Chronological Bible Study – Oct 3
What I Noticed Today (Matthew 2)
Matthew 2
In verses 1-12, Jesus’ infancy is described.
In verses 2-6, Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the days of King Herod. Wise men (gentiles) from the east came to Jerusalem asking where the king of the Jews was because they came to worship him.
Note: King Herod ruled from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C. Since Jesus was born during Herod’s rule, Jesus had to have been born during or before 4 B.C.
Herod was troubled by this. He assembled all the chief priests and scribes, asking where this child was born. They answered quoting Micah 5:2, a ruler who will shepherd the people of Israel will come from Bethlehem.
In verses 7-12, Herod secretly gathered the wise men together asking when the star had first appeared, told them to go find this child so he could go worship the child. The wise men followed the star to Bethlehem, found Jesus, fell down and worshiped him. They gave offerings of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then after being warned in a dream not to return to Herod then left to return home.
Note: The Hebrew word, "οἰκία," translated "house" in verse 11, indicates they were living in a house, not a “stable” as indicated in Luke 2.
Note: The three gifts offered by the wise men are significant: gold signifies his kingship, frankincense his priestly role, and myrrh his death (myrrh used for embalming).
In verses 13-15, an angel appeared to Joseph, telling him to take the family to Egypt because Herod was going to search for the child in order to kill him. Joseph complied leaving leavening Egypt immediately. This fulfilled Hosea 11:1.
In verses 16-18, Herod realized the wise men had tricked him, and ordered all boys in Bethlehem under two years old to be killed (presumably when the star appeared to the wise men). This fulfilled Jeremiah 31:15.
In verses 19-23, After Herod died, an angel appeared telling Joseph it was safe to return, so he brought his family back to Israel, settling in Galilee in the city of Nazareth.
Note: Matthew 2:23 refers to Nazareth as a fulfillment of what the prophets said. There is no direct Biblical reference to the prophets saying Jesus would be from Nazareth. However, Isaiah 4:2 and 11:1 refer to Jesse’s “branch.” The Hebrew word for branch includes the consonants nzr, which is also in the word “Nazareth.”
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.