(First century) All of the male children two years and younger in and around Bethlehem were killed by Herod the Great in an attempt to kill the Christ. This account in the Gospel according to Matthew references Jeremiah 31:15, a prophecy about the weeping of Rachel in Ramah. Ramah is where her tomb was located (cf. 1 Samuel 10:2). Rachel was the wife of Jacob, who was renamed Israel, and she is the ancestor of the northern tribes. For Jeremiah, she personified the people of Israel as a mother. Rachel had to wait a long time for her children to come into existence, only to have their descendants slaughtered.
When we put faith in our own efforts, we often see failure or backsliding. We are called to surrender to and trust in God, even when it seems confusing. When have you had to trust in God or your recovery program, even when it did not make sense?
“When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi” (Matthew 2:16).
Reflection by Brad Farmer