Joseph, takes his family to Egypt
Last week, we looked at the parents of Jesus taking him to the temple where Simeon
blesses God.
Matthew picks up the story of Jesus and his parents. The Wise Men have just departed from their visit. The Magi or Wise Men originally went to King Herod in search of “King of the Jews”.
King Herod is greatly troubled and in search of this child. Not because he wants to worship the child, but because he is threatened by this new “King”.
History tells us that Jesus is approximately two years old by the point the Wise Men visit.
Matthew 2:13 picks up the narrative, “Now when they were departed, behold, an 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 tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
After the Wise Men depart an angel appears to Joseph is a dream.
God enjoys communicating with Joseph through dreams.
Is this the same “angel of the Lord”? We don’t know for sure, but most likely.
The angel says “Get up. Take Mary and the child and go to Egypt. You will stay there until I tell you.”
14 And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt;
Joseph gets up and takes Mary and Joseph to Egypt. They depart at night and probably travel at night, at least until they are safely out of Herod’s territory. This is for their safety.
Imagine the horror they heard about of all of the young boys two years and younger that King Herod had killed. They knew this would have been their heartache if they’d stayed. But there child was not any child. He was the Christ child and God was protecting His son.
15 and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son.
Joseph and his family stayed until the death of Herod. We are not told how long they were there but it is believed they were only there a short amount of time.
But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,
20 Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead that sought the young child’s life.
Herod has died while Joseph and his family are in Egypt. An angel appears to Joseph. This is the third time we are told an angel appears to Joseph in a dream.
The angel repeats much of what was said when he told Joseph to flee. Only this time the command is to return home instead of to flee. We are told that Herod has since died.
21 And he arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
Joseph bring his family back to Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither; and being warned of God in a dream, he withdrew into the parts of Galilee,
Joseph still had his fears because Herod’s son is now the ruler. God warns him again in a dream to go to Galilee.
23 and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene.
They settle in Nazareth.
If we go back to the beginning in Luke 2:4 we are told “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth.”
Now they are settling back in Nazareth. In other words, they’ve arrived home. They’ve come full circle.
Has God spoken to you in a dream the way he did Joseph?
*Pictures from FreeBibleImages.com