Joseph and Mary Escape with Jesus to Egypt
February 14, 2021
Commentary
A special divine revelation in the form of a warning was given both to the wise men and to Joseph in the form of a dream (vv. 13-15). He is warned to take Jesus and Mary and flee to Egypt (v. 13). The reason being that Herod would be searching for the child to kill him. The question might be, why Egypt? Among other things it was so that the prophet’s words, “out of Egypt I called my son” might be fulfilled (Hosea 11:1).
The move into Egypt was of course to escape danger. Herod’s pride was hurt, and he was angry when the wise men failed to return and tell him where the baby Jesus could be found. This led him to kill all the boy babies two years of age and under who were still in Bethlehem (vv. 16-18). Probably not more than 20 children were slain (of course one is too many) for there were not that many male children of age in a small village like Bethlehem. Even today only 20,900 people live there.
The bitter reaction of Herod should not surprise us because his crimes were many. In fact, he put to death several of his own children and some of his wives whom he thought were plotting against him. When Herod died, Joseph was again spoken to by an angel of the Lord and told to return to the land (vv. 19-23). Herod was succeeded by his son Archelaus who was as brutal as his father. Again, Joseph was warned in a dream not to return to Bethlehem but instead to move back to Nazareth. This was once again a fulfillment of prophecy (v. 23). Herod secretly called in the wise men and told them to search for the child and when they found Him to let him know (v. 7). However, they were warned in a dream not to tell Herod (v. 11).
Application
How did God speak to Joseph in this passage? How did Joseph respond? How does God speak to me today? How should I respond?
Matthew 2:13– 23 (NET)
13 After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to look for the child to kill him.” 14 Then he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and went to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”
16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud wailing, Rachel weeping for her children, and she did not want to be comforted, because they were gone.”
19 After Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up and took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee. 23 He came to a town called Nazareth and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesus would be called a Nazarene.