When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Joseph obeyed the angel's warning given in a dream at once and without delay, rising by night to take the infant Jesus and his mother Mary and depart into Egypt to escape Herod, the jealous and tyrannical king who sought to kill the infant King and Redeemer. Egypt was the refuge God appointed for them, a temporary asylum in a foreign and heathen land, and leaving under cover of night gave greater security for the journey. God preserved their lives and watched over them on the way and during their stay, supplying what they needed though they were poor through the costly gifts brought by the wise men. Angels guarded the infant Redeemer in the flight, proving a higher power at work against Satan, who looked on Christ from birth as a rival to his kingdom and stirred Herod to destroy him, then followed him from infancy to manhood to turn him from allegiance to God.
Night Flight to Egypt
Joseph arose at once and without delay in obedience to the warning given by the angel in a dream, taking the young child Jesus and his mother Mary by night and departing into Egypt. His prompt rising and going was obedience to the heavenly direction to flee, removing Jesus and Mary under cover of darkness to the appointed place of safety.
The night departure was chosen for greater security on the journey, since secrecy and haste lessened the danger to the child. Traveling then guarded the family while the threat was active and Herod was seeking to destroy the infant.
The flight was escape from Herod, a tyrannical and jealous king who intended and sought to kill the infant Jesus. The child he hunted was the infant King of Israel, the infant Redeemer and Saviour, and Herod's murderous plan aimed to rid himself of that newborn king.
Egypt was the refuge and asylum directed by God for the family, where He sent Joseph to preserve them from Herod's intent. Their stay there was temporary, a sojourn in a foreign and heathen land, a strange city away from home until the danger passed.
God's Preserving Providence
God directed the night journey into Egypt to preserve the lives of Jesus and His family, providing a refuge from Herod's intent to kill the child and watching over them on the way and during their stay there. Joseph's prompt obedience in taking Jesus and Mary by night carried out that divine direction, and the flight secured an asylum that kept the child's life safe from a tyrannical king. Though His earthly parents were poor, God supplied the means for travel and residence in a foreign land through the valuable gifts brought by the wise men or magi. Those gifts met the family's needs on the journey and sustained them while they lived as strangers in Egypt.
Angels protected the life of the infant Redeemer in that flight to a heathen and foreign land, where He found safety and asylum. That protection proved a higher power at work against Satan's attempt to destroy Him. From Christ's birth Satan looked upon Him as a rival to contest his power and overthrow his kingdom, and stirred Herod to slay all the children in Bethlehem two years old and under in order to rid the earth of the infant king. The escape did not end the conflict, for Satan followed Christ from infancy to childhood and from childhood to manhood, seeking to allure Him from allegiance to God.
Being driven from Bethlehem by a jealous king to temporary refuge and asylum in a foreign and strange city belonged to a life marked by persecution and rejection. The danger of Herod's attempt to destroy Jesus and his massacre of innocent children remained vivid to Joseph and Mary years later. Their memory of that fear made them fear that harm had come to Jesus when He was missing and they had lost Him.
Joseph obeyed the angel's warning given in a dream at once and without delay, rising by night to take the infant Jesus and his mother Mary and depart into Egypt to escape Herod, the jealous and tyrannical king who sought to kill the infant King and Redeemer. Egypt was the refuge God appointed for them, a temporary asylum in a foreign and heathen land, and leaving under cover of night gave greater security for the journey. God preserved their lives and watched over them on the way and during their stay, supplying what they needed though they were poor through the costly gifts brought by the wise men. Angels guarded the infant Redeemer in the flight, proving a higher power at work against Satan, who looked on Christ from birth as a rival to his kingdom and stirred Herod to destroy him, then followed him from infancy to manhood to turn him from allegiance to God.
Night Flight to Egypt
Joseph arose at once and without delay in obedience to the warning given by the angel in a dream, taking the young child Jesus and his mother Mary by night and departing into Egypt. His prompt rising and going was obedience to the heavenly direction to flee, removing Jesus and Mary under cover of darkness to the appointed place of safety.
The night departure was chosen for greater security on the journey, since secrecy and haste lessened the danger to the child. Traveling then guarded the family while the threat was active and Herod was seeking to destroy the infant.
The flight was escape from Herod, a tyrannical and jealous king who intended and sought to kill the infant Jesus. The child he hunted was the infant King of Israel, the infant Redeemer and Saviour, and Herod's murderous plan aimed to rid himself of that newborn king.
Egypt was the refuge and asylum directed by God for the family, where He sent Joseph to preserve them from Herod's intent. Their stay there was temporary, a sojourn in a foreign and heathen land, a strange city away from home until the danger passed.
God's Preserving Providence
God directed the night journey into Egypt to preserve the lives of Jesus and His family, providing a refuge from Herod's intent to kill the child and watching over them on the way and during their stay there. Joseph's prompt obedience in taking Jesus and Mary by night carried out that divine direction, and the flight secured an asylum that kept the child's life safe from a tyrannical king. Though His earthly parents were poor, God supplied the means for travel and residence in a foreign land through the valuable gifts brought by the wise men or magi. Those gifts met the family's needs on the journey and sustained them while they lived as strangers in Egypt.
Angels protected the life of the infant Redeemer in that flight to a heathen and foreign land, where He found safety and asylum. That protection proved a higher power at work against Satan's attempt to destroy Him. From Christ's birth Satan looked upon Him as a rival to contest his power and overthrow his kingdom, and stirred Herod to slay all the children in Bethlehem two years old and under in order to rid the earth of the infant king. The escape did not end the conflict, for Satan followed Christ from infancy to childhood and from childhood to manhood, seeking to allure Him from allegiance to God.
Being driven from Bethlehem by a jealous king to temporary refuge and asylum in a foreign and strange city belonged to a life marked by persecution and rejection. The danger of Herod's attempt to destroy Jesus and his massacre of innocent children remained vivid to Joseph and Mary years later. Their memory of that fear made them fear that harm had come to Jesus when He was missing and they had lost Him.