MATTHEW 2:12-23 – “OUT OF EGYPT I HAVE CALLED MY SON”

MATTHEW 2:12-23 – “OUT OF EGYPT

I HAVE CALLED MY SON”

Matthew 2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Susie: The wise men obeyed the Holy Spirit’s message to them in the dream, and did not reveal the Baby’s location to Herod.

Susan: The Magi were truly wise and were not duped into becoming Herod’s henchmen. They went home by another route in order to avoid passing through Herod’s jurisdiction.

Matthew 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.  When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

Susan: Angels were protecting the Holy Child. Joseph like the Magi was warned in a dream of Herod’s insidious plot to kill the toddling baby Jesus. Joseph immediately took the family and fled to Egypt as the angel instructed. Some propose that the expensive gifts from the Magi may have been sold to finance this trip. The way that the Father protected Jesus at every turn should give us great confidence and courage that no matter what we face, if we believe and trust in our God, He will protect us with the same tenacity that He protected His Son.

Susie: Jesus was here on the mission of the redemption of man. In order to fulfill that, He had to live among us as the perfect God-Man which means He had to grow up!

Susan: God is as eager and intentional for each of us to fulfill our purposes as He was for Jesus to fulfill His.

Susie: When God calls us, it is not for our ease but for us to serve Him and bring others into His kingdom as well.

Matthew 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Hosea 11:1 (VOICE) Eternal One: When Israel was a child, I loved him; and out of Egypt I called My son.

Susie: Mary, Joseph, and Jesus had to return to the land of Israel’s captivity in order to save the Messiah’s life. Traveling with a young child is difficult even now. Imagine Mary doing it walking or riding a donkey!

Susan: She’s more of a woman than I am!

Susie: She and Joseph continued to obey the Lord’s leading. Joseph wasn’t just along for the ride. As the head of his household, he had the responsibility to make wise decisions and listen to the Lord in order to do what was best for Mary and Jesus. Just as God hand-picked Mary to be His Son’s earthly mother, He hand-picked Joseph to be Jesus’s step-father.

Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

Susie: Herod, seething with anger, commanded that all the boys two and under be slaughtered. He did not care about the innocent lives destroyed. He was intent on killing this One he saw as usurper.

Susan: Herod left no stone unturned, killing the boys under two years old even in the area around Bethlehem. Every couple of child bearing age was looked at to see if there was a boy in their household. His plan to kill Jesus was thwarted because Joseph was obedient to the message of the angel in the dream.

Matthew 2:17-18 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Jeremiah 31:15 (KJV) Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

Susan: Imagine the anguish of all those mothers who lost their sons to a murderous annihilator!

Susie: The fathers would have been in anguish and anger as well. I’m surprised they did not riot. Perhaps that is how oppressed and cowed down they had become between the Roman occupation and Herod’s iron-fisted rule.

Matthew 2:19-20 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.

Susie: Just as an angel had warned Joseph to flee to Egypt, one now informs him that it is safe to return to Israel with Mary and Jesus.

Matthew 2:21-23 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:       And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Susie: Joseph and Mary returned to Israel, but not to Bethlehem since Herod’s son was now on the throne. Instead they took Jesus back to their hometown of Nazareth.

APPLY THIS TO YOUR LIFE:

We need to fully rely on the Lord to fulfill His purposes in and through us as did Mary and Joseph. Do we seek the Lord’s wisdom as we travel this earth, trusting Him to guide our steps?