This is the Bamaul podcast with Marty Solomon. I'm his co-host, Brent Billings. Today we finish our look at the story of the birth of Jesus, juxtaposing two kings and the kingdoms that they bring.

Yeah, we got introduced to a Herod in our last story, but we were busy looking at Magi and astrology and astronomy and all of that. So we really didn't have time. I wanted to stop us, but we had been stopped enough already. But Matthew's right in the log and all of a sudden he talks about Herod the great.

And I want to do some work today to try to appreciate that line because I think we just read over it like, oh, yeah, here he's the king. He's going to kill all the babies.

There's all kinds of historical context behind when Matthew says in the days of Herod the great or we'll look at Luke and Luke's going to say in the days of Caesar Augustus, that sentence carries so much historical context and weight to it that I want to go ahead and take a look at that.

I got some notes I'll read today. Keep me tied to my objectives. How about that? See if we can get out of here under 45 minutes this time. Back in the beginning of our study all the way back in session one, Brent, we talked about what we call the narrative. We call it a tale of two kingdoms,

tale of two kingdoms, which two kingdoms back in session one empire and Shalom empire and Shalom. I feel like we spent a pretty good amount of time in session one. And I feel like we really spent a lot of time in session two.

Jax deposing these two kingdoms talking a length about the dangers of empire and the invitation of Shalom and just empire and Shalom empire and Shalom which narrative is this which narrative is this all those kind of things.

Whether it was their time in the desert, learning how to lead with their voice and following God's voice, whether it was learning how not to use the stick, whether it was the tension of living in Shifa,

the challenge of living with abundance in session two as they built their own like physical empire. We kept seeing an agenda of Jax deposing in the scriptures. What we call empire and what God will call Shalom empire and peace.

This narrative makes a prominent appearance in the very beginning of the gospel records as well. There are two birth narratives direct direct birth narratives one in Matthew, one in Luke. I say that because I always like to say that John has a birth narrative. It just looks different.

But two direct birth narratives one in Matthew and one in Luke and both of them set the stage for the life of Jesus in a world of contrast. They do something they utilize the same tool to do something very very similar from two slightly different perspectives.

And of course Matthew is going to focus on Herod because Herod was in a practical sense, not a literal sense but in like an economic, a socio political economic sense. Herod was the king of the Jews. That was Herod the Great.

And so we said that Matthew's writing to what kind of an audience? Jews Jewish audience and so Matthew pulls on his context, Jewish context. And he's going to juxtapose Jesus's kingdom with the kingdom of Herod the Great.

So how about let's see here the gospel Matthew draws out a deep background of the rule of Herod the Great. It showcases how paranoid Herod was that a future ruler would even pose a threat to his kingdom.

I don't remember. I don't think we've talked much about Herod in session three yet. Have we? Is this kind of our introduction to Herod? I think we maybe briefly mentioned him when we're going through like the timeline of everything. But yeah. Herod Herod being one of the wealthiest guys who's ever lived.

Well, if history is correct at all, if history is even remotely correct. Herod's the richest man ever walked the face of the planet earth.

Also one of the most paranoid men to probably ever walk the face of the planet. Crazy wealthy and just crazy as well. Very, very paranoid individual.

But let's actually go ahead and finish off our finish off. We're going to look at the rest of chapter two in the gospel of Matthew today. So go and read us that passage so we have some scriptural context what we're talking about her when they had gone.

That being the magic when they had gone an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up. He said, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.

So he got up took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled with the Lord and said through the prophet out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the magi he was furious and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under in accordance with the time he had learned from the magi.

Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled a voice is heard in Ramah weeping and great morning Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted because they are no more.

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