“Now when they departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word. For Herod will seek the young Child to kill Him.’ When he rose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod, to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called My Son’.”
(rf. Matt. 2:13-15 MEV)
At the time of this occurrence Jesus was just a toddler or a “young Child” (vs. 14) as Matthew puts it. He was too small to understand what was going on around Him in His humanness, but His Deity knew all the well what was taking place. Jesus was endangered by Herod’s hurt pride and insecurities. King Herod had wanted to know from the Magi where Jesus was located so he could supposedly go and “worship Him” (rf. Matt. 2:8), knowing full well that he wanted to find out for the purpose of killing Jesus. When the Magi left without returning with the desired knowledge, King Herod made the horrendous decision to massacre all of the young children, two and under in age, to avenge his pride and to take out the perceived enemy to his throne.
What Herod never suspected, even in his assessment that this child, this new “King of the Jews” (vs. 2), was actually God the Son in human form, the second Person of the Trinity. Herod was not just dealing with human beings who could easily be slain by his troops. He was “messing with” Almighty God who would take whatever precautions necessary to protect His Son. Thus, Herod had not reckoned on God’s intervention by His sending of Gabriel to warn Joseph to leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt. Nor had Herod considered that God would also provide for His Son and the holy family by giving them the necessary provision for the journey through the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh by the hands of the Magi. God’s promise and accomplishment of His protection and provision for His Son was clearly evident to all involved, except, of course, King Herod.
When circumstances turn negative for us as God’s people, we should be assured that the same promises that He made clear to Joseph and Mary on Jesus’ behalf are the same promises that we can hold close to our own hearts. God has given His Word to us as His people to protect us and to provide for “all (our) needs according to His riches in glory” (rf. Php. 4:19). He will not fail us even as He did not fail to do the above for His Son when Jesus was humanly vulnerable.
As we move into a new year of life and service, let us take these promises of God to heart and to manifest our trust in them by faith. He wants us to take Him at His Word. Will we do so regardless of the circumstances in which we may find ourselves and through which He will lead us? If we do, then we will watch the miraculous things He does for His own glory to make His promises a reality to us.
