SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 2:13-18
An angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and tells him to go to Egypt for Herod is searching for Jesus to kill him. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus all fled in the middle of the night. They stayed there until Herod died. Herod had all of the boys in Bethlehem and the surrounding area under the age of 2 killed in an effort to kill Jesus. Hosea prophesied this.
BSF STUDY QUESTIONS LESSON 2, DAY 4: MATTHEW 2:13-18
9 ) The threat to his crown
10a ) God sends an angel of the Lord to protect Jesus and his family. Joseph obeyed immediately, fleeing in the middle of the night. When God calls, you answer. There is no room for hesitancy.
b ) God’s people frequently flees to Egypt for protection, like during the famine. This is for protection and survival. Jesus will redeed us from sin like Moses did the ancient Israelites when he led them out of Egypt to the Promised Land. Hosea predicted this so this shows the legitimacy of the Bible.
11a ) Killing innocent children.
b ) Proverbs 21:30 “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.” The insecurity of my future. Nothing happens without God and it being in his plan.
12 ) Matthew uses this verse to portray Rachel weeping over Herod’s slaughter of all baby boys in Bethlehem. But God answers, showing He is there and is planning redemption.
CONCLUSIONS BSF STUDY QUESTIONS LESSON 2, DAY 4: MATTHEW 2:13-18
I don’t remember this either. It amazes me to what lengths mankind will go to to try to circumvent God. They lose every time.
Great book on angels!
END NOTES BSF STUDY QUESTIONS LESSON 2, DAY 4: MATTHEW 2:13-18
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled 225 miles to Egypt at God’s warning. In ancient times, a lot of Jews lived in Egypt, and Herod had no control there. Bible scholars believe this was right after the Magis left. This was a long journey in ancient times, which shows again that God doesn’t usually take the easy way. In fact, God often uses ordinary means.
We can only guess at how long the family stays in Egypt; we are not told. Some say months; others say years.
Herod’s fear turns to murdering children. God weeps for them.
We should expect opposition too as we follow Jesus. Instead of lamenting it, use God’s strength to grow stronger in faith and overcome. The prophecy from Hosea 11:1 is fulfilled here, as God calls his son out of Egypt to save the world.
Ordering the death of innocent children was completely in line with Herod as a cruel leader that we know him to be. At that time, there would not have been many children tpu to death since Bethlehem was a small town. In ancient times, whole towns and peoples would be wiped out on a regular basis due to war, which may explain why this event is not recorded elsewhere in history. In truth, this was an everyday occurence, so there was nothing special about it.
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