His Word Today

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:7-10 ESV)

“If you please God, it does not matter who you displease. And if you displease Him, it does not matter who you please.” – Dr. Steven J. Lawson

It is apparent that John the Baptist was not an orator, like many actors in the ancient Greek theater. An orator was comparable to a motivational speaker or actor. Their purpose was/is to appeal to their audience. They are consumer driven. They seek applause and approval.

Contrast that with the herald. A herald was a servant/slave of a king or monarch. His responsibility was to faithfully announce the king’s edicts and commandments. The herald did not change the message in order to make it more acceptable by the audience. The herald was not audience driven in order to gain their acceptance. Rather, the herald was obedience driven for the king’s pleasure and approval.

John the Baptist was not an orator. He was God’s herald. Consequently, he did not care if the Pharisees and Sadducees hated him. John sought God’s approval and not theirs.

John attacked the Pharisees and Sadducees self-righteous confidence that because they were Jewish and generationally related to the Patriarch Abraham that God accepted them. National ancestry is insufficient for justification (Rom. 2:12-29).

“They (the Pharisees and Sadducees) believed that merely being descendants of Abraham, members of God’s chosen race, made them spiritually secure. But Abraham’s real descendants are those who share his faith (cf. Rom. 4:16). And “those of faith . . . are the sons of Abraham” (Gal. 3:7, 29),” explains Dr. John MacArthur. 

John continued by saying that those who do not repent of their sin, including the self-righteous and religious, are in imminent danger of God’s judgment. The image of an axe cutting down an unfruitful tree speaks of the Lord’s irreversible and imminent judgment upon the unrepentant.  

Have you repented of your sin in order to flee from the wrath of God (Romans 1:18-32)? Deliverance from sin’s penalty, power and eventual presence is only by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. May the Lord grant to you not only repentance (2 Tim. 2:25), but also saving faith (Eph. 2:1-9).

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

⁷ “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Matthew 3:7-8 ESV)

John the Baptist confronted the hypocritical Pharisees and the Sadducees who came to him. He called them snakes. He also announced to them that they were facing the judgment of Almighty God.

John them commanded the religious leaders to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” What did this statement mean?

The command to bear (ποιέω; poieō) means to construct or accomplish something. What was to be accomplished was the bearing of spiritual fruit (καρπός; karpos). John used the word fruit to refer to the religious leaders’ actions, deeds, or works.

That this fruit John spoke of was godly in nature and behavior is found in the word repentance (μετάνοια; metanoia). Repentance meant a change within the inner soul of an individual. It meant to regret, and feel remorse for what one has done, or what has not been done but should have been.

Repentance, then and now, refers to a change of thinking, feeling and choosing regarding sin. True believers in Christ are to turn from their sin. Concurrently, they are also to turn to God with a trust in, commitment to, a dependence upon and a worship of Him alone through the person and work of Jesus Christ.  

“The call for repentance on the part of man is a call for him to return to his creaturely and covenant dependence upon God,” writes one commentator. “Repentance is not just a feeling sorry, or changing one’s mind, but as a turning around, a complete alteration of the basic motivation and direction of one’s life.”

This was why John demanded baptism as a sign of this repentance. Repentance was not only for obvious sinners, but also for the self-righteous Jews. John’s baptism was an act of turning from sin and placing oneself at the mercy of the Lord of heaven and earth (Matt. 3:1-2; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:1-8; Acts 13:24; 19:1-4). Like John, Jesus also called for sinners to repent of their sins (Matt. 4:17; 11:20; 12:41; Mark 1:15; Luke 5:32; 10:13; 11:32; 13:1-5; 15:1-10; 16:30; 17:1-3; 24:47). Their message was the same.

“Understandably, these Pharisees became concerned when John the Baptist came calling for all the Jews to be baptized for the forgiveness of sin (Mark 1:4). Surely at least some Jews, they thought, such as the Pharisees, would not need to be baptized because of their holiness. That explains why the Pharisees were associated with the group of people sent from Jerusalem to investigate John the Baptist’s practice. He would need divine authority to make such an audacious claim that even the Pharisees needed baptism (John 1:24–25),” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Repentance is acknowledging that you do not have a claim upon God. It also means to submit yourself to God without excuse or attempted self-righteous justification (Luke 18:9-14).

Have you repented of your sins and by faith received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord (John 1:12-13)? Are you evidencing your repentance by godly attitudes and behavior (Titus 2:11-13)?

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

⁷ “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”  (Matthew 3:7 ESV)

The common people flocked to see and hear John. They confessed their sins and submitted to his baptism of repentance (Matt. 3:4-6). But what about the religious leaders; the Pharisees and the Sadducees? How did they respond and react to John’s message and ministry? Who were the Pharisees and Sadducees?

The Pharisees were a fellowship of religious leaders who were popular with the common people and connected to local the synagogues. They originated approximately 150 B.C. Their chief characteristic was an adherence to extensive, extrabiblical traditions, which they rigorously obeyed as a means of applying the law to daily life. By adding to the Word of God, the were legalists.

The Sadducees were a small group who derived their authority from the activities of the temple. Like the Pharisees, they originated (173 B.C.) during the 400 silent years between the Old and New Testament. They carried out the priestly functions at Jerusalem’s temple and maintained the temple itself until Rome’s destruction of the temple in 70 A.D.

The Sadducees were removed from the common people by aristocratic and priestly influence as well as by their cooperation with Rome’s rule. They denied the existence of angels and the resurrection (Matt. 22:23; Acts 23:1-8). By taking away from God’s Word, the Sadducees were licentious.

“The Pharisees were a small (about 6,000), legalistic sect of the Jews who were known for their rigid adherence to the ceremonial fine points of the law. Their name means “separated ones.” Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees was usually adversarial. He rebuked them for using human tradition to nullify Scripture (Matt. 15:3–9), and especially for rank hypocrisy (15:7–8; 22:18; 23:13, 23, 25, 29; Luke 12:1),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.  

“Unlike the Pharisees, the Sadducees rejected human tradition and scorned legalism. They accepted only the Pentateuch as authoritative. They tended to be wealthy, aristocratic members of the priestly tribe, and in the days of Herod their sect controlled the temple (see note on Matt. 2:4), though they were fewer in number than the Pharisees.”

Honestly, the Pharisees and Sadducees had little in common. Pharisees were ritualists; Sadducees were rationalists. Pharisees were legalists; Sadducees were liberals. Pharisees were separatists; Sadducees were compromisers and political opportunists. Yet, they united together in their hatred of Jesus Christ (Matt. 22:15–16, 23, 34–35).

John publicly addressed them as deadly snakes. The wrath to come was a particularly insulting rebuke to these Jewish leaders. Rather than acknowledging God’s wrath upon them, they imagined that divine wrath was reserved only for non-Jews.

Prior to your conversion to faith in Christ alone as Savior and Lord, with what group would you most associate yourself; the Pharisees or the Sadducees? Take time today to repent and confess any lingering legalism or license that either adds to, or takes away from, the Word of God.

Soli deo Gloria!  

⁴ “Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Matthew 3:4-6 ESV)

One of the principles of proper, biblical interpretation is the maxim Scripture interprets Scripture. Therefore, the other three Gospels provide more information concerning John the Baptist; most notably the Gospel of Luke.

John was the son of the Jewish Priest Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth, They ministered in the time of Herod the King (Luke 1:5). They were both righteous people who sought to obey all the commandments and statutes of the Lord (Luke 1:6). However, they were old and without children because Elizabeth had not been able to conceive. This was perceived by many in the culture to be a sign of God’s disfavor.

It was at this time that the angel Gabriel appeared to Zachariah when he was in the temple offering incense to the Lord (Luke 1:8-11, 19). The angel told Zachariah that he and Elizabeth would have a son and they were to call him John (Luke 1:12-13). John would be a source of joy and gladness; not only for them but also for the people of God (Luke 1:14).

Gabriel explained, “¹⁵ for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, ¹⁷ and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1;15-17 ESV)

Matthew described John as wearing a garment of camel’s hair with a leather belt. His diet was locusts and wild honey. Locusts were a permissible food (Lev. 11:22). Living in the wilderness of Judea, John’s clothes were durable and practical; even though they were not fashionable or comfortable.

John attracted quite a crowd. Perhaps the people were curious because John was the next new thing. Or, perhaps they were identifying John as one who would come in the spirit and power of the Prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:1-8). The Jews were expecting a prophet like Elijah before the Day of the Lord (Mal. 3:1; 4:1-6).

John’s ministry centered not only what he preached, but also what he did. He baptized. It was likely that this baptism of repentance had its roots in the Old Testament purification rituals (Lev. 15:13).

“John’s startling declaration of the nearness of God’s kingdom draws even city dwellers out into the wilderness. “Baptize” (Gk. baptizō) means “to plunge, dip, immerse,” and John was immersing people in the river Jordan. When people were baptized by him, going under the water symbolized both the cleansing away of sin and a passing safely through the waters of judgment and death (cf. Gen. 7:6–24; Ex. 14:26–29; Jonah 1:7–16; Rom. 6:1-4; 1 Pet. 3:21),” explains one commentator.

The common people flocked to see and hear John. What about the religious leaders; the Pharisees and the Sadducees? How did they respond and react to John’s message and ministry? That is what we will study when next we meet.

Soli deo Gloria!

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ² “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” ³ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” (Matthew 3:1-3 ESV)

All four gospels mention John the Baptist, or baptizer, who was present at the beginning of Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry (Mark 1:2-14; Luke 1:5-25, 57-80; 3:3-20; John 1:6-8, 19-39). It was John who identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

John’s ministry occurred in the wilderness of Judea. If you have ever taken a trip to the Holy Land, you probably observed that this southwest geographic portion of Israel remains a wasteland and desert. It is dry and desolate. How fitting that God would produce spiritual fruit in a geographically fruitless region.

“The region to the immediate west of the Dead Sea—an utterly barren desert. The Jewish sect of the Essenes had significant communities in this region. But there is no biblical evidence to suggest that John was in any way connected with that sect. John seems to have preached near the northern end of this region, close by where the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea (Matt. 3:6). This was a full day’s journey from Jerusalem and seems an odd location to announce the arrival of a King. But it is perfectly in keeping with God’s ways (1 Cor. 1:26–29),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

John’s message and preaching was clear and concise: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”The command from God to repent was no mere change of one’s thinking. It was not mere regret or remorse. Rather, it was an inward change to radically turn from sin. This change involved one’s thinking, emotions and will. Jesus’s first sermon contained the same command (Matt. 4:17).

Why did John command the people to repent? It was because God’s rule and reign, or kingdom, was near. It was about to appear in the person and work of Jesus Christ. John appealed for people to reject the sinful obstacles from their lives that would hinder their reception of the Messiah and his kingdom.

Repentance is an acceptance of the will of God and a resulting obedience evidencing that acceptance (Gal. 5:1-6; James 2:14-26). All true repentance occurs because of God’s sovereign grace (Acts 11:18; 2 Cor. 7:9-10; Eph. 2:5-7). Without such grace, repentance is futile and will not occur (Jer. 13:23). John was God’s instrument to bring about true repentance to Israel.

As is Matthew’s characteristic, he referred to Old Testament prophecy to validate John’s ministry. He explained that John was the individual of whom Isaiah the Prophet spoke of many centuries before (Isaiah 40:1-5). All four Gospels declare that this passage from Isaiah applied to John the Baptist. John was preparing the people while at the same preparing the way for the Messiah; Jesus Christ.

“The ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy did not occur in 538 BC, when the exiled Judahites began returning to the Promised Land, but nearly six hundred years later, during the first century AD. As we will see, the initial returnees were not faithful to God, so the hard conditions of exile persisted until He finally visited His people in the person of Jesus Christ. Through Isaiah, the Lord called the people to prepare themselves, but they could not do so. A mightier move of the Holy Spirit through John was needed to get the people ready for the Messiah,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.  

The Holy Spirit continues His work of bringing people to repentance by sovereign, monergistic regeneration (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:1-5). God commands believers in Christ to herald the Gospel (Matt. 28:16-20) while He alone brings spiritual life to those who are spiritually dead (I Cor. 3:5-9; Eph. 2:1-7).

Soli deo Gloria!

^19 “But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” ²¹ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. ²³ And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:19–23 ESV).

We do not know how long Joseph, Mary and Jesus remained in Egypt following King Herod’s slaughter of the boy children in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. We do know that it was around 4 B.C. because that is historically when Herod the Great died.

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord again appeared to Joseph in a dream. The purpose was for God’s messenger to give Joseph new revelation in light of the king’s death.

The angel said to Joseph, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” ²¹ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.” The young family’s sojourn was over.

However, when Joseph heard that Herod’s son, Archelaus, was reigning over Judea he was afraid to go there and settle. Perhaps this was because Archelaus was as evil as his father.

“Archelaus was Herod’s son by Malthace, a Samaritan woman. He was educated along with his brother Antipas at Rome. He inherited from his father a third part of his kingdom viz., Idumea, Judea, and Samaria, and hence is called “king” (Matt. 2:22). It was for fear of him that Joseph and Mary turned aside on their way back from Egypt. Till a few days before his death Herod had named Antipas as his successor, but in his last moments he named Archelaus,” explains one commentator.

Once again, God warns Joseph in a dream not to dwell in Judea but rather settle in the district of Galilee. Joseph, Mary and Jesus settled in a small town called Nazareth. God the Father’s providence is evident because settling in Nazareth would fulfill the Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah 53:1-3 which describes the Messiah as despised and rejected. Most people from Nazareth were despised and rejected. See John 1:43-51.

“Nazareth, an obscure town 70 miles north of Jerusalem, was a place of lowly reputation, and nowhere mentioned in the OT. Some have suggested that “Nazarene” is a reference to the Hebrew word for branch in Isa. 11:1. Others point out that Matthew’s statement that “prophets” had made this prediction may be a reference to verbal prophecies nowhere recorded in the OT. A still more likely explanation is that Matthew is using “Nazarene” as a synonym for someone who is despised or detestable— for that was how people from the region were often characterized (cf. John 1:46). If that is the case, the prophecies Matthew has in mind would include Ps. 22:6–8; Isa. 49:7; 53:3,” Dr. John MacArthur writes,

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Note how the evangelist (Matthew) has taught us about God’s providence. First, we should see that Herod’s hatred of Jesus and slaughter of the young boys in Bethlehem (vv. 16–18) parallel Pharaoh’s attempt to kill Moses (Ex. 1:8–2:10). Moses was the mediator of the old covenant, and in ordaining the circumstances of the birth of Christ to be so similar to Moses’ birth, our Father has prepared His people to receive Jesus as a new and greater Moses, the mediator of a new and better covenant (Heb. 7:22).”

“Secondly, the dreams of warning that Joseph and the magi experience (Matt. 2:12–13, 19–20, 22) show that God has sovereignly overruled man’s attempt to destroy His Son. Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus has been unsuccessful. In fact, it is Herod who dies (in 4 B.C., dating the Savior’s birth therefore between 6 and 4 B.C.), enabling Joseph and his family to return to Palestine (v. 21). After learning that Archelaus is ruling in Judea, Joseph takes Jesus and Mary to Nazareth in Galilee (v. 22). This is wise, for Archelaus can be as ruthless as his father Herod and might very well be a threat to Jesus.”

As we have seen, God the Father was in complete control of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth and early childhood. He is also in complete control of our own lives. May each of us rest in God’s sovereign providence.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ¹⁸ “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:17–18 ESV)

When we began this study of the Gospel of Matthew, we did not initially examine the many prophecies regarding the identity of the Jewish Messiah. Suffice to say, Jesus Christ fulfilled those prophecies pertaining to the Advent of the Messiah.

One prophecy which took place following Jesus’ birth, perhaps some two years after, was what is referred to as the slaughter of the innocents. This was when King Herod decided that all boys within Bethlehem, and the surrounding area, would be killed in hopes that Jesus would be included in the slaughter. Herod was known for eliminating any real, or suspected rivals or usurpers to his throne. He included Jesus in that category.

The prophecy concerning this mass killing of children is found in Jeremiah 31:15. It is the text from which Matthew quotes. Within the immediate context of the Prophet Jeremiah, the prophecy had to do with the impending Babylonian Captivity of the Jews which occurred in 586 B.C., following two others invasions occurring in 605 B.C. and 597 B.C. The wailing which occurred then of mothers weeping for their slaughtered children prefigured the wailing that occurred some 500 years later by many mothers over their slaughtered children by the orders of King Herod.

Ramah was a city located north of Jerusalem. The possible reason why Matthew mentioned it was because it was the city in which the Jewish exiles returned from the Babylonian captivity after 70 years (Ezra 2:26; Neh. 7:30; 11:33). Additionally, Ramah was another traditional site of Rachel’s burial. Rachel, the beloved wife of the Patriarch Jacob, was considered by many to be the mother of the Nation of Israel. That is why she was symbolically seen weeping over these childrens’ deaths.

“Jeremiah 31:15 refers to the figurative weeping of Rachel, who was buried in Bethlehem (Gen 35:19). Jeremiah said she mourned for her descendants carried off into captivity during the Babylonian exile. Like righteous Jeremiah, Jesus was carried off to Egypt, but Rachel had cause to mourn anew at Herod’s murder of her people,” one commentator explains.

Matthew’s use of this prophecy appears to portray Jesus as the new Moses (the one who led Joseph’s descendants out of Egypt) who fulfills the prophecy of the second Exodus. Like Moses, Jesus escapes the slaughter as an infant. Like Moses, He is sent to rescue God’s chosen ones,” writes Dr. R. C. Sproul.

God has a purpose in everything He sovereignly permits. This is true even when we human followers of Christ do not understand, or even like, what God chooses to do. God causes all things in our lives to work together for our good and for His glory.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

^“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.” (Matthew 2:16 (ESV)

“Hell, hath no fury like a woman scorned.” This proverb is adapted from a line in the play The Mourning Bride, by William Congreve, an English author of the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries. The quotation means that no one is angrier than a woman who has been rejected in love.

A parallel proverb could well be “Hell hath no fury like a king who is tricked.” Probers 19:12a says, “A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion.”

When King Herod discovered and discerned that the Magi would not return to Jerusalemto inform him of Jesus’ whereabouts, he became furious. The word furious (λίαν; lian) means exceedingly or intensely angry. To say that Herod was upset is an understatement.

Herod’s response was in keeping with his personality. He decided to kill all the male children in Bethlehem and in the surrounding region. The text tells us that the parameter would be boys two years old or under. Why did Herod make this stipulation?  It was because of the time he had ascertained, or discovered, from the Magi. This indicates to us that Jesus could have been as old as two or younger when the Magi visited him.

“This slaughter of the male children is mentioned only here in the biblical record. Even the Jewish historian Josephus (a.d. 37-100) did not mention this dastardly deed of putting to death innocent babies and young children. But it is not surprising that he and other secular historians overlooked the death of a few Hebrew children in an insignificant village, for Herod’s infamous crimes were many. He put to death several of his own children and some of his wives whom he thought were plotting against him. Emperor Augustus reportedly said it was better to be Herod’s sow than his son, for his sow had a better chance of surviving in a Jewish community. In the Greek language, as in English, there is only one letter difference between the words “sow” (huos) and “son” (huios).” Dr. John Walvoord writes.

Even in His infancy, hatred of Jesus Christ was a common occurrence. Beginning with Herod, and continuing to the present day, Jesus’ words from John 15:18-21 which says, ¹⁸ “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me” (John 15:18–21).

I do not like the idea, or circumstances, of people hating me for my faith in Christ. However, the Bible tells me to expect it because their hatred for me is because a deeper hatred for the Lord Jesus. Have you encountered such hatred in your own life? Pray that God will give you the strength to be faithful.

Soli deo Gloria!

^13 “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.” ¹⁴ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt ¹⁵ 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.” (Matthew 2:13–15)

God not only revealed Himself and His will in a dream to the Magi but also revealed Himself by an angel of the Lord to Joseph. Perhaps this was the same angel who had appeared to Joseph to assuage his fears of marrying Mary. We have no way of knowing.

However, we do know that the angel 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.” This eliminates any doubt about Herod’s true intentions regarding Jesus and that worshiping the Lord was not one of them. It seems that Herod’s murderous intent was formed before the Magi had reached Bethlehem.

“Egypt was a Roman province independent of Herod, and much inhabited by Jews, was an easy and convenient refuge. Ah! Blessed Savior, on what a checkered career hast Thou entered here below! At Thy birth there was no room for Thee in the inn; and now all Judea is too hot for Thee. How soon has the sword begun to pierce through the Virgin’s soul (Luke 2:35)! How early does she taste the reception which this mysterious Child of hers is to meet with in the world! And whither is He sent? To “the house of bondage?” Well, it once was that. But Egypt was a house of refuge before it was a house of bondage, and now it has but returned to its first use,” Dr. John Walvoord explains.

“And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt” (Matthew 2:14). The obedience of the Magi in going back to their own country another way in order to avoid King Herod is coupled with the obedience of Joseph in leaving Bethlehem, with Mary the Jesus, and traveling to Egypt to avoid Herod. Joseph and his young family remained in Egypt until the death of Herod, which is historically verified at 4 B.C. However, Matthew is quick to point out that this was also a fulfillment of the prophecy found in Hosea 11:1: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

“It is probable that the stay in Egypt was very brief—perhaps no more than a few weeks. This quotation is from Hos. 11:1 (see note there, which speaks of God’s leading Israel out of Egypt in the exodus. Matthew suggests that Israel’s sojourn in Egypt was a pictorial prophecy rather than a specific verbal one such as Matt. 2:6; cf. 1:23. These are called “types,” and all are always fulfilled in Christ and identified clearly by the NT writers. Another example of a type is found in John 3:14,” Dr. John MacArthur writes.

God is in providential control of the circumstances of life. He is not detached from our situations but rather providentially works through and in them. May we derive great comfort from this knowledge.

Soli deo Gloria!