TEXT: MATTHEW 2:19-23 – “After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who intended to kill the child are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother, and entered the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.”
Wow, what an inhumane and vicious man was Herod. As we saw yesterday, he couldn’t have a conscience. He was definitely evil personified in his insecurity and hatred. Today we see that Joseph receives two more dreams that lead to his return, this precious Son of God.
The first dream is in verses 19 to 21. Joseph is told Herod is now dead and that he should depart Egypt with his family. It was safe to return to Israel. Once again we see Joseph obeying that which God discloses to him.
Upon Herod’s death, his kingdom
was divided into four parts to his four
sons. The division was:
- · Archelaus – Idumea, Judea, and Samaria
- · Philip I – Far northern part
- · Herod Antipas – Galilee and Perea
- · Lysanius - Abilene
So, that helps us with the second dream in verses 22 and 23. Joseph is warned not to return to Judea because Archelaus was ruling. Archelaus was a “chip off the old block.” He was very much like his father Herod.
Joseph goes and settles in a little
town in Galilee – Nazareth. Again, this
was to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy given in Isaiah 11:1 – “There shall
come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” The word “Branch” is the Hebrew
word “Netzer” from which is derived, Nazareth.
Nazareth was not the place to seek a Messiah. For various political, social, and economic reasons Nazareth was despised by many Jews and viewed as a place incompatible with The Jewish expectation of a King. However, Jesus began his ministry in Galilee and lived in Nazareth for this very reason. He lived and associated with the despised, poor, and unlovely because he became these things in his identification with humanity. The prophets of the Old Testament predicted that Messiah would be a man despised by men…. Jesus is not only the King (we see this picture throughout Matthew’s account), but he is a humble servant who identifies with humanity in their most desperate place. It carried the reputation of depravity and evil. A Roman garrison was stationed there. One of my mentors referred to it as the “cesspool of Israel.” We see from this, that God reaches down into the lowest of places to seek out those who need His love and forgiveness.
Jesus’ entrance into the world was met with great upheaval. The census turned the world upside down. The Jews rejected Him and Gentiles sought Him to worship. Herod’s set in motion a mighty slaughter of children.
Could this be the peace that the Angels spoke of that night to the shepherds?
When Jesus came into the world, Satan did not lie dormant. He began a full frontal attack to stop Jesus from succeeding in what He came to do. He tried to eliminate the Jews prior to this time. He sought to kill Jesus at the start. He will seek to distract and deter Him while He ministered He will seek to convince Him not to go through with it.
We can praise God that Satan did not succeed in his attempts. But he still seeks to deter and destroy.
- · The Jews – because of the end-time promises
- · Us – so that our witness will be null and void
Let us pray for strength to
withstand the Evil One. Tomorrow we will see John the Baptist and how he ministers to the Multitude.
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