December 9th - Daniel Young

Hi, I’m Daniel Young! I’m a junior studying architecture serving on the F2 team this year. That’s enough about me, let’s talk about Jesus…

One part of the Christmas story that’s forgotten in most retellings is when Joseph and Mary have to flee to Egypt to hide baby Jesus from King Herod, who was trying to kill Him. 

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.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 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 ESV

This might seem like an inconsequential detail, but where they flee makes this important. You may be familiar with the stories, but Israel has a long, complicated history with Egypt. Egypt was used to preserve Israel and his sons through Joseph (different Joseph than Mary and Joseph) in Genesis 39-41, Israel was delivered from slavery in Egypt through Moses in Exodus, and Israel later seeks military aid from Egypt over seeking after the Lord when fighting the Assyrians.

To keep this short, I will focus on the prophecy given about Egypt.

When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called my son. Hosea 11:1

Here this refers back to God calling Israel out of bondage and persecution in Egypt into the Promised, but also Jesus, His son, going to Egypt for refuge. Israel needed to escape Egypt for freedom in the Promised Land, while Christ sought freedom and safety in Egypt from the Promised Land.

I want to end on what Joseph from the Old Testament says about the Lord working in Egypt.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Genesis 45:4-7

Christ came to go ahead and make a way for us, even if that meant He was wrongly accused and handed over, just like Joseph had been by his brothers. Christ endured trial after trial so we could have life even amid all our sin and low moments. Look to Egypt to see how God was even able to use a pagan nation that enslaved His people for His glory; remember that God works all things for His glory and our salvation.

1. Think about the promises we have covered so far that Christ came to fulfill, what other promises in the Bible do you need to be reminded of?

2. Why do you think God chose to write us a story to point to our Savior?

3. What are some trials or low seasons in your life that you can see how God still used it for His glory?