The Weekend Word
Matthew 2:13-18
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”
- When the Magi had departed from Jesus’ house.
- An angel appears … in a dream. Why a dream? – why not in person as in other times?
- It happened to Peter when he was trying to get some sleep up on the rooftop in Joppa. And it’s happened time and time again. It happened to Daniel, Abimelech, Jacob, Joseph, Laban, the butler, and the baker. It even happened to Pharaoh.
- What is the message? Get out of Dodge.
- It is interesting to look at the comparison to OT scenes.
- Herod was a Edomite.
- Who was the father of the Edomites? Esau … Jacobs twin brother.
- Each became a people and Edom has been fighting God’s people up to this point.
- Now the new Edomite is on the scene to try to destroy God’s people through Jesus Christ.
- It’s funny the angel does not say “take your wife.” – but take the child and his mother – see v.11; 13; 14; 20; 21
- How much of this is a cosmic battle as we saw in Daniel – with Michael the Archangel fighting off the King of Persia?
- Satan, through Herod trying to kill the Messiah.
- In the times preceding Jesus, it was common for people would flee to Egypt.
- It was about 75 miles to the border. They had good status in Egypt and at one time the Egyptians built them a temple.
14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt
- This is not a trip to Egypt – come on, pack up, go pee, hop in the car we are going to go see grandma in Egypt! – No! this is an escape.
- Joseph was obedient to the angel in the dream.
- Did they tell anyone they were leaving? “hey, forward my mail.”
- Were the gifts from the wise men used to finance the trip?
- Herod wants to destroy the Christ child – we see in Rev 12 the dragon chasing the child – the same story.
15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
- Why didn’t the angel have the holy family just go with the Magi back to Babylon for protection – and then to keep them safe and cared for?
- Because of the scripture – that needed to be fulfilled.
- Hosea 11:1 = “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
- “spoken by the prophet” – inspired by God himself.
- You really need to study Hosea to understand this properly.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
- Herod’s attitude was “Over my dead body will this child be king in my place. Herod = a murderer and a butcher.
- Again, it’s the same old tune – when Pharaoh ordered the killing of the male newborns … can you hear the hiss of the serpent.
- Now, a little theology here;
- These children were circumcised children / children of the covenant, brought into the kingdom through the sacrament that God had provided for them at that time.
- The children in a sense died on behalf of Jesus – died on behalf of the savior, on behalf of the gospel.
- They are martyrs in that sense – killed for the faith
- And then in another sense, Jesus died for them.
- Even at the very beginning of Jesus’ life there is rejection
- Why couldn’t Jesus have shed his blood and died for the sins of the world here in Bethlehem?
17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
- Matthew is being very clear that his Jewish readers know that Jesus was fulfilling scripture – even during a tragedy.
- The original context of this passage is that Rachel, the favorite wife of Jacob (Israel) was buried in Ramah, north of Jerusalem (2nd version is in Bethlehem)
- It was said that when the Israelites were carried off into captivity, they marched on that road past the burial site, that Rachel, from her tomb would wail and weep for the children of Israel, as they were hauled off as punishment for their refusal to repent.
- Matthew pictures this as the same – the weeping going on as evil thrives in Israel.
- So Rachel weeps again. And this time, she weeps not because Babylon or Assyria has destroyed her people, but because Herod has.
- And this time it isn’t because of some political foreign power. It’s even the king of the very nation of Israel itself.
- The consolation follows immediately because even though the king has been exiled and the slaughter is going on, the king is going to come back, from Egypt.
- And his gospel will be preached and a remnant will be saved.
- Why Rachel? – a symbol as the mother of all the children of Israel.
Great lesson!
“Why couldn’t Jesus have shed his blood and died for the sins of the world here in Bethlehem?” i think the answer to this one is easy… because he had to die of his own volition (obedience to the Father) – not simply get killed, get it over and done with – his death was far more than just a simple ‘God allowed His (only begotten) son to be killed.’
This section begins with God speaking to Joseph in a dream. I am curious to see how many of the commenters here actually believe that God still does that, speak to his people, in dreams?
I do believe God speaks to people in dreams. He has spoken to me in dreams.
You have to be careful, though, because it’s easy to deceive yourself.
agreeing with Jes and Xenia – never had a dream visit from God – have had clear “words” from Him… those times when you hear the voice, but it isn’t a voice and yet you know you’ve been addressed… always tied to hit the wall moment for me…
I think we end up in dangerous theological waters when questions like this are asked.
1.) God speaking to us in dreams today is not the point in that verse. It is descriptive of what God did in that particular case but is not indicative or predictive of what God does today.
2.) The danger comes in when someone suggests that the dream they had was from God because the dream Joseph had was from God.
3.) This passage is technically still an Old Testament event under Old Testament guidelines.
Hebrews says “God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways” – I consider the ‘various ways’ to include dreams.
4.) but continues “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things.” – which I think He superintended in the Holy New Testament through the Holy Spirit.
I believe it’s possible, but as MLD pointed out, not normative.
The question before the house would be “why didn’t God send the dream to all the parents?”.
““‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;”
(Acts 2:17 ESV)
3s 6 & 7 MLD and Michael, that’s what Xenia cautioned and i agree completely – sometimes i feel guilty for not spending those hours that some do, seeking a word from God, but i know that my mind can play tricks on me
before i became a Believer i had a very detailed prophetic dream (with no purpose), so i’d have a hard time trusting any dream manifestation
Forget just dreams – does God communicate outside of his word? The lady this week who had the picture of Jesus show up on her sonogram (and it was a perfect picture as we would imagine the event) was that God communicating to her is a ‘various way’?
And once the dream is out – is it private, one person only or public proclamation to be shared?
that was supposed to be a pound sign or hashtag – whatever – not a 3 … i need new fingers or a new keyboard
it’s a stock answer to #10, but Satan imitates
Does God communicate outside of his word? <<<<
Yes, otherwise you are just having a relationship with a Book.
“Yes, otherwise you are just having a relationship with a Book.”
Not so – the preached word is God’s word
Baptism, absolution and the Lord’s Supper are physical forms of the Gospel.
I have relationship with God through my praise and prayer.
I think what may be missed when we use this passage and ask about today – Joseph was not being given little nuggets or assurances from God through his dream – he was given a command. I think if we look at all the dreams systematically (and I haven’t) I would guess they are all commands. The dreams I hear of today are the same that could have come if I was dreaming a Tony Robbins talk – how to live a better life.
Here in Joseph’s case the dream was a sure command that he obey promptly because there was no doubt who it was from.
Well, once you have a dream from God, you will never again say you can’t have a dream from God.
I can only answer Mr. J’s question on a theological / doctrinal plane – I have no way to argue people’s personal experiences.
But to the task at hand – the Holy Family is on the move.
To interact with Em’s answer @#2 – you are right – God is moving the chess pieces – he needs to get the Holy Family to Egypt so that the prophecy of Hosea can be fulfilled.
Theology/ doctrine is on the side of dreams and visions because there are several mentioned in the NT after Pentecost.
I could be wrong, but I think you are confusing visions & dreams as interchangeable.
But I am going to look through the epistles to see if I find any teachings on what to expect from or how I am to use visions & dreams.
If God sends you a dream or grants you a vision, you will know what to do.
I rarely disagree with MLD, because he’s incredibly knowledgeable, but also because disagreeing with MLD can be like tugging on Superman’s cape or spitting into the wind. However, in this particular case, Luther and the Lutheran Dogmaticians would ask MLD to use a bit more nuance. 🙂
“The question has often been asked whether divine revelations pertaining to external events in Church or world might not be given to individual persons in our time. It does not contradict Scripture to admit the possibility and fact of such revelations. [Examples in Scripture (Acts 11:27-28; 21:10-11). In church history: John Hilten’s prophecy of the coming of Luther (Trigl. 419, 1-4). It is added: “The outcome will teach how much weight should be given to this declaration.”] But it is contrary to Scripture to assume that new revelations on doctrine will be given; the revelation of doctrine has come to an end with the Word of the Apostles and Prophets. [Quenstedt says on this score (I, 75): “We must distinguish between revelations which pertain to, or attack, an article of faith, and those which concern the state of the Church or the State, social life, and future events; the first we repudiate; the latter, however, some hold, are not to be urged with any necessity of believing, nevertheless are not to be rashly rejected. B. Balduin says in his Commentary on 1 Tim. 4, P. I, q. 1: ‘We do not doubt that God to this day at times reveals to some men future things pertaining to the state of the Church or the State, to be announced for the use of men.’”]”
(Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, Vol. I [Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1950], p. 211)
“Still I do not deny that Noah heard God speak after Methuselah’s death. God speaks ordinarily through the public ministry—through parents and the teachers of the Church—and in rare cases by inward revelation, through the Holy Spirit. It is well that we remember not to overlook the Word in vain expectation of new revelations, as the fanatics do. Such a course gives rise to spirits of error, a source of disturbance to the whole world, as the example of the Anabaptists proves.” – Martin Luther, Commentary on Genesis
A dream or a vision will give a person some kind of marching orders or information but will not present a new doctrine. St. Paul was told to go to Macedonia, St. Peter saw a blanket full of unclean critters, St. John saw all kinds of amazing things and I am not going to tell you what my dream way about, other than to say it was a warning and subsequent events proved it to be true.
Jean, I agree that God speaks through other people – parents, SS teachers etc – but they are effective only to the extent that they are communicating God’s word. Personal testimony sans word is failure.
I do have an issue of God coming to us in an unmediated format.
I have received useful information and direction through dreams. I have also had encounters with angels, demons and even Jesus himself. No, I am not a heretic. God’s Word is normative for doctrine, but it cannot tell you that you are in danger and need to leave town right away as in today’s post. There are dangers of idealistic people trying too hard to find something spiritual in ordinary dreams. I could write a book about that, and perhaps some day I will. In my case, I had a warning in a dream for my brother the year he died. I went to a holding cell in hell. It was the most real thing I have ever experienced. I had two dreams warning of my fathers death. I wrote him to warn him for he was not a believer. As I saw in the dream, he did nothing and died in events as I had foretold. There is more as well. Perhaps some other day…
Mr. Jesperson, your #23 is very interesting to me (i know that you’re not alone) in light of the following scriptures
“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;”
Act 2:17 -21 KJV…
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
perhaps some say that this was for the day in which Peter spoke, but then the extreme of the ‘wonders’ indicate that we’ve yet to see this, so i’m still puzzling and watching
Mr. Jesperson, your #23 is very interesting to me (i know that you’re not alone) in light of the following scriptures:
“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;”
Acts 2:17-21 (KJV)…
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
perhaps some say that this was for the day in which Peter spoke, but then the extreme of the ‘wonders’ indicate that we’ve yet to see this, so i’m still puzzling and watching
i do not know why this posted 2x – i got a msg. “you’re not connected to the internet” and then 2xs? … my computer has a bug or something
Goon notes, MLD. I had occasion to look back on my old class notes this weekend, and they made no sense, even to me 🙂 Your weekly studies have inspired me to do a better job of recording what I teach.
Thank you Josh. My initial notes are crazy. I print out the Chapter and have about 3 verses per page. I scribble my notes as I study – it may be in the car, in the bathroom or where ever. I can barely read my notes. But then I type them out in the format I do and I add words so sentences or bullet points make sense to me. I write them out as if I was actually going to read them to the class. It has made life easier on the recycles 😉
I then use a larger font so as I wander back to the podium, I can glance and actually see my notes.