Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word.
This week's question:

Rachel was a shepherdess who was beautiful of form and face and when Jacob saw her, he rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, watered the animals and then he kissed her. He made a pact with her father Laban, his uncle, that he would serve seven years for her. Laban gave him his older daughter Leah by stealth of the wedding night, much to the surprise of Jacob, who then agreed to work another seven years for Rachel (Genesis 29:1-28). After giving birth to Joseph, tragically, she died giving birth to Benjamin and was buried near Ephrath, which is Bethlehem (Genesis 35:16-19). Concerning Rachel, Jeremiah the prophet writes, "Thus says the Lord, 'A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.'" (Jeremiah 31:15).

 That brings us to our question, "Why was 'Rachel weeping for her children'"?. After Mary, who resided in Nazareth, was told by an angel that she would give birth to One that would be called "the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). Soon, Caesar Augustus sent out a decree that a census was to be taken to each in their "own city" (Luke 2:1-3). Joseph and Mary traveled to his city which was Bethlehem, as he was of the household of David, the tribe of Judah, where Mary gave birth to a Son (Luke 2:4-7). Soon, Magi, upon seeing a star in the east, traveled to Jerusalem and inquired of king Herod, "'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.' And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born. And they said to him, 'In Bethlehem in Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a ruler, who will shepherd My people Israel.' Then Herod secretly called the magi, and ascertained from them the time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, 'Go and make careful search for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, that I may too come and worship Him.'" (Matthew 2:2-8). As we shall see, Herod's motives to see the child were less than stellar. The magi did find the Christ Child, and worshipped Him and presented gifts to Him, and being warned by an God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way (Matthew 2:9-12). Then an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream that Herod would seek to destroy the Child, so they were to flee into Egypt until Herod's death, which they did by night, and after the death of Herod they returned so the prophesy might be fulfilled which said, "Out of Egypt did I call My Son." (Matthew 2:13-14).

 And so for our answer to our question, we turn and read, "Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi. Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, 'A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning , Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more.' But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 'Arise and take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead.' And he arose and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel." (Matthew 2:16-21).

So, there we have the answer to our question, as Rachel is weeping for her children of Israel as Herod has had the two year old and younger killed. Some think it was both male and female children that were decreed to be killed. But either way, Israel did mourn for their children around Bethlehem.

 As we can see, some men who are allowed by God in power can be wicked, but let us be content to know that One who was born in a manger brings us hope by these amazing events so that we may be uplifted by Him who fulfilled all prophesy through His sinless life and even Joseph and Mary as they heeded the word of God to care for Him in His early childhood.