When the Wise Men left, and angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to get up and take the young child and His mother to Egypt. He was instructed to stay there until he received a further word from God,; because Herod wanted to find the child and destroy Him. They stayed in Egypt until Herold died; fulfilling yet another scripture
"Out of Egypt I have called My Son."
Matt. 2:15, Hosea 11:1
When the Wise Men did not return to Herod to tell him where the child was, He was extremely angry; and called for the death of all the male children in Bethlehem who were under the age of two.
Even this heartless act fulfilled another scripture:
"A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted, because they were no more."
Matt. 2:18, Jeremiah 31:15
Doesn't your heart go out to these women... and to women in war zones who lose their children to violence?
Lord, fill us with your Spirit and lead us in fulfilling our purpose in this time.
8 comments:
Beautiful thoughts Sheri.
When I read about the women unable to be comforted in their grief I think: God has surely given we moms a deep capacity to love and even though it is difficult at times to watch our children suffer in their journey with God, the fact that their suffering causes us pain is certainly proof that we do love them, isn't it.
Amazing to me that Our Lord suffered ALL the anquish one could possibly ever feel in regards to their children...multiplied X's the entire worlds population X''s every generation.
I sit here and try to comprehend HIS taking on that amount of pain in HIS body for ALL of us. What a parent!
Annie, I like your insight into our love as mothers... yes we do suffer when they suffer... no matter how old they are; they hold a place in our own hearts.
God is an amazing parent indeed. Check out today's reading "Behold the Lamb of God. I was amazed where the Lord took me and the insight He brought to His heart as the Father who took His Son, His only Son, precious and loved and sacrificed Him for us.
This story of the Flight into Egypt sends shivers down my spine. I can't imagine being in this situation... How painful! Leaving your town, your country with a small child on a donkey by night... Jesus, Mary and Joseph became refugees in Egypt! How Jesus understands today's political refugees! How He understands the persecuted for His Name as well!
This situation must have been so scary, humanly speaking. Leaving in the night to go to Egypt, alright, but where in Egypt? Scary.
Regarding the women whose children were slain through the orders of a raving mad power-hungry Herod, I can't imagine their pain! Whenever I read this portion of Scripture, I feel painfully sad. I actually have a hard time reading it... it's too painful! It must have been so horrible for these moms... unbearable... and yes, it still is for those moms who lose their children because of wars... it's the same unfair pain...
Jesus was persecuted as a young babe and small child. Satan already wanted Him dead... are we bigger than our Master?
Good points... it must have been a very fearful thing to leave in the dark of night to an unfamiliar pagan nation. The danger they were in underscores the depth of evil in the heart of man that necessitated His coming and even the need for judgment upon the horrible evil that is afflicted on innocent people.
Scripture's heartbreaking account of Jewish women weeping over their babies -- killed by order of their own government leader -- takes my thoughts to China. Eyewitness accounts tell of weeping Chinese women pregnant with their second or third child being forced to line up outside abortion clinics.
Thank God the current global warming summit in Copenhagen failed in chaos. A huge purpose behind this movement is to limit family size -- using China as the model for all countries to align with.
I cannot fathom the lifelong horror and suffering a woman endures knowing an innocent life within her womb was forcibly executed -- and she was unable to protect her little one.
Marjie, though I knew beforehand that the Chinese are only allowed one child, I never stopped to think of the forced abortions... it's so horrible that I'm speechless. God have mercy! :(
My NIV Study Bible has some interesting notes on this scripture:
Herod's attempt to kill Jesus and God's way of protecting the child reveal several truths about God's method of guiding and protecting his people.
1. God did not protect Joseph and Mary and their child without their cooperation. Protection required obedience to God's guidance, which in this case involved fleeing the country.
2. God may allow some things that are hard to understand to enter our lives in order to accomplish his will. In a real sense, Christ began life as a refugee and stranger in another country. To our limited knowledge, it would have been easier if God had removed Herod immediately, thus avoiding the escape to Egypt and all the trials involved in that circumstance.
3. Even after a particular trial is resolved, there may be other problems to face. God's protection and providential care will always be needed, for the believer's enemy never ceases his attack on the faithful.
Thanks Jordan for your comment from your Bible notes. It really brings out the cost of obeying the voice of God in your life. They had to leave family, friends and faith to live in a foreign land with their new life together as a couple and a new baby. They lived their faith.
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