We do not get an account of the infancy of the Lord Jesus in Matthew as we do in Luke. It is the presentation of the King in the first Gospel. There are the names of a large number of kings mentioned in chap. 1, but only one is called “David the king.” In this chapter we have One “born king of the Jews.” All the intermediate links are passed over. As in Psalm 72: “Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son” —to Him Who has universal sway.
We were speaking last week of the omission of three kings in chap. 1. This was God's government, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, the sons of Athaliah It is worthy of notice that in that chapter we have “Emmanuel, God with us.” This is essential, the foundation of everything. In Mark we read, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.” In Luke, “that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” In John, “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory; the glory as of the only Begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.” Compared with Luke we have here no Simeons, no Annas. Coming to His own His own will not have Him.
In chap. 1 the Jewish side is very bright, the Gentile very black; but in chap. 2 it is reversed. If He came unto His own possessions—His crown and kingdom—His own people received Him not; but God prepared Gentiles, who should own and welcome His advent. Out of that which was the Jew's chiefest possession the oracles of God—are culled these evidences of who He was. There was no gainsaying their correctness; no one disputed their accuracy. Jacob had prophesied “the Scepter should not depart from Judah until Shiloh come; and Balaam too had predicted a Star to arise out of Jacob, and now was fulfillment. He of Whom Jacob and Balaam had spoken was now come. The Magi came to do Him homage. Where can we get another “born king"? David alone is called king in the preceding chapter, as here our Lord Jesus. What a testimony to the people's condition—all Jerusalem troubled! No wonder Herod was! But he who was so cruel knew not what he would do. There was a general feeling that some one was coming, and there was such remarkable care in studying the letter of the word, that it could be said where the Messiah should be born; yet that study was lifeless. Unless we connect all with Jesus, we fail to get the profit from any portion of scripture. Herod was very crafty. He knew of whom to inquire. He does not expect to get the information where from the wise men, but the when He was born he does inquire of them.
Bethlehem is a very interesting place. Near there Rachel died; thither Ruth came. But its greatest interest was that it should be marked out not only as David's birthplace, but that of his greater Son. God is overruling all, He brings this about. Joseph and Mary are at Nazareth, but Christ must be born at Bethlehem, and the decree goes forth from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. All the machinery of that vast empire is set in motion to bring God's purpose about. This is very comforting to His own. Let us turn to the quotation in Micah 5 The Holy Spirit often quotes scripture differently. Why are the words “unto Me” omitted? Often a quotation is from the LXX., but this is not. The Holy Spirit knows all that the word contains. In Psalm 40 we read, “mine ears hast thou digged.” This is quoted in Hebrews 10, “a body hast thou prepared me.” That thought was contained in it. Here the thought is He was coming to those who would reject Him. It is very seldom that a quotation is given exactly, because, as another has said, “In the quotation you have New Testament drapery.” This is God's own way.
How you see Satan acting here as the liar and murderer! Herod had no intention of doing homage to the King born. He thought he would be sure to succeed in getting rid of Him when he murdered the male children under two years old. Traveling was slow in those days. No one could be dogmatic, but there are those who think that these wise men may have been taken to Nazareth. At any rate it was not the inn, it was a house. But it may have been a different visit. The Star re-appeared. We can see this star was no ordinary one, but something sufficiently low down to indicate the house. There are no difficulties in the word of God to faith. If we believe in the resurrection of Christ, it prepares us to believe all that God says.
All Jerusalem was troubled; some Gentiles were made exceedingly happy. It was something like what Peter says, “Joy unspeakable and full of glory.” It must have been a very important matter to these men from the east to have caused them to take this very long journey. They naturally thought that Jerusalem, as the capital, would have been the birthplace of the King. And now to see the star again, it was a great cause for rejoicing. The expression “young child” shows He was not an infant as when Simeon took Him up. They make no fuss over Mary. The Lord Jesus is never called the child of God. In the early chapters of Acts it is Servant; not “child” — translated Son. The first time the Lord Jesus is called “Son” of God, in the Acts is by Paul in chap. 9. In connection with the Son the church comes in. Though Peter made that confession to Him as Son in connection with which the church is first named, there is nothing of the Son in his testimony.
They saw the young child, the One they had been looking for, and fell down and worshipped Him. (What a rebuke to those who give Mary the holy character of Him Who was born of her!) They don't even give her the gifts to give Him, they tender them to Him. God felt strongly about the idolatry of His ancient people, but Mariolatry is far worse. In the future, to Him shall be given of the gold of Sheba and daily shall He be praised. Prayer also shall be made for Him continually—a puzzle to many. Did He need their prayers? The force is that it will be a time of such blessing that there will be those who will pray for a continuation of it. Gold—a kingly gift. Frankincense was connected with worship. It was all the Lord's in the meal offering. It told of the intrinsic excellencies of that blessed One to God. Myrrh was used in the holy anointing oil, and for embalming. And so we have the recognition not only of His advent, but of His death, the basis of all blessing to man and His preciousness to God. God is graciously acting here to guard Him and to save them. God turns Herod's way upside down. The Magi don't want to see him again; they depart home another way.
How many have gone wrong over verse 13! People have reasoned and said that the Lord Jesus was taken to Egypt to escape the sword of Herod. But if you see Him identifying Himself with His people in everything, how different! There was the murderous hate, but it was not possible for Him to be touched until the hour had come. Look at Nazareth, where the Lord told them that in the days of Elijah no widow of Israel got blessing, etc. —it is wonderful the Lord revealing that the little captive girl had never known one leper cleansed, yet had faith for her master! they sought to throw Him over the hill, but He passed through them unscathed.
It is an angel in ver. 13. Joseph is the principal person in these chapters as Mary is in Luke. Through him the Lord Jesus was the legal heir to the throne. He was not Joseph's child, but Joseph could stand in the relation of parent. He does what he is told. In the light of the New Testament we can enjoy the prophecy of Hosea, “When Israel was a child then I loved him and called my son out of Egypt.” But what a scene of rejection in this chapter! How humbling it will be to the Jew in the day that is coming! The Jew always gets his proper place through repentance on his part and judgment on his enemies.
The great point here is the fulfillment of many leading prophecies, vers. 6, 15, 18: in the last verse He shall be called a Nazarean. Nazareth was the despised place. It is in keeping with the prophets generally; there is no special quotation. It is a general term of reproach. The prophets show generally that He should be despised and rejected. God was arranging it all that He should go to Nazareth.
Why are Ramah and Rachel brought in? Ramah was in Benjamin, and Benjamin was the son of Rachel. Benjamin is a beautiful type of the Lord, exalted by His right hand and to His right hand. He is the right hand of the Lord that triumphed gloriously. The word was kept that was spoken in ver. 13. In ver. 20 the angel brings the word again. We must keep before us the thought of this wonderful King. He had almost 3o years of silence. It has been said that the first advent of the Lord Jesus is divided into two stages; so is the second advent. The first advent is referred to in Micah 5. But it says later in this book, “Behold thy king cometh unto thee,” quoting from Zechariah. What does that refer to? The first advent. But 30 years lie between the fulfillment of these two prophecies. Many prophecies speak of His birth and then of His presentation with an interval between. There is also an interval between His coming in the air for His own and His appearing in glory. He is born King, proved King by their own registers, but if He reigns over them, there must be a moral preparedness in them. So the Baptist is sent. There must be the trying experience of repentance, for this is the path to blessing. The Ten tribes have not had Him presented to them as their King; Judah has, and refused Him, and will go through the great tribulation; not so the Ten Tribes. Judah said “his blood be on us"; Judah shall yet have the spirit of grace and supplication poured on them.