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.”

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭1‬-‭4‬
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

I find it interesting that the land of Egypt has, through the centuries, been a place that at times is a refuge and at other times a source of persecution and pain for the Jews. Here we see it as a refuge for Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. It is a reminder that God uses diverse people with varied backgrounds and belief sets in accomplishing his will. Sometimes, he bends the will and actions of evil leaders to accomplish his purposes.

And when we follow God, we submit to his will. We don’t always get to ask all of the “why” questions we might want to. True obedience requires trust. It trusts even when the current circumstances don’t seem to make sense.

Joseph and Mary did not know the extent of how Herod would try and kill Jesus. They did not understand why they had to travel over 300 miles to hide from Herod. But they trusted God. If a typical day’s travel is 12-14 miles, it would have taken them 21 to 25 days walking. They likely had some help along the way, by horse/carriage or boat.

I think what I love about this passage is the protection of God and the adventure of the flight. God protects his will and his people who are in the center of it. And his will was for Jesus to die on a cross having served mankind, demonstrating his Lordship over this earth and his Godly qualities, yet suffering as a man the persecutions and hardships here on earth. He did this perfectly. All this to become the perfect sacrifice for mankind. So he protected and provided for his people, executing his will and plan for mankind.

Psalm 91 says this well. When we draw close to God, ridding ourselves of sin, we rest under his great and powerful wings of protection. He is our great refuge and shield! And we can be assured of our future with him in charge.

Oh, Lord, help me surrender, over and over and over again, my selfish will to your perfect will and trust you completely. Thank you for sending your angel to Joseph, Mary, and Jesus and guiding them to safety. I know you will always watch over me too! I can take good risks in life and in relationships because you are my confidence, my fortress, and my shelter and shield!