Monday, January 29, 2007
Matthew 2:13 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."
EGYPT
Among the events of Jesus' birth stands one rich with pictures of what God in Christ our Lord has done for us. This event takes up only three verses in Matthew two and follows immediately upon the departure of the wise men.
In Matthew 2:13-15 we are told that God had Joseph take Mary and the young boy Jesus into Egypt and to remain there until such a time when Herod was dead.
Egypt's history is long and it's accomplishments are if not the greatest ever achieved by any civilization, they are among the greatest of both ancient and modern times. The wealth that was amassed in Egypt in the times of the Pharaohs, and which has come out in the last 150 years is unbelievable. It's history also is closely connected with Israel's from the time of Abraham down to Jesus day and this particular event in the life of Jesus. Abraham went to Egypt. Isaac would have gone to Egypt. Jacob died in Egypt. Israel grew strong in Egypt, and in the later years before Moses, served Egypt with hard bondage crying out for deliverance from Egypt. In the 40 years of the wilderness wanderings, they wanted to go back to Egypt. Many of the kings of Israel and Judah tied themselves to power of Egypt. In the days of Jeremiah, a remnant returned to Egypt though they were told not to go. In the long history of Egypt, it has stood as picture of worldly wealth, power, and accomplishment. It has stood as a place where God has sent His people to be kept that they might grow strong. Egypt has stood as a picture of hard labor and harsh service from which God's people seek deliverance. It's call and the desire to return, the desire to trust in all that it stands for even among God's people, is strong.
It is not the sending into Egypt that these devotions will center on, but it is to the calling out from Egypt that our attention is drawn.
