Written by Dawn Rutan
The Gospel of Matthew 2:18 quotes the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15 (ESV), “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” Matthew indicates that this prophecy was fulfilled by Herod killing all the male children in Bethlehem in an effort to kill the infant Jesus.
As I’ve commented here before, the plans of God don’t always make sense to us. In God’s sovereign will, it was important that prophecies be recorded and fulfilled in order to prove who Jesus was. Matthew points out this prophecy from Jeremiah as well as Hosea 11:1, “Out of Egypt I called my son,” (among others) as evidence for Jesus being the Messiah. Herod turned out to be the mechanism by which the prophecies were fulfilled, and because of him many families were left brokenhearted in the death of their sons. Estimates of the number of children killed vary widely, from 6 or 7 to 64,000. No matter how many boys were killed, this was a tragic event in the small town of Bethlehem.
It would be nice to think that all God’s plans would be accomplished without any suffering. But the narrative of the Bible says that is not often the case. Just think of the lives of Moses, Joseph, David, Ruth, Esther, Paul, etc. or read Hebrews 11. They were used by God in the midst of trying circumstances. “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised” (Hebrews 11:29 ESV). They had faith in God and hope for “things not seen,” which allowed them to keep following God no matter what.
Because we live in a fallen world, wrecked by our own sin and the sin of others, God’s path often leads through dark valleys. On the positive side, as we read through Scripture and see the lengths to which God went to fulfill His purposes and promises, we can have greater hope that He will do the same for us. Here are a few of the promises that I need to be reminded of frequently (just a few of the ones I have highlighted in my Bible app):
- “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23).
- “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
- “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:18-19).
- “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).
- “I Myself will be the shepherd of My sheep, and I Myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice” (Ezekiel 34:15-16).
- “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten… You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never again be put to shame” (Joel 2:25-26).
- “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me” (Micah 7:8).
- “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
- “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
I think it’s safe to say that we wouldn’t recognize Jesus as the Light of the World if the world weren’t so full of darkness, and that is reflected in the circumstances of His birth. So this Christmas, no matter what else is going on, may we find the light in God’s faithfulness to keep His promises and may we cling to the hope that provides.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” –Isaiah 9:2
