GOD SENDS HIS SON TO EGYPT
Matt. 2:12-23
Morning Meditation 9/8/16
Verses 12-15 say, “And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 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: 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.”
I want us to look at the remainder of the chapter in this meditation. We will look at some things from which we can draw lessons for our understand and walk with the Lord.
God warns the Magi in a dream “that they should not return to Herod . . .” Herod wanted to “use” the Magi to get to the infant Child. But what Herod knew nothing about in his wickedness, these were believers. These men were children of the Most High. When God spoke they obeyed. God told the Magi on Herod. So the Scripture says, “ . . . they departed into their own country another way.” There is no argument, no question, but simple obedience. They listened. Unbelief does not listen. There is a lesson in faith here. Faith is obedient. It is always right and it is always best. Unbelief is a poison that has spoiled man’s whole system. The antidote to unbelief is repentance. So the believer is one who is continually repenting and being forgiven and walking on in faith. The blood of Christ restores unbelief to faith.
Another lesson in this is that the Magi “ . .. . departed into their own country another way.” What a picture of conversion! One never leaves the same way he came, if he comes to Jesus in faith and worships. You can attend a religious service and be encouraged and feel better about yourself and not be changed. But if you meet Jesus there, you will always depart from the service “another way.” You do not leave the same way you came. Oh, for the life changing experience of meeting Jesus and worshiping Him! You say, “Preacher, I can’t find Jesus where I go to church.” Jesus said to the Church at Laodicea, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20). If you can’t hear His voice, you have a problem. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice . . .” (John 10:27). If you hear his voice, open the door. He will come in to commune with you. And when He does, you will not leave the same way you came. I think we blame our lack of communion and worship on what we perceive to be dead services for which we can blame someone else. The Lord removes that as an excuse in His message to the Church at Laodicea.
When the Magi departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to take the young child and his mother and flee to Egypt and stay there “until I bring thee word.” He also explained the reason for the quick departure. Joseph’s response was immediate. He was seeing the situation through the mind of God. This is what faith does. It sees the situation through God’s eyes. It is not necessarily an understanding of why things are happening the way they are. Faith simply hears what God has to say and believes that He knows the situation and is giving the best possible way for it (faith) to act with this set of circumstances.
Joseph arose and “took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt.” We can see here how God guides and protects His children and does not allow the wicked designs of men to keep His predicted will from being accomplished. One of the greatest miracles is God working in providence to accomplish His will and not violate man’s will at the same time.
Joseph went into Egypt “by night.” “Night” is when the SON is out of sight. When Israel was in Egypt, the SON disappeared from sight. When God was ready to bring Israel out of Egypt the Son appeared in the form of a LAMB. And the Lamb had to be slain and claimed and the blood applied. When this happened, God brought Israel (His Son) into the Land of Promise where the Lamb would be remembered (the Passover) as the ONE REASON for deliverance.
Just like Joseph took Mary and Jesus into Egypt through the guidance of the Lord, he brought them out by the guidance of the Lord. God is coaching every step Joseph takes. God has a reason for every move. Here He says, “ . . . that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying Out of Egypt have I called my son.” A good verse for us at this point is, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” (Psa. 32:8). Jesus says, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). Jesus says to His Church, “ . . . And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:20). He is with us. God help us not to erect a veil of unbelief between us and our Lord.
Next the Lord sent His angel into Egypt to Joseph in a dream, “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” (vs 20). When Joseph went into Egypt, the Son disappeared from Israel into the night. He was lost to sight so far as Israel is concerned. But He was not lost to God. God knew exactly where to find Joseph, Mary and Jesus. Do you ever feel like God does not know where you are? That is a lie of Satan. God knows exactly where you are and He will visit you at the right time. The time was right and verse 19 says, “ . . . behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.” The angel told Joseph to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel and verse 21 says, “ . . . And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.” The story is one of immediate obedience. Faith obeys.
When Joseph returned to the Land, he heard something that made him afraid. Fear is not inconsistent with being in the direct will of God. Richard Wurmbrand said that God said “fear not” 366 times in the Bible, i.e., one for every day of the year and an extra for leap-year! His fear caused caution, not a return into Egypt. Joseph “ . . . turned aside into 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” (vss 22-23). The name “Nazareth” is from the same root word as “Branch” in Isaiah 11:1: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:” Thus Jesus will spring up as a root out of dry ground (Isa. 53:2). Nazareth was one of the most insignificant places in the whole land. It was a place of reproach. Nathaniel said, “ . . . can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see” (John 1:46). So Jesus comes from the Highest to the lowest. He is the Branch and the Root out of dry ground. He grows in spite of the dead natural surroundings. Hallelujah! What a Savior! When fear is there, faith continues to press on, and as it does, He will get us where he wants us. His place for us may be small and insignificant, but we will always have his watch-care over us in the place of His will.
May the Lord help us to apply these lessons to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
