Herod the Nice occupies a mere blip within the biblical narrative, however traditionally he was an enormous presence within the political panorama of the traditional world.
He hobnobbed with the likes of Antony and Cleopatra, the final word energy couple of their time.
An excellent architect and politician, Herod was additionally, by most requirements, evil.
That is why well-known tv persona and creator Kathie Lee Gifford turned a little bit obsessive about him.
NEW BOOK, A DEVOTIONAL CALLED ‘LIGHT FOR TODAY,’ MAY HELP OPEN EYES TO GOD AS ‘A LIVING REALITY’
Mentioned Gifford in an interview, “I am fascinated by these big, big, epic evil presences all by scripture, all the time juxtaposed in opposition to God’s goodness and His hope.”
Gifford has launched a collection of books about these “evil presences” within the Bible. The primary providing lately launched is “Herod and Mary: The True Story of the Tyrant King and the Mom of the Risen Savior.”
“I am fascinated by these big, big, epic evil presences all by scripture, all the time juxtaposed in opposition to God’s goodness and His hope,” stated Kathie Lee Gifford to Fox Information. (Kathie Lee Gifford; HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Gifford has carried out interviews about her new guide from her hospital mattress at TriStar Southern Hills Medical Heart in Nashville, Tennessee — as she did for Fox’s “Lighthouse Religion” podcast.
Gifford had an surprising well being setback a number of weeks in the past. After having a hip changed, she fell and broke her pelvis. Gifford stated, “I broke my pelvis within the entrance and the again … that is really extra painful than the hip.”
She’s since been launched from the hospital and has solely reward for her physicians and medical care.
WEDDING DILEMMA FOR MANY COUPLES: SHOULD GOD BE INVITED TO THE MARRIAGE CELEBRATION?
“It truly is simply superb.” she stated. “I had two unbelievable, unbelievable, fantastic males who operated on me and stated, ‘I will take excellent care of you, Kathy.'”
Now her focus is on telling the story of how God offers with evil within the Bible, on the planet and typically.
Kathy Lee Gifford’s new guide is “Herod and Mary: The True Story of the Tyrant King and the Mom of the Risen Savior,” which is a part of a collection. “We should not be shocked that there is nonetheless evil on the planet,” she informed Fox Information. (Getty Pictures)
“Persons are all the time asking me, ‘Do you suppose there’s extra evil on the planet in the present day than there was earlier than?'” stated Gifford.
“And I all the time say the identical factor. Should you look again all the best way to the Backyard of Eden initially of all the things, when God was strolling within the cool of the evening with Adam and Eve, evil was there within the type of the serpent … Devil was there even then. So we should not be shocked that there is nonetheless evil on the planet.”
“Persons are all the time asking me, ‘Do you suppose there’s extra evil on the planet in the present day than there was earlier than?'”
Once more, regardless of his temporary look within the biblical narrative, Herod was an extremely good man.
Even in the present day, historians communicate of his constructing initiatives, such because the temple in Jerusalem and the fortresses together with Herodium and Masada.
However he was additionally a paranoid villain who murdered, or ordered to be murdered, a number of members of his family, together with a spouse he really liked dearly — all as a result of he was suspicious of these in his inside circle and determined to hold onto his energy.
“Herod & Mary” by Kathie Lee Gifford has simply been printed. Within the guide, Gifford examines how evil by no means thwarts God’s plan A. (HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Within the Bible, Herod seems solely within the New Testomony, within the Gospel of Matthew within the story of Jesus’ start. He issued the now-famous edict — the killing of kids below age two due to a prophecy delivered to him by the smart males {that a} new king would quickly be born to the Jews.
They noticed “a star within the East.”
AMERICAN DOCTOR, FUELED BY FAITH, BRINGS HEALTH AND HEALING TO RURAL SUDAN: ‘GOD IS IN CHARGE’
In her guide, Gifford purposely seems to be at how evil by no means thwarts God’s plan A, His final good. The distinction in energy and status between Herod and Mary could not be extra palpable.
Gifford is adamant about explaining how evil working its method by the Bible or within the lives of individuals in the present day is nothing to concern.
Mentioned Gifford, “When the world thought nothing extra evil might be occurring … one thing much more wonderful than something that had ever occurred on the planet was occurring within the womb of a little bit teenage lady from Nazareth.”
Speaking about Herod and Mary presently of 12 months could seem a little bit odd, because it’s a part of the Christmas story, the feel-good heat of The Star of Bethlehem, “no room on the inn,” shepherds within the discipline and so forth.
However Gifford is adamant about explaining how evil working its method by the Bible or in our lives is nothing to concern, as God is all the time in cost.
Kathie Lee Gifford in New York Metropolis. Her focus is on telling the story of how God offers with evil within the Bible, on the planet and typically. (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Pictures)
He was in cost within the Backyard — and continues to be sovereign.
Evil persists as a result of people are sin-based creatures, journeying by life on the whims of their very own emotions and fears. Absent any course correction from a Divine and but goal and absolute supply, people are doomed.
TEXAS AUTHOR RECOUNTS NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES OF 70 PEOPLE WHO ‘ENCOUNTERED GOD OF LIGHT AND LOVE’
Evil in the present day seems to be extra highly effective than good — there’s conflict in its quintessential kind, however there are extra refined patterns. As an illustration, within the controversial Paris Olympics opening ceremony, the place it introduced a drag queen parody of Leonardo DaVinci’s iconic portray, “The Final Supper.”
The composition captures the cornerstone second in Christianity, a brand new covenant Jesus ushers in between God and man. Even Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted, saying to Pope Francis, “Underneath the guise of freedom of expression and tolerance, human dignity is being trampled on. Non secular and ethical values are being mocked.”
Social media is exploding as Christians observe that the movie not solely mocks Christianity however Jesus Himself.
Then there’s the just-released movie “Deadpool and Wolverine.” Social media is exploding as Christians observe the way it not solely mocks Christianity however Jesus Himself. The lead character calls himself “Marvel Jesus” and is crucified on the display screen.
Creator and conservative speaker Craig Huey commented, “This film is deliberately blasphemous. It is evil and immoral.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
However there’s additionally the not-so-famous summer season launch horror movie, “Lumina,” which — despite the fact that it acquired actually unhealthy opinions from RogerEbert.com — has a advertising and marketing slogan that needs to be a purple flag to any particular person of religion. It tells viewers to “embrace the darkness and concern the sunshine.”
The spiritually darkish directive contrasts with the Bible’s phrases, “God is mild, and in Him there is no such thing as a darkness.”
Mentioned Gifford, paraphrasing scripture, “‘On this world there will probably be bother. However concern not. Do not let your coronary heart worry.” (iStock)
Russian creator and dissident Alexzander Solzhenitsyn’s phrases have been by no means so more true than in the present day: “The battle traces between good and evil run by the guts of each human being. And who’s prepared to destroy a chunk of his personal coronary heart?”
For extra Way of life articles, go to www.foxnews/way of life
Herod thought he may handle God by eliminating the enemies he believed may thwart his energy. It is a unhappy however cautionary story.
Herod’s evil is what did him in. His licentious sexual urge for food introduced on him a diseased physique and a demented thoughts. He died in agony, with nobody guilty however himself.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Against this, Mary, the devoted and easy Jewish teenager, obeyed God. Regardless of Herod’s machinations, she gave start to Jesus, whom Christians consider is God’s promised Messiah.
That is how God works.
Mentioned Gifford, paraphrasing scripture: “‘On this world there will probably be bother. However concern not. Do not let your coronary heart worry. I’ve overcome the world’ — and we all know that He has. We should be reminded of it.”
