Journey with Jesus: Matthew 2 continued

Matthew 2 continued.

The Escape to Egypt


1. Jesus is the second Moses. The perfect Moses. As God appointed Moses to lead his people out of bondage, so he has appointed Jesus to save his people from their sins (1:21). As Moses’ life was threatened by Pharaoh, so is Jesus’ by Herod. As Moses’ life is saved so that he can fulfill his appointed task, so is Jesus’ that he may accomplish the saving purpose for which God has sent him (to give his own life rather than have it taken from him by the Judean king or the Roman emperor). For Old Testament Jews, Moses was the hero. Moses was the great deliverer who led them out of slavery and to the promised land. Imagine a man who stretched out his arms and parted the Red Sea. Imagine a man who was given the Ten Commandments by God himself. This was Moses. You will be greatly enriched by doing a study comparison of the ministry of Moses with the ministry of Christ.

2. Just as Egypt provided a haven from famine for Jacob and his sons, so it provides Jesus and his parents protection from Herod’s murderous design. It is Gentile land that furnishes sanctuary for Israel’s Messiah. We find awesome stories in the book of Genesis. Genesis is divided into a few sections. Genesis 1-11 is primevil history—this is the beginning of history---these are the hard-core Christian beliefs—Creation, the Fall, the Flood, the Tower of Babel, and so on. Then we have Genesis 12-36—the stories of the three Patriarchs of Israel—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then from 37-50, we have the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob. Egypt figures into the story of Joseph. Joseph is sold into slavery, by his own brothers, due to their jealousy of Joseph. Joseph rises to a very high place in the Egyptian political system and is put in charge of the effort to prepare for a famine that Joseph prophesied. In other words, Joseph is second in command of Egypt. After the first two visits of Joseph’s brothers (43-44), Joseph reveals himself to his brothers (45). Jacob, Joseph’s father, makes the journey to Egypt in 46. It is striking that God again repeats His covenantal promise to Jacob, as he is in foreign land, as part of the record of Genesis 46. Here we have the God of the universe promising Jacob, on foreign land, that He will fulfill His promises. Awesome. I see a great parallel between Genesis 46 and Matthew 2. God fulfills His promises in His own time...He puts all things beautiful in His time.

The Slaughter of the Innocents

1. Of course, even children are not innocent—we are sinful from birth. The children in the immediate context of Jeremiah 31:15 (referred to by Matthew) are the members of the northern tribes deported by the Assyrians. Ramah is 5 miles from Jerusalem. Rachel is the one weeping and is the mother of Israel. She was Jacob’s favorite wife (Genesis 29-30). This is why Matthew recalls the prophecy of the women of Ramah weeping.

2. The passage in Jeremiah continues in 2:15, “This is what the Lord says: “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded, declares the Lord. They will return from the land of the enemy. So there is hope for your future, your children will return to their own land.” Rachel’s mourning will be turned into joy! Have you ever watched a women weep for the death of her child? I have. Several times. There is really nothing like it. Have you ever stared evil in the face? I’m talking about real evil. We don’t fully comprehend the goodness of God because we cannot conceive of the total depravity of man. If left to our own nature, we are so much more evil than we could possibly imagine. We are capable of doing incredible evil. The women of Jerusalem stared evil in the face when their babies were slaughtered. What grief. What pain. This was happening all over Jerusalem surrounding the birth of Christ. Just as back then, we live in a hurting and broken world. We are so insulated in America. Sure, many of us have experienced unspeakable pain. However, those in other parts of the world stare real, demonic evil in the face on a daily basis.

Oh Lord, comfort those mothers tonight who mourn the loss of their precious children. As I tuck my two little girls off to bed, I can't imagine losing either one of them. As I read CJ his new book, "Christmas Spot", I am thankful that he is healthy and brings such joy to our lives. As I see my son Markie growing stronger and more mature in his faith, daily, I think of those who lost their children and what pain they endure. Thank you Lord for your promises. Thank you that one day we will be in another time and another place, where there is no more pain, crying, or hurting. "I've grown so tired of earthly things...they promise peace but furnish pain...all of life's sweetest joys combined...could never match those in another time." Amen~Amen.