Thy Word:

‘After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

“A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”’ Matthew 2:13-18 NLT

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My Thoughts:

An angel appears again to Joseph in a dream and brings alarming news: Herod is going to attempt to kill his child! Joseph doesn’t wait until morning or until it’s convenient, because he is told he must leave immediately!

Can you imagine being woken in the middle of the night by your husband telling you, “Get up, we are going to Egypt now?” This was not a hop in the car and go situation, this was a grab the baby, what we need to eat and camp on the road, and go! Most likely their departure was done in silence in the dark, to get out as speedily as possible so no one would know that they were leaving or where they were going.

What would you do?

When Herod realized the wise men left without telling him who and where this King was, he went crazy! Hundreds of years prior to the birth of Christ, the prophet Jeremiah warned the Jewish people brutality would strike them and their children would be killed (Jeremiah 31:15). As prophesied, Herod brutally kills all Jewish males two and under, in Bethlehem and all the surrounding towns, assuming he would surely kill the predicted coming King.

What would you do?

Would husband’s today take a dream like Joseph had seriously? Would wives or a Mother think their man had lost his mind or would they move quickly to do as he said?

For me to do as my husband asked it would all hinge on one thing: is my husband righteous? In other words, is he, like Joseph, listening to the Lord, is he praying, does he love our family enough to consider our safety and provision above his own selfish desires?

In a way, their poverty would have been to their benefit, in other words, they probably did not have much to pack in order to leave quickly. On the flip side, they had been given three very expensive ‘baby shower’ gifts from the Magi. One of those items was the gift of gold and I have a feeling it helped finance that immediate departure and helped them live discreetly in Egypt until the Lord said it was safe to return.

One of my most favorite verses is in the book of Romans and it sums up the mighty faith that Joseph and Mary displayed:

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” Romans‬ ‭11:33‬ NIV

Jospeh and Mary had been deeply and richly blessed by God from the moment they surrendered to His will concerning the birth of Jesus. They didn’t know what was going to happen (God’s judgments are unsearchable), they didn’t know where they were going (God’s paths are untraceable), but they knew God was in front of them because they saw the evidence of God before them in everything they did.

Would we be willing to follow the will of God as Mary and Joseph did, just based on our faith and trust, even when we didn’t know all the details?

I can’t help but wonder if I would?

What would you do?

Would any of us have enough faith and trust in God, and our spouse, to walk away from our family, home, and possessions based on a dream? My answer: I would because my husband and I walk with the Lord and I know he prays about big decisions or changes in our life.

If you want to have a better relationship with the Lord or a spouse, would you please pray about each area that is lacking your faith? If you still need help, speak to a Bible believing, Jesus following pastor or friend, or get connected with a Christian counselor that will provide Godly truth and advice.

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Closing Prayer:

Father God, this is a hard lesson today! I want to believe that my answer would be “yes” because I am married to a righteous man. But when I consider the faith and trust required to follow Your will in a situation like this, I’m not sure. I can’t help but wonder if my practicality would get in the way of…, well, everything! Father, I ask for wisdom to know, and ears to hear Your voice and Your calling, but most of all, I ask for obedience to trust and follow You and the man I love. May I always remember, I have seen the evidence of You before me, and the way my husband cares and considers me in all of his decisions on the path we are currently walking together. I ask daily for Your wisdom and discernment, in the name of Jesus. Amen.