Matthew 2: 13-23
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up.” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape tp Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great morning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
A Thought
God sent an angel to declare instruction to Joseph and to the Magi in dreams. The first dream was to prepare Joseph not be afraid to take Mary as his wife that she was to be the mother of Jesus. The second dream was to warn the Magi not to return to Herod. In the third dream Joseph was warned to take Jesus and his mother to Egypt away from Herod who wanted to take the life of the child. In the foruth dream Joseph was told to take the mother and child to Israel that Herod was dead. The fifth dream was to warn Joseph to go live in the district of Galilee in the town of Nazareth. In each warning all immediately followed the angel’s instructions and they were safe. Do we hear what God speaks to each of us through his word? Do we immediately follow his instructions and warnings? God wants to speak to us, but we must listen and obey his voice.
Our Prayer
Father help us to hear and obey your voice. Thank you for fulfilling your promise through Jesus the Christ. We want to be in relationship with you. Help us to be still, to listen, to be warned. Thank you for our redemption bought by the life, death, and resurrection of you Son. In Jesus’ name, amen.
