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NASB | Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king (Herod the Great), magi (wise men) from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, |
Bible Question:
Thank you for your response. I completely forgot about the disgrace issue with Mary, but I would like to point out some things, that are still bothering me. Nazareth is about 100 kilometers away from Bethlehem (2 hrs by car, about a week to a week and a half by foot). Bethlehem is about 5 to 8 km outside of Jerusalem. With that in mind - think of the star (it's proximity to Jerusalem and Bethlehem and surrounding vicinity) it could be seen apparently for miles. Being so close to Jerusalem and Herod's henchmen, wouldn't Herod or someone in the vicinity have seen it before the Magi arrived? Assuming of course they had arrived almost 2 years later. Also, since it was so visible, would it have been wise for Mary and Joseph to have stayed in Bethlehem for close to 2 years? (Just a thought). Also, Nazareth was North of Jerusalem (Bethlehem south of Jerusalem) why would Mary and Joseph complete their duties at the temple then turn back to Bethlehem when their home was in the opposite direction? There is the disgrace issue and of course the census probably did take some time. But two years? One more thing, we know there was a two year time frame because of Herod's decision to kill all male children 2 yrs old and younger. If it had been a 40 day time frame he would have killed just newborn males. As you can see I have many questions in regards to this. |
Bible Answer: As Redeemer, Jesus's function was to fulfill the law and the prophecies. Herod was able to direct the magi to Christ's birthplace, Bethlehem, by prophecies concerning the Messiah's birthplace. God's wisdom is foolishness to men, and vice versa. You're right, it probably wasn't wise for the Ben Jacob family to stay in Bethlehem, but since God is omnipotent and omniscient they could do as God pleased. Remember the story of Balaam and his ass? Balaam didn't see the avenging angel until it pleased God to reveal him to Balaam. And we humans are so stubborn--Balaam and his ass had a conversation (as if talking to an ass wasn't enough!) before the miraculous revelation of the angel. I believe nobody around there saw the star because it's like Jesus said (a fulfillment of prophecy) they will look and not see. 1 Thessalonians 5.21 says to put all things to the test: keep what is good. Do you remember when Mary Magdalene was about to be stoned when caught in adultery? The crowd was an unruly mob, and Scripture tells us that Jesus was writing on the ground. Do you know what He wrote? No, and neither do I, but I trust that God's word is silent on this because we are to get another point from that story. May God help us stay focused on the fact that Jesus was the fulfillment of God's Word, and that God protected Jesus and his family for the completion of God's plan of salvation. |