10. Time to go – now!

Today’s scripture: Matt. 2:10-18 (NIV) When (the Magi) 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 (Hosea 11:1), “out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity, who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 31:15) was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

When a new ruler comes into power, it isn’t unusual to kill the entire family of the previous regime. It eliminates the revenge factor. But Herod’s actions fit his personality of paranoia. He ruled Judea and the surrounding area for 30 years and another four years after Jesus’ birth. Although he courted the friendship of the Jews and even tripled the size of the temple in Jerusalem, he was a ruthless leader. He wanted to eliminate any challenge to his thrown. He still worshipped pagan gods.

Bethlehem would have been a town of no more than a few hundred people, so there wouldn’t have been a lot of children killed. But every family in Bethlehem would have been touched by the murder of every boy under the age of 2. It may have taken a day or two to find all the boys. It may have been swift, it may have been prolonged. Imagine the agony the townspeople felt. Sons were thought to be more valuable than daughters, so this day would have been crushing to Bethlehem. It would have affected business for years to come. Some families may have lost two children, thus devastating the family workforce.

Bethlehem was a tiny town off the trade routes. It would be similar to a city not touched by today’s highways or freeways. Bethlehem gave Mary and Joseph a short refuge, but when Herod’s soldiers came calling, an angel of God had already warned Joseph to skedaddle – and fast. And fast Joseph did. He left in the dark of night. Not much is written of Joseph, but one thing can be said: He was obedient to God. When told what to do, he did it. He didn’t hem and haw and think about how it would affect him. That would have been a great trait to pass on to Jesus.

While in Egypt, there would have been other exiled Jews working in the neighboring country. The two or three years Mary and Joseph spent in Egypt also would have given them time to erase the stigma and shame that would have followed Mary by being pregnant out of wedlock. God seems to have eased her burdens by taking her away from her neighbors and kinfolk.

Did you know: The song says, "On the 10th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, 10 Lords A-leaping ..." which signifies the Ten Commandments.

To view a link to "O Little Town of Bethlehem," go to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2egKS4d1oI