Holidays
“Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king.” So ring out the words of a song familiar to everyone who celebrates Christmas. Joy is the theme of many a card, caroler, and celebrant. Seems only a Grinch can be crabby at Christmas.
But that’s not the way it was when Christ was born. As we will see in later installments, many rejoiced when Jesus came into the world; however, there was one lost soul who did wring his hands with jealousy when he heard the news of the nativity: King Herod.
Herod the Great was the pro-Roman king over Israel when Christ was born (Matthew 2:1). He was sorely hated, and he knew it. His position with the Roman leaders was insecure as well. He was not on solid ground no matter how you look at it. He executed rabbis, family members—anyone who threatened his power.
Were Herod a humble, righteous man, he would have consulted the Scriptures for guidance in ruling the nation. “By me [wisdom] kings reign and rulers make laws that are just; by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth” (Proverbs 8:15, 16). However, Herod proved by his reaction to Christ’s birth that he was not interested in God. His story is told in Matthew 2:1–20.
The Magi asked Herod, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” (v. 2), not exactly what Herod wanted to hear. In fact, “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him” (v. 3).
Herod deceived the Magi by feigning a desire to worship this king (v. 8). He even turned to the religious leaders with his troubles, and was directed to the Scriptures (vv. 5, 6). He was given every opportunity to worship this king.
Sadly, as was Herod’s custom, he clung tenaciously to his power, with one hand on the crown and the other on a sword. He would have fared better had he read the Scriptures: “For jealousy enrages a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance” (Proverbs 6:34, NASB), and “Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, but who is able to stand before jealousy?” (Proverbs 27:4, NKJV).
Herod proved the veracity of these verses when he slaughtered the boys in Bethlehem who were two years old and younger (Matthew 2:16). His insane jealousy, like Saul’s against David (1 Samuel 18), was unleashed in the cruelest fashion.
The very next, and last, mention of Herod is his death. History tells us that he died of a terrible disease, a fitting finish for a murderous monarch. Because of God’s intervention (vv. 13–15), the King of the Jews lived and the King of Jealousy died.
Jealousy, envy, and covetousness are similar terms, which are similarly dangerous. They consume the spiritual, emotional, and physical strength of the one harboring them, spilling out in bitter billows to stain people nearby. An envious heart circulates bitterness, anger, depression, hatred, and even murderous intent through a person’s being. Finally, jealousy is a direct refutation of God’s goodness, and a manifestation of Satan’s hatred of God.
The tenth Commandment is, “You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17). The New Testament tells us, “You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God” (James 4:2). “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5, NKJV). Be satisfied with God’s provisions.
Satan’s fall was due to pride, manifested in the desire to be like—and subsequent hatred of—God (Isaiah 14:13). Jealousy springs from thinking we deserve better than we have. Ever since he fell from his first estate, Satan has tried to kill the Messiah. From Cain’s murder of Abel, to Herod’s slaughter, to the persecutions of Jews and Christians, and the Tribulation to come, Satan has been lashing out at God through His people. If he can’t kill them, he blinds them to truth (2 Corinthians 4:4). Herod chose to not believe the news about the Messiah because it hurt his pride and threatened his worldly position. He wanted what he thought he deserved, clinging to what he had, to his own destruction. In doing so, he was a pawn for Satan, filled with his hatred.
Jesus warned that there are only two options: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters” (Luke 11:23). There is neither neutrality nor nonchalance about Jesus—it’s love or hate. Is there some thing or some one that you desire that belongs to someone else? Are you clinging to something so hard that your eyes are squinted shut and you can’t see the truth about Jesus, the rightful King and Savior? The cure for jealousy is humble contentment. The cradle of joy is salvation.
Our next lesson will feature the Wise Men, the true Truth seekers.
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