Flight to Egypt and Return to Nazareth

["Click here for Matthew's account"]

Again God intercedes in the life of Joseph and Mary. Since they would have no way of knowing the evil plans of Herod, an Angel appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him to flee into Egypt and stay there until the death of Herod. Now why Egypt?

Matthew, writing to the Jews, says it was Egypt that scripture might be fulfilled, Hosea, Chapter 11, "Out of Egypt have I called my son." Now this word of the Prophet undoubtedly referred to the deliverance of Israel at the time of Moses, but here Matthew, by way of analogy, applies it to Christ.
Again, why Egypt, especially sense Egypt, at that time, was very hostile to the people of God? Matthew Henry suggests that it was a trial of faith for Mary and Joseph. They should have ,by now, realized the favor this child had with God, maybe even realized something of His divinity. They could have very well decided to stay in Judea and let God take care of His son, but they didn't and the Lord knew that they would listen to Him, this was part of His choosing.

This journey could also enlarge on the fact that there was no room for Jesus at the Inn, no room in the hearts and memories of those who were told of His coming, and now, no room in the country of Judea.
Notice how Matthew phrases the next information, "And he (Joseph) rose and took the Child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt." He did not say, "his wife and child", for obvious reasons.
Verses 16 through 18 tell of Herod's resentment against the Wise Men who failed to return and tell him where he could find the Christ Child. In an effort to destroy Jesus, Herod ordered all male children, 2 years and under, in all Judea, killed. Greek tradition has it that 14,000 children were killed at this time but most historians agree from what is known about the population of Judea at that time, that 350 would probably be a more accurate figure. It is believed that Herod even killed his own son so that none would survive for he was aware of the "fullness of time" and the promised Messiah. History records Agustus Caesar as saying when he heard what Herod had done that it was safer to be a swine in Judea than to be a child as swine were protected by law and children were not. Have you ever wondered why God allowed this to happen? Perhaps it was to assure that there now remained only one male child born in Bethlehem within the two years of the witnessed birth of the Messiah and that was Jesus.
Verses 19 through 23 record their return from Egypt to Nazareth. Herod, who was 70 years old when they went into Egypt, died a few years later and again an Angel appeared to Joseph and told him of Herod's death. There still remained, on the throne of Judea, an enemy to the Child but he reigns only in Judea so they are directed to go into Galilee. This Providence of Rome had a ruler by the name of Philip who was a mild and quiet man.
This was not the only reason that God directed them there:

Nazareth was the home of Joseph and Mary and here they had friends.
It was prophesied the He would come out of Nazareth (Zachariah 6:12). This, in itself, was a stumbling block to the Jews who believed no good thing could come out of Nazareth. To be called a Nazarite was to be considered the lowest form of man of whom, no respect was paid. This nick name stuck to Jesus all His life and to His followers for many years after His death and resurrection.

Interpretation of Zachariah 6:12 God will, in the fullness of time, raise up a great High Priest like Joshua. Joshua was but a figure of the One to come, the Man whose name is "The Branch" shall grow up out of "His Place". "The Branch" means "the family" (the House of David) it is the root. The Branch shall spring out of it in due time as the flowers spring out of the roots when the Son returns. "His Place", of course, was Bethlehem. The Branch shall be the sole builder of the Spiritual Temple, the Church of Christ.

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