Out Of Egypt (Matthew 2:13-23, Hosea 11:1-12)
Rev. William L. Barron, December 20, 2020Part of the Advent Series: Christ Coming To Build His Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
In Matthew 2, we see a battle between the forces of Satan, represented by Herod, and the Lord God of Israel over the newly born Messiah. This is a battle in which God demonstrates that He is in control. We see that God uses opposition in carrying forth His will, such as Herod, the Pharisees, Assyria and Babylon. We saw last week that God used the maji to bring material wealth to Mary and Joseph that enabled them to travel and sustain themselves in Egypt until the threat from Herod had passed. Today we see God using the angels, heavenly messengers, to reveal His will to Joseph in dreams. God used this means to instruct Joseph to go to Egypt, and later to return to Israel. We don’t normally see this kind of communication in our day, since we have God’s complete revelation in the Word of God. It is interesting that in the Gospels, we never hear Joseph speak. Yet we see his willing obedience, even though Egypt was a historic enemy of Israel. Throughout history, however, God used Egypt to protect and prosper Israel. On the occasion of Joseph’s return, Joseph was afraid of coming in contact with Herod’s successor, Archelaus, who was quickly deposed by the Romans. However, Joseph trusted God and returned to his backwater home town of Nazareth. The prophet Hosea wrote that the people were called continuously to repent, but they rejected and rebelled. Nevertheless, God would bring the Redeemer our of Egypt. God fulfills His promises today. Jesus came, and He is with us today; Immanuel in the person of the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to be great ones to be faithful witnesses. How is God going to use us?
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « Ezekiel Chapter 20 | None | Ezekiel Study Chapter 20, Part 2 » |
Matthew 2:13–23 (Listen)
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
(ESV)
Hosea 11 (Listen)
11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 The more they were called,
the more they went away;
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning offerings to idols.
3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up by their arms,
but they did not know that I healed them.
4 I led them with cords of kindness,
with the bands of love,
and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,
and I bent down to them and fed them.
5 They shall not return to the land of Egypt,
but Assyria shall be their king,
because they have refused to return to me.
6 The sword shall rage against their cities,
consume the bars of their gates,
and devour them because of their own counsels.
7 My people are bent on turning away from me,
and though they call out to the Most High,
he shall not raise them up at all.
8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
9 I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and not a man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.
10 They shall go after the LORD;
he will roar like a lion;
when he roars,
his children shall come trembling from the west;
11 they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,
and like doves from the land of Assyria,
and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD.
12 Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,
and the house of Israel with deceit,
but Judah still walks with God
and is faithful to the Holy One.
(ESV)