The Flight, The Fight, and The Fulfilled Return

Matthew 2:9-23

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

The Flight into Egypt

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."

14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 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 I called My Son."

Massacre of the Innocents

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

18 "A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more."

The Home in Nazareth (Luke 2:39)

19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead." 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 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."

The wise men from the East of the first eight verses of this chapter followed the predetermined star to where the young divine child was in the house in Bethlehem where He had been born into this world just two years earlier to the fanfare of the heavenly hosts he the witness of the shepherds come from nearby.  Their rejoicing was enhanced by their worship and witness to His majesty and they presented the heavenly King with precious gifts as worthy offerings from what the Lord had given them.  This pattern we repeat each year with our Christmas gifts to one another in remembrance of the offerings of our lives given to Him who was to give the greatest gift of His Son for our deliverance from the wrath of God on our sin.  These wise men listened to the warning in a dream to not return to Herod and point him to where the Lord was to protect Him until it was His time to begin the ministry of the gospel.  The flight subsequent dream of Joseph to warn them also led him to take Mary with Jesus to Egypt to escape assassination of the true King of kings.  This also was a sign to those who studied the scriptures of the validity of God’s word and predetermined providence as it was written in Numbers 24:8 and Hosea 11:1 long before.  The fight followed this exodus from danger at Herod’s hand as that evil king killed all children 2 years old and under who had been born when the star had appeared as the wise men revealed on their quest to find and worship the true King whom Herod imagined as a dangerous rival to his throne.  This also was fulfilled prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15 of the lamentation and bitter weeping for the murdered children of Rachel the wife of Jacob who was named Israel, the chosen people of God.  Finally, the return of Jesus and His earthly parents to their home in Nazareth was seemingly to be realized after Herod died and the threat was gone.  This also was told in a dream by God to Joseph as the head of the family (and not to Mary) to return to the land of Israel of Rachel’s children and of God’s.  But by the grace of God another dream was given to redirect them from Bethlehem to Nazareth by Galilee instead as they travelled back because of the evil ruler of Judea who was Herod’s son.  This also had been foretold long ago according to the plan of God as it was written in Judges 13:5 about Samson then as a type of the deliverer who was ultimately Jesus Christ our Lord and King.  How God left a trail of breadcrumbs in His word for us to follow and prove the coming of Christ in this way as recorded for us to marvel at in awe and wonder that we might also be wise men to come to Him in worship and offer Him the best gift of our very lives (Mark 8:35, Romans 12:1, Galatians 2:20) as we live crucificially (Galatians 6:14)!  This account then described the fight, the flight, and the fulfilled return of Jesus Christ for our deliverance.  May we follow His leading and still small voice by the Spirit of God living in us as He brings His words to bear on our hearts and minds to follow (Isaiah 30:21) where He brings us as He has determined for our good (Romans 8:28).