Excerpt from Birth of the Messiah by Paul Thomas Smith.
(reading only)
Angry and frustrated that the Wise Men had not furnished the information he needed, Herod attempted to destroy the child by ordering the murder of all children two years of age and younger in Bethlehem and surrounding communities (see Matt. 2:16).
That order placed John, son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, in grave danger, for his was a miraculous birth also, and prophetic blessings made him a possible candidate in the eyes of some to be the promised Messiah. Whatever happened to John during his formative years is not disclosed in scripture. Surely he was nurtured, protected, and prepared for his role as the forerunner of the Lord.
The carrying out of Herod's horrible edict fulfilled that which was spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah: "In Rama 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" (Matt, 2:18; see also Jer. 31:15). Rachel was buried at Bethlehem, and Rama is thought to have been near Jerusalem.
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