Matthew 2

In Matthew 2 we see King Herod asking the teachers and priests where the Christ was to be born:"When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'(Matt 2:4-6)

What is so clear here is the importance of knowing the scriptures - the teachers of the law knew their Old Testament, and were able to quote Michah 5:2 which answered Herod's question. All of our answers are in the Bible, and we must not let our own ignorance stop us from knowing them. Get in the word, learn it, eat it, breathe it and know the answers to life's questions!

An interesting point in verse 9 when the magi come to the 'house' where the 'child' was. This shows that this takes place some time later, as they are no longer in the inn, and Jesus is now a child, not a baby. It is suggested that it took a year or two for the magi to get to Jesus - whatever the case, it clearly wasn't on the night he was born like the nativity suggests.

In verse 13, 'an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream'. This is an intersting thought, but it seems to me to point to different stages of faith in God. When the angel told Joseph that Mary was pregnant with God's son, he appeared to him in person. After this, no doubt, Joseph's faith was sky high, and so God was able to communicate through a dream the next time, and Joseph would trust God's message.