CALLING A SON OUT OF EGYPT
Matt. 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts 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.
1. Out of Egypt have I called my son! The Lord Jesus Christ is the pattern of every believer. So His being called out of the iron furnace of Egypt is a picture of the believer’s call out os sin’s darkness.
And they, like unto Him are called out because they are sons! Gal. 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. They are not yet sons in the experience of justification and righteousness. But they are sons in God’s sovereign election of them in Christ! Eph. 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: And those whom he did predestinate, them he also called! (Rom. 8:30).
2. Saved by a different birth! In verses 16 through 18, listed above we find that only infants born of the flesh and not, as he was, born of the Spirit were under the threat of death! Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
The first Adam brought death upon all his offspring. But Christ, the last Adam, provided life for all those chosen in him. Rom. 5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
3. It was essential that the wicked king die! There could have been no entry into Israel until something was done concerning Herod. For he was determined to destroy this child! We see that both concerning the life of Christ and the spiritual lives of all believers!
Of Satan’s determination to kill the Christ child, we read: Revelation 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
And in order to deliver the adopted sons of God, we read: Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
The destruction of Satan’s power of death took place at Calvary! John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
We see this event in the spiritual realm in Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (The 1000 years is the church age!)
4. The offspring of the wicked king was used to direct the child’s dwelling place!
The death of King Herod, picturing the defeat of Satan at the cross, brought forth the calling of God to bring his son out of the Egyptian darkness! But Herods son, Archelaus was now on the throne in Judaea. (See verse 22 listed above.) Thought Satan’s power of death is destroyed, he still has power to affect us, as we are still in the world, and are still influenced by our carnal man. But God is sovereign over sin! For although we are commanded to abstain from the very appearance of evil, yet sin is God’s servant, that he uses in order to exalt his marvelous grace! Rom. 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
And we know that The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. (Psa. 37:23). So God used the son of the wicked king to guide Joseph, by fear, (just as Noah was moved by fear), to the specific city where he would have his son to live! This had already been “spoken by the prophets!”
Prov. 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. How did this passage state that God would “direct out paths?” Is it not by our “departing from evil?
And we read in 1 Corinthians 6:18 to “flee fornication!” Also in 2 Timothy 2:22 we read that we should “Flee youthful lusts!” This is what God used in another Joseph’s life to wind him up in the next devised stage of God’s purpose for him! He fled from his master’s adulterous wife by the directing hand of God, and he wound up in prison where he learned more of patience. There he also made the connection to have God bring him into Pharaoh’s attention and on to the very rule of Egypt! For we read in verse 22 above, that in the life of this Joseph, the husband of Mary, that it was both by his fear of Archelaus and his warning from God that he went to the city of Christ’s further humiliation, exactly as God had planned!
John 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Our Lord was certainly despised and rejected of men! Bless His Holy Name!
Pastor Gene Breed
