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 I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” Matthew 2:13

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“And they having withdrawn, behold, a messenger of the Lord – he appears in a dream of Joseph, saying, ‘Having arisen, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt. And you are there until if I should tell you. For Herod is about to seek the Child to destroy Him’” (CG).

In the previous verse, the magicians had been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod. Therefore, they returned home by another route. Now, Matthew continues with, “And they having withdrawn.”

With the departure of the magicians behind them, another dream will now be recorded. As such these dreams did not occur on the same night. Whether this is during an afternoon nap, the next night, or some period of time later isn’t stated. But the time would not be too long. Herod would have deduced rather quickly that the magicians intentionally did not come back. However long it was, the narrative next says, “behold, a messenger of the Lord.”

It is the same three Greek words as in Matthew 1:20 when Joseph was informed concerning the state of Mary and that he should not be afraid to take her as his wife. As before, “he appears in a dream ofJoseph.”

The words are most literally translated as, “he appears in dream the Joseph.” The article is unnecessary in the English and the brevity of the Greek necessitates some minor insertions to make sense. The intent is that Joseph had a dream in which he is again being given divine instruction.

When this happened before, the subject was Mary, but the main focus of the words concerned the Child. The same is true concerning the main focus this time as well. Thus, the messenger was “saying, ‘Having arisen, take the Child and His mother.’”

The priority is the Child who is placed first in the divine instruction. He along with Mary are to be taken by Joseph “and flee to Egypt.” The fact that this instruction comes only after the magicians had left shows us that this was not done by their advice, nor did they have any idea about this plan of God to secret Jesus away to Egypt.

Instead, their part in the unfolding drama was completed, and then the next step began. As for the distance they would have to travel, it all depends on where in Egypt they traveled to. There is nothing in Scripture to indicate where they went. Thus, to assume it was Alexandria, where there was a large Jewish settlement, is just speculation. Albert Barnes, however, gives a reasonable commentary on this journey –

“Egypt is situated to the southwest of Judea, and is distant from Bethlehem perhaps about 60 miles. It was at this time a Roman province. There were many Jews there, who had a temple and synagogues, … and Joseph, therefore, would be among his own countrymen, and yet beyond the reach of Herod. The jurisdiction of Herod extended only to the River Sihon, or ‘river of Egypt,’ and, of course, beyond that Joseph was safe from his designs. … It is remarkable that this is the only time in which our Saviour was out of Palestine, and that this was in the land where the children of Israel had suffered so much and so long under the oppression of the Egyptian kings. The very land which was the land of bondage and groaning for the Jews, became now the land of refuge and safety for the new-born King of Judea. God can overturn nations and kingdoms, so that those whom he loves shall be safe anywhere.”

Barnes’ note about this being the only time that Jesus was outside of “Palestine” is incorrect. He also visited the regions of Tyre and Sidon and the Decapolis. However, his thoughts about the ironic safety provided by Egypt are well stated. As for their time in Egypt, the messenger’s words continue, saying, “And you are there until if I should tell you.”

They were to remain until they again received divine instruction. As for the word translated as “if,” it is left out of most translations, and it does not mean that it might never happen. Rather, it is a disjunctive particle “denoting supposition, wish, possibility or uncertainty” (Strong’s).

There was no uncertainty on the part of God, however. Instead, it is a condition placed upon Joseph, whose uncertainty would remain until the time of God’s choosing. Understanding this, the messenger next explains why this trip was necessary, saying, “For Herod is about to seek the Child to destroy Him.’”

Herod, though an Idumean by ancestry, was a Jew. Thus, the irony of a complete contrast to the narrative so far shines through. It is the Gentiles who welcomed the Messiah of Israel, while the leadership of the Jewish people rejected Him. This pattern will continue throughout the biblical narrative, and it continues to this day. It is the very reason that Jesus spoke these words to Israel’s leaders later in Matthew –

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Matthew 23:37-39

Jerusalem represents the seat of power in Israel. Thus, it extends to mean the leaders themselves. Jesus told the nation by speaking to Jerusalem (meaning its leaders) that He will not return until they, as the leaders of the people, acknowledge Him as Yehovah incarnate, as implied in citing the psalm which speaks of Yehovah.

While Israel has gone after two millennia of chasing falsity, the Gentile world has openly embraced Israel’s true Messiah. However, despite being a bit slow on the uptake, Israel today is beginning to embrace their long-rejected King.

Life application: The wisdom of God is seen time and again in the minute details found in Scripture. Egypt was the crucible from which Israel was brought in order to mold them as a people in the desert of Sinai. And yet, it took a return to Egypt by Israel’s Messiah to explain to us other truths concerning redemptive history.

It cannot be truthfully said, even if it is at times claimed, that Jesus was only taken to Egypt because of Herod, but if there was other leadership, they would have accepted their Messiah. This is borne out in the rest of the gospel accounts and Acts. At every turn, the leadership of Israel saw Jesus as a threat, and they continuously rejected Him, meaning they rejected the wisdom of God that had already been prophesied in the word they were the stewards of.

That word continues to reveal Jesus today, and the people of the world, like the people of Israel, continue to reject what it proclaims. It is true that the Gentile world openly embraced Jesus, but the scale of converts, in comparison to the total population, is not overwhelming.

People seem to want anything other than what God offers. And an actual understanding of what the word grace means is almost completely lacking, even in the church. And yet, it is a key point of a right relationship with God. It is not by our efforts that we are saved, and it is not by our efforts that we continue to be saved. God has done the work. We believe and are saved.

But what God has done is then fully sufficient to carry us all the way through to the end. Let us not diminish the significance of the cross. It is all that is needed for our return to glory as God’s people.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord. We know that through what He has done, we have complete and eternal restoration with You. May we never presume that it is we who must work to save ourselves or continue to retain our salvation. It is Your gift, and it is all-sufficient. Hallelujah and Amen.