The Secret Meeting

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” Matthew 2:7-8

When the governing official secretly calls for and holds a secret meeting we are put on the alert. The wise men were apparently not street-smart enough to see the problem in all that secrecy, but a dream sent from the Lord redirected them later. We should give the wise men some credit though, secrecy from a ruler need not be evil or corrupt. Herod may have known well the people of Jerusalem and might have prevented a rush of people descending upon the home of a young family. We have the same sort of thing going on today with a celebrity culture in much of the world.

If the Christ child were born in Bethlehem today, the young Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus would likely wake up one morning to a crowd of reporters and news media vans outside of their home. As word spread further, there might even be mobs of people wanting autographs. To get the family away to Egypt, Joseph would likely need to dig a mile-long tunnel out of the house.

We don't have to speculate on that though, Jesus was born in God's perfect time about 2,000 years ago. Herod did go on to do the evil deed and the wise men escaped not only the king's wrath but complicity in mass murder by an alternate route home. Jesus and His family were warned in time and made their escape to Egypt. The secret meeting and secret intentions of Herod were not hidden from the Lord!

Have a great and wonderful Christmas!
Bucky