Matthew 2:13-2313And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15And 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. 16Then 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 inquired of the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18In 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. 19But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20Saying, 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. 21And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea 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: 23And 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 2:13‑23)
The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and His mother, and dee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word, for Herod will seek the child to destroy Him.”
Joseph obeyed the word of the angel, and started at night, so none would see them. It is thought that they rode a donkey, as only the rich rode horses or camels, and they must have had a long, hard journey to Egypt.
After they had gone from Bethlehem, the dreadful cominand came from the jealous King Herod that the children, two years old or younger, in the town and country around, should be killed. By that cruel order, he thought the new King, the wise men told of, would be killed. But the little Child Jesus was safe in Egypt.
This sad thing was told of long before: “In Ramah...great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children.” Jeremiah 31: 15. Ramah was a small place near Bethlehem, where the mothers wept at Herod’s awful command. It was in a corner of the land of the tribe of Benjamin; Rachel was his mother, so the mothers were written of as “Rachel” (Matt. 2:1818In 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. (Matthew 2:18)).
After a time, an angel told Joseph they could return to the land of Israel, as Herod had died. Joseph left Egypt with the Child Jesus and Mary. But he heard that a son of Herod ruled, and he feared to live near him, so he went north to the town of Nazareth in Galilee, where he had before lived, and they made their home there.
No more is told by Matthew about, Jesus when young. But do you remember the story of Jesus going with His mother and Joseph to a feast at Jerusalem? He talked with the men in the Temple, and surprised, them by His wise words (Luke 2:42-5242And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:42‑52)).
They went home again to Nazareth, and Jesus obeyed Joseph and Mary in all things. It was because Jesus’ home was at Nazareth that He was called “a Nazarene”. Matthew wrote that the prophets had said He would be called that, ahough those words are not in the writings we now have Nazareth was built in the hills of Galilee, about sixty miles north of Jerusalem, and seems not to have been well thought of by other people. So it was a humble place that Jesus lived on earth. There is still a town Nazareth; if we could go there, we would see the same hills, but few or none of the same houses.
ML 01/17/1943