13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:13-15 NIV)
The Flight to Egypt
We have here Christ’s flight into Egypt to avoid Herod’s cruelty. This event followed the wise men’s inquiry about him; until then, the obscurity in which he lived had been his protection. The small respect paid to Christ in his infancy by the wise men exposed him to his enemies.
As described in Matthew 2:13, Joseph, unaware of the danger to the child or how to escape it, is informed in a dream by an angel, as he had been earlier (Matthew 1:20). Those who are spiritually connected to Christ through faith gain a closeness to heaven they did not previously have.
Joseph is told that Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. While most people experience a peaceful infancy even if later years are marked by struggles, Christ’s sufferings began early in his life, fulfilling the lament that “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth” (Psalm 129:2).
Joseph is instructed to take the child and flee to Egypt. Christ, who came to die for us, fled for his safety because his hour had not yet come. Though Egypt was known for idolatry and cruelty, God can use even the worst places for his purposes, as the earth is his. Egypt, once a land of oppression, now served as a refuge for Christ. Yet any place becomes good when God sends us there.
Despite the hardships of the journey, Joseph immediately obeyed the divine command (Matthew 2:14). He arose by night and left for Egypt. This teaches us that when God’s direction is clear, our obedience should be swift. We cannot act too quickly in fulfilling divine commands. Just like the patriarch Joseph, Joseph took the young child and his mother, left Bethlehem, and found shelter in Egypt. They stayed in Egypt until Herod’s death.
This brought about the fulfillment of scripture, Hosea 11:1, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” This prophecy initially referred to Israel’s exodus from Egypt but is applied here to Christ. Just as God brought Israel out of Egypt to honor them, Christ’s stay and return from Egypt signify God’s ongoing fulfillment of scripture. Though God’s people may be in Egypt for a time, they will not be left there.
Learn that Christ’s departure from Israel to Egypt served as a sign of God’s displeasure with the Jews for neglecting Christ and a foretaste of his favor to the Gentiles, who would later embrace the gospel.
Take note of how our Lord himself, during a time of persecution, seeks safety through flight, though he could have protected himself in countless other ways. This teaches us that in times of difficulty and danger, it is neither wrong nor improper to preserve our lives by fleeing. If our Savior both practices and commands it, there is no shame in following his example.
Also, note that though Joseph obeys God’s command to flee from Herod’s rage, he does so discreetly, traveling by night to avoid drawing attention. This shows us that, even with God’s promises of safety and deliverance, we should not expect miracles when our safety can be achieved through practical means.