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19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead." 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene." ~ Matthew 2:19-23
Today, we continue our study of Matthew 2 where we have been considering the three responses to the birth of the Lord Jesus: the faith of the Magi, the indifference of the Jewish religious leaders and the faer of Herod. In our last study, Matthew cited Jeremiah 31:15 which is a prophecy about the women of Bethlehem mourning for their children. With that now complete, Matthew points us to the next main event, the death of Herod.
In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.'"
Herod died in Jericho a horrible death whereby he suffered for years from chronic kidney disease which caused a rare infection that caused gangrene in his genitals. Josephus wrote that the pain of Herod's illness was so bad that it led him to attempt suicide by stabbing. His attempted suicide was thwarted by his cousin. Herod left three sons, and his kingdom was at his death divided between them. To Archelaus was given Judea, Idumea, and Samaria. To Philip was left Batanea and Trachonitis. And, to Antipas was given Galilee and Perea. Each of the three sons of Herod were also called Herod.
After Herod's death Mary's husband Joseph had another dream wherein God told him to return his family back to Israel. This time, however, it was outside of the land of Canaan. This proves God can speak to us anywhere at any time. It also proves that this story bears all the marks of a literal historical account, all designed to point us to the Savior of the sinful world, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In v.21-22 of today's passage we read, "21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee."
Joseph had come a long way. He once was a man who was looking for a way to secretly divorce Mary but now he was perfectly obeying each revelation that God gave to him in his four dreams. Interestingly, from this point until Matthew 12, Mary will not be mentioned again. Even then she will be mentioned in passing. Clearly the Lord Jesus is the one we should be focusing upon. This is the consistent teaching throughout the Bible. The Lord Jesus shows up in all of its 66 books.
In his book, Gospel Formed, Jeff Medders observes that in Genesis to Deuteronomy is discovered the foundation for the Lord Jesus. In Joshua to Esther is to be discovered the preparation for the Lord Jesus. In Job to the Song of Solomon is the longing for the Lord Jesus. In Isaiah to Malachi is the expectation of the Lord Jesus. In Matthew to John is the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. In the book of Acts is the continued work and spreading of the fame of the Lord Jesus. In Romans to Jude is about living for the Lord Jesus. In the book of the Revelation is about the return, reign, and rule of the Lord Jesus.
By looking to the Lord Jesus, we will not look elsewhere. Thus, we will avoid idolatry, immorality, and all other types of sin. By looking to the Lord Jesus, we will be defined by Him. When we are found actively looking for Him in all things, we will be best positioned to make sense out of an otherwise chaotic and confusing life.
When Joseph and his family arrived back in Judea they learned that Herod's son Archelaus was now in power. Archelaus possessed a cruel and tyrannical disposition similar to his father. At one of the Passovers he caused 3,000 of the people to be put to death in the temple and city. For his crimes, after he had reigned 9 years, he was banished by Augustus, the Roman emperor, to Gaul, where he died. Through this final dream that God gave to Joseph, the Lord directed his steps to take his family to Galilee. As the Lord Jesus grew up in Nazareth, more prophecy would be fulfilled in and through his life.
In v.23 of today's passage we read, "And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, 'He shall be called a Nazarene.'"
Nazareth was a small town, situated in Galilee, west of Capernaum, and not far from Cana. It was built partly in a valley and partly on the downward slope of a hill. According to John 4:46, Nazareth was a place, at that time, known for its wickedness. This man who grew up in Nazareth has fulfilled 300 Old Testament prophecies. That is enough for me to believe that He is the One all the Old Testament prophets pointed us to.
In Isaiah 9:1-2 we read, "1 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined."
That light is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection are at the foundation of the gospel. The prophecies that He fulfilled concerning His death and resurrection speak loudly to validate His message. According to Exodus 12:21-23, we discover Him as the Passover Lamb. In Exodus 12:46, we learn that none of His bones would be broken. In Leviticus 17:11 we were told that He would die and pour out his blood for the atonement of sins. In Numbers 21:9 we see that He would be lifted up. In Psalm 22 we were told that He would be forsaken and mocked and that He would thirst while on the cross and that mouth would be dry and that His hands and feet would be pierced. The Lord Jesus Christ has met every criteria to be the Savior of the world.
