-December 26, 2024-
Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,
“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 bring you word; for Herod will seek the Young Child to destroy Him.’”
(Matthew 2:13).
Today’s verse is described as the “Flight (or Escape) to Egypt.” It is only found in the Gospel of Matthew 2:13-23. It is a great example of how God protected His Son from death until the time He was to die for us on the cross.
This incident happened right after the visit of the wisemen in Bethlehem. Herod was so angry that they didn’t report back to him where Jesus was that he started killing all the male children from two years old and under who were in and around Bethlehem. Before he began his heinous plan, God carried out His plan of protection.
Joseph was always obedient, and this incident is no different. Imagine having to pack up quickly and take Jesus and Mary to go to Egypt, traveling hundreds of miles. Suffice it to say, it was a long way. God took care of them, provided for them, protected them each step of the way.
Based on Scripture and historical records, they spent some 2-3 years in Egypt. Joseph obeyed by waiting until an angel appeared to him once again in a dream and told him it was time to go back to Israel because Herod was dead.
We don’t know any details of how they lived in Egypt or what they did. Some scholars call these “the lost years.” I would rather call them, “the silent years.” Nothing God does in our lives is lost, wasted, meaningless, or without purpose.
The Lord used another angel to direct Joseph to go to Nazareth to live. As they say, “the rest is history.” Because Joseph is not mentioned again in Scripture, it is likely he died at a fairly young age. God used him greatly to carry out His plan for the birth and early life of Jesus.
As I reflect in this account, it is a beautiful example of how God leads, guides, and directs us in His perfect will. We have the full revelation of His Word, prayer, and godly counsel available to guide us in our decisions. We can fully trust the Lord to protect us and our families as we live in this world until His time to take us home to heaven.
There is a great hymn written by Civilia D. Martin, entitled, “God Will Take Care of You.” Her husband, W. Stillman Martin was a preacher. He was due to speak at an out of town location. His wife fell ill and he was about to cancel the speaking engagement, but his daughter encouraged him to go and that God would take care of mother. He went and the Lord blessed and six people were saved. When he returned, his wife was much better and she had written this great hymn. He then sat down at the piano and composed the music, which he called “God Cares.”
The chorus of this great hymn says, “God will take care of you, through every day, o’er all the way; He will take care of you, God will take care of you.” Let us always remember God has taken care of us in the past, and will continue to take care of us in the future.
Have a blessed day as we press on to the end of the year without fear. Stay safe and healthy.
God protects those whom He selects; He honors those who honor Him.
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 