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.
After the wise men left, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up right now. Take the baby and Mary and run to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you it's safe to come back, Herod is planning to kill the child.'
Sometimes God's protection looks like packing up and running in the middle of the night.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of Matthew's Gospel, this verse occurs shortly after the wise men from the East visit the infant Jesus and depart without informing King Herod, as they were warned in a dream. Herod, a paranoid ruler known for his brutal tactics to maintain power, then plots to kill all young boys in Bethlehem to eliminate any potential rival to his throne. This event reflects the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, such as Hosea 11:1, where God calls His son out of Egypt.
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