Matthew - Week 5

Warned in a Dream 

READ 

Matthew 2:12 

12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. 

After the wise men presented their gifts to Jesus and worshiped Him, they left by another road to their country. God had directed them not to return to Herod. They likely did not know the reason for this warning, but they obeyed God. What a lesson this is! One needs to obey God’s instructions whether or not the reason is known. 

REFLECT 

Does this remind you of reading the Bible? You know it is God’s Word even though you might not understand some things in it. Think of other things in life you use and obey even if you don’t understand the reasons or the working behind them. 

RESPOND 

Read Paul’s prayers for fellow believers in Ephesians 1:15-23. This passage can be an example of what followers of Jesus can pray for each other.  

Danger 

READ 

Matthew 2:13 

13 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.” 

God had warned the wise men through a dream and then gave a dream to Joseph. What terrible news came in the dream—Herod planned to search for baby Jesus and kill Him. Think how that must have horrified Joseph and Mary! Their confidence had been in God for all that He was doing in their lives, what would they do now? 

REFLECT 

As you think about what God has done for you in the past, does this give you courage to trust Him in the future? 

RESPOND 

With a fellow believer, read Proverbs 3:3-6 and let these verses guide you in the future. 

Flee to Egypt 

READ 

Matthew 2:14-15 

14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 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.” 

Joseph didn’t question God. He acted immediately on God’s instructions. The family left that night for Egypt and stayed there until Herod was off the scene and no longer a threat to baby Jesus. As Matthew wrote his Gospel, he particularly focused on showing the Jewish people that Jesus the Messiah was a fulfillment of the prophecies in the Jewish scriptures. Here he made reference to Hosea 11:1. 

REFLECT 

As you read the New Testament, do you realize that many of the events you read about were predicted or alluded to in the Old Testament? Think about this in the future and seek out those Old Testament references. 

RESPOND 

Read Hosea 11:1 and talk with a friend about how this connects with Jesus. In Hosea the “son” was Israel; in Matthew 2:15 the “son” is the Son of God, Jesus. This associates Jesus with the nation. 

Rachel Weeps 

READ 

Matthew 2:16-18 

16 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. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A cry was heard in Ramah—weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.” 

Just as Pharaoh in the Old Testament was furious when the Israelites were allowed to escape, so Herod was furious when the wise men didn’t report to him. Apparently acting on the approximate time he learned from the wise men when they first saw the star, Herod had babies killed whose age matched that time. Herod may have extended the time in his mind to be sure to kill the rival king. 

REFLECT 

Imagine the horror gripping Bethlehem as these babies were being killed. 

RESPOND 

Matthew cites Jeremiah 31:15 about Rachel’s sadness. That was related to Herod killing the babies. The entire passage in Jeremiah would not apply because verses 16 and 17 promised hope for the future for Rachel, but the one verse was cited that did apply. 

Out of Egypt 

READ 

Matthew 2:19-20 

19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” 

God continued to guide Joseph through dreams. Now Joseph was told to take Jesus and His mother back to Israel because the threat of death for Jesus was now gone. Jesus was the predicted Messiah of Israel so His association with that land and people was significant. But the perils in His life were not over, and eventually the religious leaders wanted Him crucified. It was not accomplished in His childhood so they wanted Him killed as an adult. 

REFLECT 

Think of what the Savior went through for you and all mankind. Show your appreciation by living to please Him. 

RESPOND 

Consider what all Jesus went through to eventually provide a pardon for sin for all who will accept His pardon. The heavenly Father needed to be satisfied for our sins. Read 1 John 2:2 to see that Jesus did this for the entire world. Sadly, many reject what He has done for them and refuse to accept His pardon.