Matthew 2:13-15, Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Again God is directing this story by angels, this time in a dream. As this is the central story in all of human history, God is taking control of it directly, speaking right to the primary players, fulfilling prophecy, and bringing to fruition his ultimate purpose in delivering a Savior to a weary world. What is difficult about these words from the angel is that the angel doesn’t tell Joseph how long they’d have to wait. Herod is in power for a few years after the birth of Jesus, and the text tells us plainly that they wait until Herod has died before they can safely return. Was the angel of the Lord offering words of comfort to Mary and Joseph during this time in Egypt? The text doesn’t tell us that, and based on the past rarity of angelic speeches, we can assume that they weren’t offered constant reassurance. Instead they would have to trust the Lord in this way. They would be a in a foreign place, raising a baby who was miraculously conceived, believing in a Lord who had not let them down. But does it strike you that Jesus was raised in Egypt as a child?
This fulfills the prophecy of Hosea 11:1 we are told, a text that refers explicitly to the rescue of Israel out of Egypt under Pharaoh. Why, then, does Jesus going into Egypt and then being pulled out of Egypt fulfill this prophecy? Jesus would identify with Israel every step of the way. He’d not only be called out of Egypt like the Israelites, he’d be called into the desert for 40 days to be tempted by Satan. Israel was pulled into the wilderness for 40 years after their Exodus - and they were tempted, too. But they sinned against God, they grumbled, they even wanted to go back to Egypt. Jesus would be tempted in the desert but would not give in. He would succeed where God’s people in Israel would fail - where we have sinned, he has remained righteous. Not only does he give his life as a sacrifice in our place, he also lived a perfect life in our place, and his righteousness is now our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).
Hymn for Reflection: Silent Night. Here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BRVkgaIcaE