priests and scribes, the religious leaders and teachers of the Old Testament Scriptures, and asks where the promised Messiah is to be born (Matthew 2.3-4).

We don't want to miss the significance of this, Herod fully believes that a king has been born, and He knows this King is the promised Messiah. This is why he asks the priests and scribes where He can be found. But even though he knows what the prophets prophesied about this King and the restoration He would bring for Israel (Micah 5.2), he is determined to stop Him.

Herod's pride, fear, and hunger for power keep him from surrendering to God's plan. Instead, he tries to stop it, first by ordering the wise men to report the child's location back to him (Matthew 2.7-8). When that doesn't work, he gives the terrible order that all male babies under two years old in Bethlehem must be killed (Matthew 2.16).

God's Sovereign Plans

While Herod's efforts to murder Jesus might initially seem like a threat to God's plans, we see that God is in complete control. He isn't surprised by Herod's pride or his desperate attempts to stop His plans. He sees Herod's heart and knows what he will do before he even does it, for nothing is outside of God's sovereign knowledge. God then speaks to Joseph in a dream and warns him of Herod's coming decree (Matthew 2.13). The young Jesus is saved, and God's plan to save His people will continue.

The whole story of the Bible reveals this same truth: God is in control, and His plans will never be stopped. His plan has always been to send Jesus to earth. Nothing could prevent that plan from being carried out, not even an evil and murderous king like Herod. Even when Jesus is later arrested and crucified, it is all a part of God's sovereign plan to save His people (Acts 2.23).

What Does This Mean for Me?

Herod may have had his own plan to stop Jesus from taking His place as King, but God's plans are always bigger and better. Nothing and no one could prevent Him from carrying out His good plan to bring redemption and restoration to the earth. In fact, Romans 8:28 says, 

"We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."

Jesus came to earth for us. He died and rose again for those who place their trust in Him, and He will return to bring ultimate restoration in the future, a promise that no earthly power, now or then, can obstruct. In response to this truth, we can find joy in knowing that God's sovereign plans can't be derailed and that those sovereign plans are ultimately for our good.

Application Questions

Herod was afraid of losing his power. Are there aspects of your life that you are afraid to give up? 

What would it look like for you to trust in God's sovereignty and surrender those things to Him?

How does it comfort you to know that God's plans for your life cannot be derailed?

Pray and ask God to help you trust Him with all aspects of your life.