RELIGION: Herod the Great’s horrific attempt to kill God Through Executions

Continued from Dec. 28, 2022, issue...

One of the most horrific events associated with the birth of Christ was perpetrated by Herod the Great, the vassal king of Judea operating under the authority of Caesar Augustus.

When the Magi showed up in Jerusalem asking where the "King of the Jews" was, Herod immediately assumed there was an insurrection brewing, a threat to his throne that would come in the form of a man declaring himself to be Messiah. Imagine his surprise when he discovered this threat was a child, born in the City of David, Bethlehem, practically on his doorstep.

Herod was ruthless when dealing with potential rivals and adversaries. He had a wife's brother, a high priest, assassinated when he challenged Herod's authority. He executed 46 members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling body, when they did the same. He had his mother-in-law murdered, as well as a wife (he had 10 in all) and two sons. A new rival, especially a child, would be no match for the homicidal designs of Herod the Great.

And so Herod ordered the execution of every male child under the age of two in Bethlehem and its outskirts. (This would have covered the time period during which the Magi said they began to see the celestial signs indicating the birth of the Jewish King.) Herod had no more unease giving this order than he would have had giving an order to change the color of the palace drapes.

But Herod, while he was deadly serious about protecting his throne, was decidedly unserious when it came to understanding the implications of his act. He either didn't know, didn't believe or simply didn't care that he was engaged in an attempt to kill God. And, as we all know, his attempt to do so was a failure.

There have been many throughout the history of man that have made the attempt, or claimed to have "killed" God in some form or fashion. Nietzsche, Stalin, Mao and your ubiquitous Facebook atheist among them. And yet, in spite of all their passion and zeal, they were -- are -- just as successful at ridding the world of God as Herod was.

And the reason is simple. While there are good and solid arguments for the existence of God, perhaps the most compelling was a child born in a stable in Bethlehem, who fulfilled hundreds of prophecies made over the course of thousands of years. He wasn't just another child, born on a cold and starry night. He was -- is -- God Himself, in human flesh.

-- Doug Chastain is a retired teacher and is currently a large-vehicle transportation specialist for the Siloam Springs School District. (Okay, he drives a bus.) He is also a grass maintenance technician at Camp Siloam. (Yeah, he mows the lawn.) You can contact him at dougchastain@gmail. com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.