VERSE:
Matthew 2:13-20
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
LESSON:
Out of Egypt!
These verses close the story of the birth of Jesus in Bethelem and then take us to Egypt and then back to Narareth. But why the trip to to Egypt and then back to Nazareth? This verse not only recounts the reason for the travels of Joesph, Mary and Jesus to Egypt and back, but further instructs us that their travels to this location and back were fortold in the Old Testament. Herod did not have good intententions when he asked the Magi to let him know were this Messiah would be born. He had no plans to worship him, he had plans to destroy him. Joseph was warned in a dream to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt for their safely. They stayed there until there was no further danger from Herod (when he died). In life you will find that you are often lead by the Lord to go here, or to go there. You may not know exactly why you are being led to that location at a particular time, but quite often much later, you will understand why. The Lord often leads us in a certain direction to help us to grow, or to protect us from something. Be open to being led by the Lord. He will guide you and protect you always.
These verses close the story of the birth of Jesus in Bethelem and then take us to Egypt and then back to Narareth. But why the trip to to Egypt and then back to Nazareth? This verse not only recounts the reason for the travels of Joesph, Mary and Jesus to Egypt and back, but further instructs us that their travels to this location and back were fortold in the Old Testament. Herod did not have good intententions when he asked the Magi to let him know were this Messiah would be born. He had no plans to worship him, he had plans to destroy him. Joseph was warned in a dream to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt for their safely. They stayed there until there was no further danger from Herod (when he died). In life you will find that you are often lead by the Lord to go here, or to go there. You may not know exactly why you are being led to that location at a particular time, but quite often much later, you will understand why. The Lord often leads us in a certain direction to help us to grow, or to protect us from something. Be open to being led by the Lord. He will guide you and protect you always.
