23/12/2023
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐀𝐍 (𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟐)
2️⃣Then we find another beautiful story. The angel of the Lord comes into Israel, visits a young lady by the name Mary who was to get married to a man named JOSEPH.
📖Matthew 2:1-8
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
⭐You know, alot of times we find these pictures with 3 wise men.
⭐The Bible doesn't really say that there were 3 wise men. The Bible only talks about 3 gifts. They brought 3 gifts.
So these wise men, you find them with this baby in a manger with the mother.
NO!!!!!!!
At the time that these wise men came, Jesus was no longer a baby.
YOU KNOW, THEY THINK THAT JESUS WAS A BABY WHEN THE WISE MEN CAME.
⭐ Jesus was not a baby when the wise men came.
⭐Jesus was a young child, a young baby. He was not a baby and they did not find him in a manger and he was no longer there.
📖Matthew 2:8-11
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
⭐ He's lying, he's not going to worship him, he wants him dead.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
⭐"And when they were come into the house"
NOT
"And when they were come into the stable"
⭐And it's important for you to know what had transpired by this time.
BY THIS TIME, Jesus was somewhere around 2 years or a little less. He was not a baby. About 2 years old or a little less.
That's why when Herod was angry because the wise men didn't come back to him, he gave an instruction for all children from 2 years down to be killed.
⭐And let me tell you another thing that's interesting so you know what had happened as at this time.
SEVERAL THINGS HAD HAPPENED!
1. Jesus had been moved to Jerusalem for his dedication and then his mother would have also had to spend some 41 days for her purification before receiving such visitors like magi (the wise men), very important!!!
So by now they were no longer there in the manger for the Bible says they had gone to their house in Nazareth.
📖Luke 2:7
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
📖Luke 2:21-22
21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
⭐The magi (the wise men) had not come.
⭐Jesus is out of Bethlehem. He arrives Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. He's already in Jerusalem.
DOES HE GO FROM JERUSALEM BACK TO BETHLEHEM???
⭐Now we move into the next verses.
📖Luke 2:23-24
23 (As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
AND THE STORY GOES ON, UP TO WHAT HAPPENS IN THE TEMPLE, UP TO VERSE 39.
📖Luke 2:39
And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
⭐ That's interesting. Something else that you need to see...
GO BACK TO THIS NICE STORY -
🔅You know Herod thought he was very smart but God was smarter than Him. He says go look for him, he's supposed to be in Bethlehem but they're no longer there.
So what happens is, the star comes out, that star they had seen in the east. They hadn't seen it all the time they were in Israel. Now they see the star and they rejoice with great joy, then the star leads them to where the child was. So they come into the house and from there they are instructed.
LOOK AT VERSE 11
📖Matthew 2:11
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
⭐ That's where they got 3 from. The Bible doesn't say the men were 3. It's the 3 gifts.
So people think each gift was brought by 1 wise man but that's not what it says.
📖Matthew 2:12-13
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
GOD ALMIGHTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
▪️I want us to think for a moment.
We are not talking about just any other child, we are talking about Jesus, Jesus as a baby.
⭐An Angel of God comes to Joseph and says to him, "Take the young child and his mother and flee to Egypt ."
⭐THIS IS JESUS. SHOULDN'T HE BE PROTECTED BY ALL ANGELS FROM WHEREVER?
WHY FLEE??????
He says, Herod will seek to destroy the young child.
❗WAS THAT POSSIBLE????
❗ COULD HEROD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACTUALLY DESTROY THE YOUNG CHILD????
⭐If that couldn't happen, then God would have deceived Joseph by telling him to flee by something that was unreal.
It was a real threat because you see, God respects laws.
It's one more, one of the many things in scripture that tells you that God is not running everything like some people think.
They think God is running everything. He's not running everything. If he were running everything, it would mean that he has everything in a mess because most parts of the world are in a mess today.
GOD IS NOT RUNNING EVERYTHING!
⭐So he gives Joseph instructions, he says take the young child and his mother and flee to Egypt because Herod would seek to destroy him.
⭐If Joseph hadn't done that, what God said would have happened. Herod would have found the young child and destroyed him. So God says take the young child and flee to Egypt.
He told him to where to go. Flee to Egypt!!!
▪️It's important that we are where God wants us.
▪️ God's protection is not everywhere, God's protection is where he put you.
⭐He told the children of Israel, "Stay inside the house, the death Angel is coming. Mark your door posts and lintels with blood of the animal and when the death Angel comes and sees the blood, he'll pass over you."
The houses of the houses of the Egyptians were not marked.
But did you know, apart from the Egyptians, there were other strangers in Egypt who were not Jews who knew about this from the Jews and marked their houses and they were protected, but they were not Jews. They marked their houses and were protected and when Israel went out of Egypt the Bible tells us a mixed multitude went out with them. They were not Jews, they went with them because they obeyed God's principles for protection.
⭐You know, sometimes we think that we can do whatsoever we want and choose whatever way we want to go and expect that God is suppose to take care.
GOD WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO IF YOU STAY IN HIS WORD.
God gives instructions, he gives directions. He tells you what to do.
He told Joseph flee to Egypt. Not to Syria. If Joseph had gone to Syria instead of going to Egypt, he would have encountered another trouble. He said flee to Egypt until I bring you word again.
And this is so interesting because Jesus was a baby. A child that's not making decisions for himself (remember he was about 2 years by now). Think about this child playing around the house and God expects Joseph to protect him.
⭐ Joseph has a responsibility to preverse the child. This is amazing. WHAT A RESPONSIBILITY!!!!!! THE SALVATION OF THE WHOLE WORLD WAS IN HIS HAND.
⭐We just talked about the other one, the 1st Joseph, the 1st man that God trusted like this with Israel and the vision for Israel. He sends him ahead to Israel to preserve Israel. All of God's vision for Israel is in Joseph's hands. Joseph could destroy them, he could have a revenge because they sold him into Egypt, he could order their death and this time he was prime minister of Egypt. Only Pharaoh was above him in Egypt. Pharaoh gave him the power and said, "Apart from myself who has power over you, I give you authority over all Egypt."
So Joseph could have destroyed the men but he knew what God wanted. He said God sent me here to preserve you.
⭐God put his son in the hands of a man named Joseph.
FOLLOW FOR PART 3
GOD BLESS YOU
