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Herod was no different from people today.

He rebelled against God and thought he could beat God.

That is where I pick up with our main passage today.

Illustration: "The worst industrial accident in history occurred almost 34 years ago on April 26, 1986, at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the town of Chernobyl in north central Ukraine of the former Soviet Union.

It was caused by the management of the plant not following warnings that should have prevented the catastrophe.

Each time they encountered a signal that would warn, ’Stop!

Dangerous!

Go no further!’

Each time the warning was foolishly disregarded.

The end result was a major explosion, thirty-one immediate deaths, untold eventual deaths, and the release of 100 million curies of radionuclides into the atmosphere that circulated worldwide.

Four hundred times more radioactive material was released from Chernobyl than by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Only time will determine the full extent and destruction of the accident.

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Dr. Jerry Sutton, Southern Baptist pastor, historian, and writer said the following in his book “The Way Back Home”: Often, we — like those foolish engineers — fail to heed the warning given to us by the Holy Spirit: ’Stop!

Dangerous!

Go no further!’

As a result, there comes a point when our restlessness and refusal to listen to the Spirit’s warning leads us to cross the line from restlessness to rebellion."

The fact is, all SIN is REBELLION against God.

Ever since the Garden of Eden, mankind has been in rebellion of God.

It is in our nature to rebel.

It takes courage, discipline and the help of the Holy Spirit in our lives to be what God calls us to be.

Let’s consider Herod.

He was jealous for his throne.

He wanted nothing to challenge him, even God.

He has been know to outright murder anyone to threaten him, including some of his wives and children.

When Herod hear about the One born king of the Jews, he was greatly troubled.

Matthew 2:16

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

In the preceding verses we learn that Joseph was warned in a dream to escape with Mary and the Child Jesus to Egypt.

In the preceding verses we learn that Joseph was warn in a dream to escape with Mary and the Child Jesus to Egypt.

Why do we not read from other sources (like Josephus) about the deaths of the two-year-olds and younger in Bethlehem?

Many scholars believe due to the small population of Bethlehem, there may have only been many 20 or so children effected, and compared to other many, many atrocities committed by Herod, this was relatively insignificant.

But Herod is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

He is no different than many nations in the world today, and in practical terms, he is no different than many people today, who do not want God to rule over any part of their lives.

ALL rebel against God’s PLAN.

That brings us to .

Does this sound familiar?

Our deacon read it this morning, as quoted by Peter and those gathered with him in that early church ().

They quoted verses 1 and 2 from the Greek translation of the Psalm.

This Psalm is quoted often in the NT.

Peter and that early church knew God is in control.

Armed with that fact, they spoke the word boldly.

Knowing that God has the victory, we can be bold in our witness for Him.

In light of the NT, this Psalm speaks clearly about Jesus, and in these verses it speaks how Jesus is plotted against.

Psalm 2:1

"Take their stand" is a a military term in the Hebrew meaning to prepare for war.

The plot together, they take council with each other to overthrow God and “against His Anointed” - in the Hebrew the word is “masih” or “Messiah” and in the Greek it is “Christos” or “Christ.”

The wording here is quite clear, they are ready to go to war with God and His Anointed who is clearly Jesus.

Look at what they say:

Psalm 2:3

They are in essence saying, "We do not want God to RULE over us, or to have any PART of us."

SOUND FAMILIAR?

And what is God’s reaction to this?

(NKJV) 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision.

5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”

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This is the only place in the Bible where we see God laugh, and its not a good laugh.

James Boice (Bible commentator) says this: What is God’s reaction to the haughty words of these pygmy human rulers?

God does not tremble.

He does not hide behind a vast celestial rampart, counting the enemy and calculating whether or not he has sufficient force to counter this new challenge to his kingdom.

He does not even rise from where he is sitting.

He simply “laughs” at these great imbeciles.

Unlike the rulers of nations today, God does not negotiate, not does He adjust Himself to suit the demands of the rebellious.

God reaffirms His plans, He firmly enforces His standards.

People have no concept of the complete knowledge of God and His unlimited power.

They think God will just roll over and play dead?

Throughout the Bible, there is warning after warning about a coming day of judgment.

God’s wrath will be displayed.

God has revealed Himself to all.

His POWER and GREATNESS cannot be missed and people foolishly think they can OPPOSE God.

(NKJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse

In an action to take place sometime in the future, God will established His Anointed, His Messiah, His Christ, as King – verse 6:

Jesus will rule from the Temple mount in Jerusalem.

This will be after the conclusion of the Great tribulation period we read about in Revelation and other future prophecies in the Bible.

In the next three verses, God’s Anointed (who is Jesus) speaks:

(NKJV) 7 “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’

”

In OT times, verse 7 was used in the coronation of Kings, and by calling the king the son of God, it was interpreted as God as installing the king.

In OT times, verse 7 was used in the coronation of Kings, and by calling the king the son of God, it was interpreted as God as installing the king.

In light of the NT, where we see God saying this very thing at the Baptism of Jesus and at the transfiguration of Jesus, this passage is very clearly meant for Jesus.

In light of the NT, where we see God saying this very thing at the BAPTISM of Jesus and at the TRANSFIGURATION of Jesus, this passage is very clearly meant for Jesus.

In OT times, verse 7 was used in the coronation of Kings, and by calling the king the son of God, it was interpreted as God as installing the king.

In light of the NT, where we see God saying this very thing at the Baptism of Jesus and at the transfiguration of Jesus, this passage is very clearly meant for Jesus.

The victory has been guaranteed.

All the world will belong to Jesus and will be under His rule.

Right now, it is under sway of the wicked one.

If you doubt that Satan rules this world now, you haven’t read your newspaper lately.

But Jesus will rule at some point in the future.