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.”
Joseph has been through quite the ordeal! First, he finds out that his fiancée is pregnant, but not by him. Then, he receives a visit from an angel to explain the surprise pregnancy. In faith, he believes the angel, stays with Mary, and walks with her through the journey to Bethlehem and the highly chaotic birth of Jesus.
It seems like they’re through the thick of it. They’ve presumably made it out of the newborn phase and they’ve just received gifts from the Magi. An easier stage of parenting and a financial boost? They’re thriving! That is, until Joseph receives another visit from the angel. This time, he’s told to escape with his family to Egypt until further notice because, frankly, Herod wants baby Jesus dead.
So Joseph springs into action, packs up his postpartum wife and infant son, and begins yet another trek in the middle of the night. Scripture is not specific about how far this journey was, but geographically speaking, we know it had to have been at least forty miles. I have a two-year-old son, and even driving forty miles can be daunting at times. I can’t imagine having to make that journey on foot, especially knowing the child’s life is in danger.
I wonder how Joseph felt. Did he fear for his and his family’s safety? Was he worried Herod and his ilk would somehow find them in Egypt? Was he annoyed at the inconvenience of yet another exodus? How was Mary doing through this part of the story? Did they have some sort of assurance deep in their souls that God would protect them and their child from harm? After all, would God really have let anything happen to baby Jesus?
I appreciate Joseph’s example of obedience even when he didn’t have all the answers. I also appreciate that the angel didn’t return to him until after Herod had died. Joseph had no idea what he was waiting for. He didn’t know if they would be in Egypt for a few nights or a few decades. He didn’t know if they would be sent back in a time of peace or under precarious circumstances. He had already trekked for the census with a very pregnant wife and escaped in the night to protect his baby boy, and there are plenty of examples in Scripture when God asks people to act in faith when it seems counterintuitive. It feels like an act of grace that Joseph was assured safety upon his return to Israel. May we act in faith even when we don’t understand all of the details, and may we take joy in the surprising acts of grace God bestows upon each of us.
