Why did Joseph fear returning to Judea with Jesus and Mary? Setting the Scene Matthew 2:19–21 tells us that, after Herod’s death, “an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt … ‘Get up, take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel.’” Joseph’s natural destination would have been Judea, where Bethlehem lay. Verse 22 interrupts that plan: “ ‘But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.’ ” Why the fear? Scripture itself supplies two clear answers. Immediate Reasons Joseph Feared • Archelaus had taken Herod the Great’s throne in Judea. • Joseph was “warned in a dream,” the same divine method that twice before had protected the family (Matthew 2:13, 19). • Therefore both common sense (news of Archelaus) and direct revelation (the warning dream) pointed away from Judea. What Scripture Implies about Archelaus • Matthew 2:22 assumes Joseph—and Matthew’s first readers—knew Archelaus’s character. • Though the New Testament does not narrate his brutality in detail, the earlier slaughter in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16–18) under Herod the Great sets the tone: Judea’s rulers were willing to kill infants to preserve power. • If Herod’s son ruled “in place of his father,” Joseph could expect similar hostility toward any rumored “King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2). Prophecies Steered the Family North • Micah 5:2 had already been fulfilled in Jesus’ Bethlehem birth. • Hosea 11:1—“Out of Egypt I called My Son” (Matthew 2:15)—was fulfilled by their return from Egypt. • Another prophecy awaited: “He will be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23). God’s warning redirected Joseph precisely so that prophecy would come true. Joseph’s Pattern of Obedience Matthew records four dreams for Joseph (1:20; 2:13; 2:19; 2:22). Each time he: 1. Listened. 2. Acted “that night” or “having been warned” without delay. 3. Safeguarded the Child who would save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The fear noted in 2:22 was not paralyzing but motivating—driving Joseph to follow God’s guidance immediately. Key Takeaways • Obedient fear can be a godly response when it springs from trust in God’s warnings. • God uses both circumstances (Archelaus’s rule) and revelation (dreams informed by Scripture) to guide His people. • Every turn in the road for this young family fulfilled prophetic Scripture, underscoring the reliability of God’s Word and His sovereign protection over His Son. |
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