Matthew 2:13-15
Joseph’s role in the infancy of Jesus is a significant
one. He was seen and treated by God as
His earthly father and the leader of their home. Joseph serves as provider and protector for
the family and God works through him to accomplish His will in the life of
Jesus. It is likely that the Magi had
informed Joseph of the vision that God had given them warning them of Herod’s
intentions. We don’t know how much time
passes between the Magi’s leaving and Joseph’s dream but it is interesting that
Joseph waited to receive instruction instead of acting on the information that
the Magi had provided. God’s sovereignty
continues to be on display as He makes sure that His plan of redemption through
Jesus is not derailed by Herod. What
should amaze us as we look at this account is the clear demonstration that none
of this was a surprise to God since it was foretold in Scripture.
JOSEPH IS WARNED OF HEROD’S PLOT: Herod has not made any
sort of public decree at this point in time but for the second time God warns
His children of that which Herod will do.
God is protecting His Son and using Joseph as His means of
communication. Perhaps after the Magi’s
initial warning Joseph had been praying about what course of action to take,
but God makes it very clear to Joseph that they are to get out of Bethlehem and
go to Egypt. He tells them to stay there
until He gives them further instruction and also clearly states Herod’s
intention of destroying Jesus. God
rarely gives us such clear instructions and abundant information but it is very
comforting to know that He has all that information at His disposal. God is never surprised by the plots and
actions of sinful men. At this time as
in every time, believers are being persecuted around the world. We can be assured that God is aware of every
one of these circumstances and is working through them to accomplish His
mission. We pray for God’s protection
and rescue but that is not always the path that God has chosen. God already knows about every situation we
are facing and will face in the future.
We can rest assured in His sovereign care.
JOSEPH IS OBEDIENT TO GOD’S PLAN: Joseph has been given two
direct commands by God. They were: “get
up” and “get out.” It was clear that
there was no time to waste. He was to
get out of bed at that very moment and go.
God could have let Joseph know with sufficient lead time that would have
allowed them to prepare for the journey but He chose to let Joseph know His
plan at the last moment. Perhaps Joseph
had started the preparation for a potential journey when the Magi left but
whatever the situation we see that Joseph practiced immediate obedience. He did not even wait for the morning to
arrive. While it was still dark he woke
Mary and Jesus and they started on their way to Egypt. This was a trip of about 350 miles which
would mean about two to three weeks of walking in very hot temperatures. We must not think for a minute that this was
an easy decision to make or instruction to follow. Too often we become addicted to convenience
and come to expect for our lives to be convenient. This is not how God wants us to live. We must be acutely aware of the fact that
God’s will for our lives will very likely require great inconvenience. The commission of the church to make
disciples in all nations implies inconvenience.
There will be many times in our walk with God when our plans will need
to change on the spot and we will be expected to “get up” and “get out.”
JOSEPH IS FULFILLING SCRIPTURE’S PROPHECY: God was not only
aware of Herod’s plan but had even revealed it through the prophets. Just as Israel was called out of Egypt, God
said that Messiah would be called out of Egypt.
The flight to Egypt had been planned by God long ago. God’s will is accomplished on this
world. That which God says will happen
is sure to take place. This truth has a
tendency to bother us but, in reality, it should be one of the greatest
comforts to every believer. Every
promise that God has made will come true.
He has made many glorious promises about our eternity in His
presence. There can be no doubt in our
minds about this grace that God has promised to bring to fruition. However, He has also warned us that we will
face tribulation in this world. These
things should not take us by surprise if we know and study the Scripture. We have been warned that there will be
unexpected and difficult twists and turns along the road of our lives. There is no reason for us to become
distressed by these things. Rather, they
should stand as reminders of the glorious promises of Scripture about our
eternity and fill our lives with hope.
APPLICATION: Rest in God’s control over the circumstances of
our lives. Obey God immediately when we
know what He wants us to do; delayed obedience is disobedience. Expect and accept inconvenience in our lives
of obedience before God. Hope and trust
in the promises of God especially in times of suffering and persecution.
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