PREPARE FOR ATTACK

January 6, 2010

PREPARE FOR ATTACK

Matthew 2:13–23

Jordan Bryan

Central Truth

God warns us of Satan's attacks and provides refuge to protect us.

Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." (Matthew 2:13)

The Flight to Egypt

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.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 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.”

Herod Kills the Children

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. 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.”

The Return to Nazareth

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

In Matthew 2:13 an angel appears to Joseph and warns him of the attack that Herod has planned. The angel tells Joseph that Herod will kill Jesus if they remain in Bethlehem, so he should take Jesus and Mary and flee to Egypt. Egypt was a great refuge for Joseph and his family for a couple of reasons. First, Egypt was very accessible, for its border in those days was possibly only 75 miles from Bethlehem. Second, Herod (the attacker) had no authority in Egypt.

In 1 Peter 5:8, God has warned me of Satan's plan to destroy me. It says, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

This truth is very real to me as I write this devotional. I am sitting in a hotel room on a business trip. I am on the trip all alone with complete freedom to do whatever I want. Satan is currently waiting to destroy me. He is prowling around in the form of images that are accessible on the TV and Internet. Much like Joseph, I must flee from my attacker to a place of refuge. If I do not flee, I will be destroyed.

Jesus is my refuge and strength. He is always accessible, and Satan has no authority in the presence of Jesus Christ. I am completely aware ("of sober spirit") of the temptation that surrounds me in this hotel room, so I run to Jesus. While on this trip, it is imperative that I spend daily time in God's Word. I will not turn the TV on without a plan for what I will watch. There will be no "channel surfing" allowed. I will not open the Internet without a plan for the sites I will visit. I am on the alert.

We have been warned that we have an attacker. If we ignore the warnings, we will be destroyed. We must be alert. We must take refuge in God's Truth.

1. In what areas of your life do your currently see Satan "prowling"?

2. What steps are you taking to "be on the alert" for Satan's attacks in these areas?

3. What are some unhealthy places of refuge to which you are currently fleeing (isolation, addiction, etc.)?

FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. How did God continue to protect Jesus from King Herod?

2. Talk about the two ways Joseph trusts God by obeying what God told him to do. How has your family trusted God by being obedient to Him?