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I am using the YouVersion 49 Week Bible Challenge for these devotions. Today’s readings are Matthew 2; Micah 5; Hosea 11; Numbers 24; Joshua 20. In today’s readings, do you notice a promise to trust, a command to obey, a truth to embrace, a warning to heed, or an encouragement to rest in? What do you learn about God, about yourself, or about the world? Is there one verse or thought that stands out to you today? Talk to God about it.
Matthew 2
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Four times in chapter 2 of Matthew’s gospel, there is mentioned a fulfillment of Scripture. Some we are familiar with: Bethlehem being the place of Jesus’ birth, and the inconsolable weeping of the women over the death of their children. We can even see how these are easily connected with Jesus’ lineage, and the events surrounding his birth. Two are a bit more obscure: “Out of Egypt I called my son,” and “he shall be called a Nazarene.”
When you look at the context of these prophecies, even the more familiar ones are not obviously fulfilled by Jesus. The promise of Bethlehem’s source for Israel’s redemption is more obviously tied to the then-current situation of Assyrian threats. Look at the later verses of this chapter:
When the Assyrian comes into our land
and treads in our palaces,
then we will raise against him seven shepherds
and eight princes of men;
6 they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
and the land of Nimrod at its entrances;
and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian
when he comes into our land
and treads within our border. – Micah 5:5-6
And the prophecy of the return of Jesus from Egypt is even more obscure when you read the fuller context:
Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 The more they were called,
the more they went away;
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning offerings to idols.– Hosea 11:1-2
But Hosea holds the key to understanding how Jesus fulfills the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament. He is the fulfillment of all that God intended his people to be. He did what Israel could not do – nor can we. He lived a life of perfect faithfulness, entrusting himself to God in every situation. Loving God first without reservation, and loving his neighbor as himself. So whereas Israel had failed to follow God as they should have Jesus would follow God’s will and plan perfectly. Whereas the battle would rage between Israel and the Assyrians and would never establish a perfect kingdom, Jesus would overcome sin, death, and the devil.
Frankly, the fulfillment of Jesus being called a Nazarene is quite obscure. This is not a direct quote of any Old Testament prophet. The word, “prophets” (note the plural) offers us a clue to the best understanding of this prophecy. It is not a direct quote, but a thematic understanding of Jesus’ ministry. Nazarenes were not highly thought of. Remember Nathan’s response to Philip about Jesus (from Nazareth), “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” – John 1:46.
Then there is the inevitability of Herod’s death. Like taxes, death is certain to come to us – unless Jesus returns first. This tyrannical ruler would not reign forever. Joseph would need to take his wife and son to Egypt for their safety. But he would not have to stay there. Herod would die. It is inescapable and inevitable.
But we should remember, also, that the fulfillment of God’s word, promises and prophecies is also inevitable. The Bible says that God’s word endures forever. That means it remains true and alive, powerful and active beyond our days on earth. When we die, God’s word does not become invalid. The fullness of God’s grace and truth will define our lives beyond life on this earth. It is not only inevitable, it is the eternal foundation of our Christian hope.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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