Devotion # 4 - Know When To Flee - Matthew 2:13-15

Devotion # 4

Know When To Flee

Matthew 2:13-15

"Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Since Herod had plans to kill Jesus, God sent an Angel of the Lord to Joseph in a dream (this was the 2nd appearance to Joseph in a dream), and told him to take Mary and Jesus and escape to Egypt and stay there until He heard from God. Egypt was out of reach for King Herod. Though Jesus came into the world to die, He had a lot of work to complete before he laid down His life - and at that point His work had not even begun.

God need not have waited until Herod was dead to tell Joseph to return to Israel; if He chose to, He could have done something more proactive to prevent Herod from killing Jesus, but God didn't do that; He chose to tell Joseph to escape to a foreign land - Egypt. Isn't it interesting to note that the Lord does not always intervene in supernatural ways to protect us? Most times, He uses everyday methods to do that . I wonder whether He does that so, we recognise His protection over us even in the everyday things of life and not necessarily wait for the supernatural as an evidence of His protection.

Things haven't changed much since then - the attack that began on Christ Himself centuries ago, continues today with His Body (The Church) across the globe. Though God can snuff out the persecution by destroying the persecutors if he chooses to, often times he chooses not to. Jesus foretold that in the last days, some of us would either be killed or would need to flee for our lives. In Luke 21:16, He said, "...and they will put some of you to death." In the same Chapter in verses 20 & 21 Jesus says, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains..." Again in Matthew 10:23, Jesus said, "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another..."

The same night Joseph left with his family for Egypt and stayed there until the death of Herod (note who died and who remained alive), thereby fulfilling a prophecy in Hosea 11:1 - "Out of Egypt I called my Son." Not only did God call His son Israel out of slavery in Egypt (God refers to Israel as his first-born son in Ex.4:22,23) many years earlier, but He also called His own Son Jesus out of Egypt many years later.

Not only did Jesus suffer persecution as a child, but he did so later in life as well. In Luke 4:30 we read, "... they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way." Another time in John 8:59, it says, "Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." In both instances, Jesus chose to flee death as His time had not yet come to die.

The Apostle Paul too, fled from persecution and death. He says, "When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him." 2 Corinthians 11:32,33 (NLT).

Yet both Jesus and Paul (and the all the other apostles too), had to face death one day and when that day came, they faced death with boldness and confidence. 

We live in the last days and as predicted by Jesus Himself, persecution is going to increase across the globe for those who follow Christ, and one needs to know when to face persecution - even when it means death, and and when to flee from it.

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Michael Collins

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