Today’s devotion is based on Week 1 of “Resolve”: Set Proper Priorities! (WATCH HERE)
Whenever we feel threatened, we get unnerved.
A strange sound at the door in the middle of the night…
A rustle in the trash can next to our camp while sleeping…
Word from a friend at work that you might be laid off…
It’s no fun to be disturbed by unexpected, challenging news.
Herod and all in Jerusalem were no different.
When the wise men from the east came and inquired about the one born King of the Jews, it did not sit well with Herod. He seemed to hide his real emotions pretty well, but his uneasiness spread through all of Jerusalem.
For Herod, it was a threat to his throne.
Perhaps for all the people in Jerusalem, it was the threat of being invaded yet again by the peoples from the east as they had been years ago by Babylon and Assyria. Or maybe the people were uneasy because of the paranoia of Herod to get rid of anyone he felt was a threat to him and his grasp of power.
But yet, the response of Herod knew that this wasn’t a secular invasion, he asked the chief priests, “Where is the Messiah to be born?”
This certainly implies Herod knew OF the promises of God, but had no belief that these promises fulfilled would be any good, rather a threat to him and his rule in Jerusalem.
But to answer the question, he turned to those that knew the Word of God.
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” (Matthew 2:3-8)
Herod’s unnerving didn’t stop when he heard the prophecy and answer the question about where the Messiah was to be born. Although he said the wise men to return and let him know if they find him, he had no intent on honoring Jesus as the King of kings.
The Word of God fueled the disturbance in his heart. He didn’t understand the role of the Messiah and the rule he would usher in. Herod felt his throne was threatened, but really it was his heart that was threatened. He didn’t want some other authority to yield to. He, and he alone, wanted to be in charge, not only of Judah, the region, but also his own heart.
The Wise Men on the other hand received the promise of God through prophecy and followed the promise to Bethlehem and encountered Jesus, not disturbed, but overjoyed that they were in the presence of the Savior, their Savior.
So what does the Word of God do when it reaches your heart? Does it cause disruption and uneasiness? Perhaps it’s because we are not allowing or wanting our hearts to be ruled by Jesus and his truth. Does it cause rejoicing and peace? This is what it does when our hearts are changed by the Holy Spirit to receive Jesus as not just the King of the Jews, but the king of our hearts.
Apply: When the Word of God makes our heart uneasy, it is usually God’s Spirit identifying he wants to rid from us or purify us from. Notice this as you read the Word and seek God’s Spirit to let every Word be living and active inside of you to bring the rejoicing and peace God’s Word is meant to bring!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for disturbing our hearts and using that disturbance to lead us to you where we find peace in all things and reasons to rejoice at your love and grace. AMEN.