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From Heaven With Love
Soldiers were sent to Bethlehem with orders to put to death all
the children of two years and under. The quiet homes of the city of
David witnessed scenes that 600 years before had been opened to
the prophet: “In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and
weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and
would not be comforted, because they are not.”
This calamity the Jews had brought upon themselves. They
had rejected the Holy Spirit, their only shield. They had searched
for prophecies which could be interpreted to exalt themselves and
show how God despised other nations. It was their proud boast that
the Messiah was to come as a king and tread down the heathen in
His wrath. Thus they excited the hatred of their rulers. Through
their misrepresentation of Christ’s mission, Satan had purposed to
compass the destruction of the Saviour; but instead, it returned on
their own heads.
Soon after the slaughter of the innocents, Herod died a fearful
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death. Joseph, still in Egypt, was now bidden by an angel to return to
Israel. Regarding Jesus as the heir of David’s throne, Joseph desired
to make his home in Bethlehem; but learning that Archelaus reigned
in Judea in his father’s stead, he feared that the father’s designs
might be carried out by the son.
Joseph was directed to a place of safety, Nazareth, his former
home. Here for nearly thirty years Jesus dwelt, “that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, He shall be called a
Nazarene.” Galilee had a much larger mixture of foreign inhabitants
than Judea; thus there was less interest in matters relating especially
to the Jews.
Such was the Saviour’s reception when He came to earth. God
could not trust His beloved Son with men, even while carrying
forward His work for their salvation! He commissioned angels to
attend and protect Jesus till He should accomplish His mission and
die by the hands of those whom He came to save.
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