To Egypt You Shall Go

To Egypt You Shall GoTo Egypt You

Shall GoMt 2:13-15

To Egypt You Shall Go

There are times it‟s best to run & hide.


There are times it‟s best to run & hide.◦ When Pharaoh sent his armies against the Israelites,

they needed to run & hide.


There are times it‟s best to run & hide.◦ When Pharaoh sent his armies against the Israelites,

they needed to run & hide.

◦ After Saul‟s conversion, the disciples in Damascus

“took him by night and let him down through an

opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket” (Acts

9:25, ESV).

IN THIS MORNING’S TEXT, IT WAS BEST FOR JESUS’ FAMILY TO RUN & HIDE.


Herod wanted to kill Jesus.



God sends Joseph a dream & tells him to take the

boy to Egypt until after Herod‟s death.





It was quite common for Jews to flee to Egypt in

time of need.






time of need.◦ When Uriah, the prophet, discovered that King

Jehoiakim planned to kill him, “he was afraid and fled

and escaped to Egypt” (Jer 26:21, ESV).






time of need.◦ When Uriah, the prophet, discovered that King

Jehoiakim planned to kill him, “he was afraid and fled

and escaped to Egypt” (Jer 26:21, ESV).

◦ “Then all the people, both small and great, and the

captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for

they were afraid of the Chaldeans” (2 Ki 25:26, ESV).


This passage tells us much about God—we

see the way God protects Jesus & the way he

protects our salvation.


This passage tells us much about God—we

see the way God protects Jesus & the way he

protects our salvation.

This passage tells us much about Joseph—we see

him being obedient to God.


We see:◦ DIVINE PERSPECTIVE.

◦ DIVINE PROTECTION.

DIVINE PERSPECTIVE

V 13


God gave Joseph a DIVINE PERSPECTIVE

on what was taking place.


God gave Joseph a DIVINE PERSPECTIVE

on what was taking place.

“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of

the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,

„Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to

Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is

about to search for the child, to destroy him‟” (v 13,

ESV).


Some have seen Joseph as a guy so dumb

that God has to send him constant dreams.



that God has to send him constant dreams.◦ An angel had to tell him it was okay for him to marry

Mary & an angel had to tell him to take Jesus to

Egypt.





Egypt.

◦ It‟s horribly wrong to see Joseph as spiritually inept.





Egypt.

◦ It‟s horribly wrong to see Joseph as spiritually inept. There was no human way for Joseph to foresee these

events.





Egypt.

◦ It‟s horribly wrong to see Joseph as spiritually inept. There was no human way for Joseph to foresee these

events.

Therefore, Joseph stood in desperate need of a DIVINE

PERSPECTIVE.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM JOSEPH’S NEED FOR A DIVINE PERSPECTIVE?


Man needs a DIVINE PERSPECTIVE to

know what to do.



know what to do.◦ Joseph needed a DIVINE PERSPECTIVE to know

what to do.




what to do.

◦ Humans would never know what to do without a

DIVINE PERSPECTIVE.




what to do.


DIVINE PERSPECTIVE. “I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself,

that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps” (Jer

10:23, ESV).




what to do.


DIVINE PERSPECTIVE. “I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself,

that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps” (Jer

10:23, ESV).

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts

understanding to the simple” (Ps 119:130, ESV).

JOSEPH COULD NEVER HAVE FORESEEN THESE EVENTS WITHOUT A DIVINE PERSPECTIVE.

JOSEPH COULD NEVER HAVE FORESEEN THESE EVENTS WITHOUT A DIVINE PERSPECTIVE.

There is much man would

never have seen without A

DIVINE PERSPECTIVE.


Would Abraham have known on his own to

leave Ur & go to Canaan?




Would we know on our own that baptism is

essential to salvation?




Would we know on our own that baptism is

essential to salvation? Would we ever have known

that marriage is to be a life-long endeavor?



God provides the DIVINE PERSPECTIVE

man needs.



man needs.

God has provided man everything he needs.



man needs.

God has provided man everything he needs.◦ “No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's

own interpretation. For no prophecy was every

produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God

as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pt

1:20-21, ESV).



man needs.

God has provided man everything he needs.◦ 2 Pt 1:20-21.

◦ “His divine power has granted to us all things that

pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of

him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2

Pt 1:3, ESV).



man needs.

God has provided man everything he needs.◦ 2 Pt 1:20-21.

◦ 2 Pt 1:3, ESV.

◦ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for

teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in

righteousness, that the man of God may be

competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tm

3:16-17, ESV).

DIVINE PROTECTION

vv 13-15


“Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to

Joseph in a dream and said, 'Rise, take the child

and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there

until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the

child, to destroy him.' And he rose and took the

child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt

and remained there until the death of Herod” (vv 13-

15, ESV).


God is here seen as a Father protecting his

Son.



Son.

God has long been the protecting Father.



Son.

God has long been the protecting Father.◦ “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of

Egypt I called my son. The more they were called,

the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the

Baals and burning offerings to idols. Yet it was I who

taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms,

but they did not know that I healed them. I led them

with cords of kindness, with the bands of love,

and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on

their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them”

(Hos 11:1-4, ESV).



Son.

God has long been the protecting Father.◦ Hos 11:1-4.

◦ Matthew applies this text to Jesus, but that isn‟t the

original context.



Son.



original context. The original context deals with the Israelites being in

Egypt after Joseph‟s death.



Son.





Notice the picture of God‟s protection here.



Son.






He called Israel out of Egypt.



Son.







He taught Ephraim to walk & healed him.



Son.







He taught Ephraim to walk & healed him.

He fed Israel.


The image of God‟s protecting Jesus from

the Slaughter of the Innocents should come as no

surprise.


The image of God‟s protecting Jesus from

the Slaughter of the Innocents should come as no

surprise.

But, it wasn‟t just Jesus whom God was

protecting—he was also protecting us.

WHAT IF JESUS HAD BEEN KILLED BY HEROD?


God continues to protect his people.


God continues to protect his people.◦ “We can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will

not fear; what can man do to me?'” (Heb 13:6, ESV).


God continues to protect his people.◦ “We can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will

not fear; what can man do to me?'” (Heb 13:6, ESV).

◦ “We know that everyone who has been born of God

does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of

God protects him, and the evil one does not touch

him” (1 Jn 5:18, ESV).

HOW DOES GOD PROTECT US?


God protects his people from temptation.


God protects his people from temptation.◦ “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted

beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will

also provide the way of escape, that you may be able

to endure it” (1 Cor 10:13, ESV).


God protects his people from temptation.◦ “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted

beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will

also provide the way of escape, that you may be able

to endure it” (1 Cor 10:13, ESV).

◦ There is not a single temptation that comes our way

that we cannot handle.


God protects his people from Satan‟s reach.


God protects his people from Satan‟s reach.◦ “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish,

and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My

Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,

and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's

hand. I and the Father are one”(Jn 10:28-30, ESV).







◦ Jesus does not say that we cannot choose to leave.







◦ Jesus does not say that we cannot choose to leave.

But, Satan cannot take us from the Father without our

consent.


God protects his people from evil.


God protects his people from evil.◦ Satan could only do to Job what God permitted.


God protects his people from evil.◦ Satan could only do to Job what God permitted. “The Lord said to Satan, „Behold, all that he has is in

your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your

hand.‟ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord”

(Job 1:12, ESV).


God protects his people from evil.◦ Satan could only do to Job what God permitted. “The Lord said to Satan, „Behold, all that he has is in

your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your

hand.‟ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord”

(Job 1:12, ESV).

“Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life” (Job 2:6,

ESV).

“IF GOD PROTECTS US FROM EVIL, WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?”


God did not protect Job from all evil.


God did not protect Job from all evil.◦ Job lost his livelihood, his children, & his health.


God did not protect Job from all evil.◦ Job lost his livelihood, his children, & his health.

◦ However, Job did not suffer more than God permitted.



We do not know all the evil that would befall us

without God‟s protection.




without God‟s protection.◦ “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but

against the rulers, against the authorities, against the

cosmic powers over this present darkness, against

the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph

6:12, ESV).




without God‟s protection.◦ “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but

against the rulers, against the authorities, against the

cosmic powers over this present darkness, against

the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph

6:12, ESV).

◦ Because we struggle against unseen, demonic forces,

it‟s impossible to know how much worse things could

be.


God protects his people from death.


God protects his people from death.◦ “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes

in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone

who lives and believes in me shall never die” (Jn

11:25-26, ESV).





11:25-26, ESV).

◦ These bodies shall not live forever.





11:25-26, ESV).

◦ These bodies shall not live forever, but our spirits

shall not see hell!

LET US REST CONFIDENTLY IN THE PROTECTION OF GOD!


We also have the example of Joseph‟s

protection of his Son.



protection of his Son.◦ Joseph gets up & takes his family to Egypt.




◦ There isn‟t a parent here who wouldn‟t react in

precisely the same way.





precisely the same way. But, do we protect our children‟s lives but leave their

souls open to attack?







Would we rather our children lose their lives or lose their

souls???








souls???

I pray to God that‟s a no-brainer!








souls???

I pray to God that‟s a no-brainer!

“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather

fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt 10:28,

ESV).

DO WE FATHERS PROTECT OUR CHILDREN?


We have that solemn responsibility.


We have that solemn responsibility.◦ “The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day;

the father makes known to the children your

faithfulness” (Is 38:19, ESV).


We have that solemn responsibility.◦ “The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day;

the father makes known to the children your

faithfulness” (Is 38:19, ESV).

◦ “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but

bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the

Lord” (Eph 6:4, ESV).

ARE WE PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN FROM THE ATTACKS OF SATAN?

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To Egypt You Shall Go