OpenTheo

The Fifth Day of Christmas: Rachel, Desolate and Restored

Alastair Roberts

The Fifth Day of Christmas: Rachel, Desolate and Restored

December 29, 2018
Alastair Roberts
Alastair Roberts

Over the Christmas period, I am posting videos exploring biblical echoes and symmetries in the stories of the nativity in the gospels. In this fifth video I reveal the character of Rachel lying behind the narrative of Matthew 2. For more on the character of Rachel in Matthew 2, see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr7pL2Dd3-o.

My blog for my podcasts and videos is found here: https://adversariapodcast.com/.

If you have any questions, you can leave them on my Curious Cat account: https://curiouscat.me/zugzwanged.

If you have enjoyed these talks, please tell your friends and consider supporting me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zugzwanged. You can also support me using my PayPal account: https://bit.ly/2RLaUcB.

The audio of all of my videos is available on my Soundcloud account: https://soundcloud.com/alastairadversaria. You can also listen to the audio of these episodes on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/alastairs-adversaria/id1416351035?mt=2.

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditCopy Link

Transcript

More on OpenTheo

Does Open-Mindedness Require Studying Other Religions Before Becoming a Christian?
Does Open-Mindedness Require Studying Other Religions Before Becoming a Christian?
#STRask
February 9, 2026
Questions about the claim that if Christians really want to be open-minded, they need to read and study other religions before committing to Christian
How Do I Determine Which Topics at Work Are Worth Commenting On?
How Do I Determine Which Topics at Work Are Worth Commenting On?
#STRask
January 5, 2026
Questions about how to determine which topics at work are worth commenting on, and a good way to respond when you’re in a group Bible study and hear e
Is Greg Placing His Faith in the Wrong Thing?
Is Greg Placing His Faith in the Wrong Thing?
#STRask
February 12, 2026
Questions about Greg placing his faith in his personal assessment of which truth claims best match reality rather than in the revelation of God in Jes
Why Are So Many Christians Condemning LGB People Just Because of How They Love?
Why Are So Many Christians Condemning LGB People Just Because of How They Love?
#STRask
January 15, 2026
Questions about Christians condemning LGB people just because of how they love, how God can expect someone to be celibate when others are free to marr
Shouldn’t I Be Praying for My Soul Rather Than for Material Things?
Shouldn’t I Be Praying for My Soul Rather Than for Material Things?
#STRask
February 2, 2026
Questions about whether we should be praying for our souls rather than for material things, why we need to pray about decisions, whether the devil can
E. Calvin Beisner: Climate and Energy Policy
E. Calvin Beisner: Climate and Energy Policy
Knight & Rose Show
January 4, 2026
Wintery Knight and Desert Rose welcome Dr. E. Calvin Beisner to discuss climate and energy policy. They explore Biblical dominion and stewardship, con
Are Demon Possessions and Exorcisms in the New Testament Literal?
Are Demon Possessions and Exorcisms in the New Testament Literal?
#STRask
December 11, 2025
Questions about whether references to demon possessions and exorcisms in the New Testament are literal, how to talk to young children about ghosts, an
How Could One Person Trust Another Person on the Topic of God?
How Could One Person Trust Another Person on the Topic of God?
#STRask
March 5, 2026
Questions about how one person could trust another person on the topic of God, how STR obtained information about God that others haven’t obtained, an
Is This an Argument for Relativism?
Is This an Argument for Relativism?
#STRask
March 16, 2026
Questions about whether the fact that the truth about one’s age changes over time is an argument for relativism, and how to ground virtues like courag
Why Is It Necessary to Believe Jesus Is God?
Why Is It Necessary to Believe Jesus Is God?
#STRask
February 19, 2026
Questions about why it’s necessary to believe Jesus is God, whether belief in the Trinity is required for salvation, and why one has to believe in the
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 1
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 1
Risen Jesus
March 11, 2026
Did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John write the gospels that bear their names? The texts themselves do not name them as the authors and were published and
What Is Wrong with Wokeness? With Neil Shenvi
What Is Wrong with Wokeness? With Neil Shenvi
Life and Books and Everything
January 19, 2026
In this timely interview, Kevin talks to Neil Shenvi about his new book (co-authored with Pat Sawyer), entitled “Post Woke: Asserting a Biblical Visio
Prove to Me That Jesus Is Not a Created Being
Prove to Me That Jesus Is Not a Created Being
#STRask
January 26, 2026
Questions about why we should think Jesus is not a created being, and what it means to say God became fully human if part of being human means not bei
What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives if He Doesn’t Give Us Instructions?
What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives if He Doesn’t Give Us Instructions?
#STRask
February 23, 2026
Questions about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, advice for someone who believes in God intellectually but struggles to understand how to hav
Would You Say God’s Primary Object Is to Not Be Found?
Would You Say God’s Primary Object Is to Not Be Found?
#STRask
March 19, 2026
Questions about whether God’s primary object is to not be found, how one can say God doesn’t make mistakes if the percentage of Christians in the worl