GOD’S GUIDANCE AND PROTECTION

RETURN TO SYLLABUS

Matthew 2:13-23
Lesson #04
GOD’S GUIDANCE AND PROTECTION

• Memory verse: Psalms 45:11
• Read Mat 2:13-23 Flight of the King
  • The magi were warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod. They were not to tell him of finding the new king.
  • Joseph was also warned in a dream to flee to Egypt.
    • How reliable are our dreams? How do we know they bring direction from God?
    • God guides his people in various ways. One is by dreams. There are many examples in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament.
    • However, do not rely totally on one dream for direction. God will verify his direction in another way.
  • Joseph certainly knew Herod’s reputation for killing those who threatened his position.
    • The magi surely told Joseph and Mary of their visit with Herod before coming to Bethlehem. It is probable that they told Joseph about their dream of warning from God.
    • Matthew writes about the flight to Egypt so he can show that this is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy of Hos 11:1.
  • The slaughter of the children (16-18)
    • Herod not only killed members of his family, but he also killed some of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish temple leadership), later he killed 300 court officers. In the hour of his death, he arranged for the slaughter of important leaders of Jerusalem.
    • Other historical sources outside of the Bible do not mention the slaughter of the children. It may be because there were not that many children under the age of 2. Bethlehem was a small town at that time. Perhaps there were 20 or 30 children killed. One guess is as many as 64,000 children. That’s probably much too high. A number that high would have caught the attention of other historians of that time.
    • The fulfillment of Jer 31:15
      • The context of Jer 31:15 does not refer to the slaughter of children.
      • Jeremiah was referring to the people of Jerusalem being led away in exile to Babylon. On their way they pass by where Rachel was buried. Jeremiah pictures Rachel weeping in the tomb for the destiny that has come upon her people.
      • The Holy Spirit uses that picture to demonstrate a prophecy fulfilled in the death of the children. Because of evil in the world, the innocent suffer.
  • The death of Herod
    • When Herod died in 4 BC of an incurable disease, his whole kingdom was split up into three parts because none of his sons was strong enough to hold it together.
    • Also Herod knew that Rome did not trust any of his three sons with so much power so he divided the kingdom.
      • He left Judea to Archelaus
      • He left Galilee to Herod Antipas
      • He left a northeast region, Traconitis, to Philip II.
  • The return of the King (Jesus) to Israel
    • After the danger of Herod’s murderous reign had passed, Joseph and his family returned to Israel. However, they did not return to Bethlehem.
    • Bethlehem was now governed by Archelaus. He was a bad king and did not last long on the throne (9 years). He began his reign with the murder of 3000 of the most influential people in the country.
    • Joseph was guided to take his family to Nazareth in Galilee where Herod Antipas ruled. He was not a good king, but he was not as bad as Herod the Great or Archelaus.
  • Nazareth
    • Nazareth was not a large city but a very important one.
    • The well traveled road from Damascus in Syria to Egypt went through Nazareth. Another road went through Nazareth that led to the eastern boundaries of the Roman Empire. Nazareth was an important center for the caravan trade routes. A Roman army garrison was housed in Nazareth.
      • Because the people of Nazareth had constant contact with people from all over the world, the city had a reputation for having an independent attitude.
      • Many Jews did not like that attitude. As a result, there was a sarcastic saying, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (Joh 1:46)
  • The difficult prophecy in verse 23
    • Matthew tells us Jesus’ childhood in Nazareth is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
    • It is a little difficult to point to this prophecy in the Old Testament with great accuracy.
      • Theologians say it is probably a play on words from Isa 11:1
      • The Messiah is spoken of as a rod out of the stem of Jesse.
        • The Hebrew word rod is “nezer“.
        • Matthew is therefore saying that Jesus is not only the one from Nazareth (Nezer, the rod) but He was a descendant from Jesse, a descendant of David, and therefore the King.
  • Matthew does not tell us much about Jesus’ childhood because he is not writing a biography. He is writing to inform the Jews of who Jesus is and to persuade them to accept Jesus Christ as their King.
  • What names do you find for Jesus in Matthew 2?
    • Jesus (1)
    • King of the Jews (2). Notice that this title for Jesus was the same as the one Herod the Great had.
    • Christ (4)
    • Young child (8)
    • My Son (God’s son) (15)
    • Nazarene (23)
• Application:
  • As God guided Joseph and the magi, He is committed to guiding all who seek Him.
  • How does God guide the believer today?
    • God’s guidance is primarily through the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer.
    • When a person invites Christ into his life, the Holy Spirit works internally in a person’s life.
    • The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to convict of sin and to give guidance. This is the reason it is important to read the Bible.
    • Also God guides by circumstances. However, Satan can manipulate circumstances.
    • God can use other Christians.
    • God can use dreams, vision, or miracles, but do not trust totally in these forms.
  • Guidance is what is very important to the believer. The Christian cannot obey if he does not know in what direction God wants you to go.
    • Jesus Christ said that His disciples would recognize His voice.
      • Read Joh 10:3-4. Read Joh 14:26.
      • Jesus Christ indicate that is not difficult to hear the voice of God.
        • The believer that has a heart for God, hears the voice of God because that believer wants to obey.
        • The believer in Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit that lives inside of him It is His purpose to teach you the truth of God.
    • Share with each other how God has guided you in your Christian life.

Homework

Matthew 3:1-17

• Application of Mat 2
  • How does God usually guide you?
  • How do you know that it is God who is guiding you?
  • Keep in mind that God can use any number of ways in guiding His children. The key is being open to receiving direction and then being obedient to it.
• Preparation for Mat 3
  • Read Mat 3:1-17 The announcer of the King: John the Baptist
    • What religious people came to John for baptism?
    • Why did John object to their coming?
    • What was the message of John the Baptist?
    • What was the purpose of John’s ministry?
    • What was the meaning of the baptism by John the Baptist?
    • Since baptism was a public testimony of repentance from sin, why did Jesus insist on being baptized when he was not a sinner?
• Memory verse: Mat 3:17