New Pharoah, True Israel

Introduction:

Connection:

When a promise is kept, we say that the promise has been fulfilled. But sometimes the fulfillment of a promise has greater depth than we originally expected. If I told Asher that I was promising him a certain amount of money when he was older, let’s say that when he turns 18 I promise him an inheritance of $10,000. However, 18 years down the road—with economic changes, cultural adaptations, and global advancements—what would have been $10,000 back then, would look different down the road. What would have been brown and red and green bills—down the road—could change into purple, and orange, and yellow bills. And due to inflation—the worth of $10,000 could actually be $50,000 in the future. An initial promise can be genuinely fulfilled, even though its fulfillment comes in a different form than its original context.

If you can grasp this principle of promise and fulfillment, from a lesser to a greater reality—then you will have the key to understanding how Jesus and the Apostles read the Old Testament.

Contrary to modern beliefs that the Old Testament is to be read literally in all places—this is not how Jesus or the Apostles reads the OT. Yes—the OT is literally history, but its promises come to fulfillment in greater realities than initially expected. Therefore, to read the OT without the light of the NT, is to misunderstand how the OT is fulfilled in the NT.

One such promise in the OT related to the ethnic nation of Israel—which promise Matthew says is fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ, the true Israel of God. The stories of the OT find their climax, their purpose, their goal, and their fulfillment in the greater realities of Christ and the Church. This is not replacement theology—this is fulfillment theology. This is not mishandling the OT—this is letting the Holy Spirit interpret the OT for us in the NT. The promises find their fulfillment in greater ways than initially expected by the ancient prophets. Therefore, in light of these truths, the title for this sermon is:

Theme:

New Pharoah, True Israel

Need:

We need to understand how this principle of promise + fulfillment. The story of redemption comes to its greatest light in the fullness of time, in the birth, life, ministry, and Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as the OT had a historical account of Moses, Pharoah, Judgment, and Redemption—so too does the NT pick up on these themes to bring them to their intended destination in the Son of God.

Purpose:

The purpose of our text this morning is to warn us about persecution by the hands of lawless men, to comfort us in the Fathers protection of his children, and to exhort us to trust in the True Israel and Son of God, that we might share in His Eternal Exodus and Redemption.

Recap:

Last Sunday morning we saw the drama that unfolded after the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We saw the response of the wise men who kissed the Son, worshipped, and served Him with joy and godly fear—and we saw the response of the tyrannical king Herod who raged against the Son, plotted to kill him, and schemed in crafty wisdom to overthrow the Kingdom of Christ. We saw the divine glory of Jesus Christ—and the divine privilege of serving him with our chiefest Treasures. We ended off with an angel warning the wise men to NOT return to Herod, which was God’s protection over them. Herod is not a righteous king—his fury and bloody vengeance is going to be revealed in our text this morning.

Open your Bibles to:

Matt. 2:13-23 ESV

PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY

(1) Jesus is the True Israel and Son of God who is Delivered from Death - v. 13-15.

Matthew 2:13–15 ESV

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.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 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.”

(1) Jesus is the True Israel and Son of God who is Delivered from Death - v. 13-15.

As we saw the scheme of wicked Herod in it’s beginning stages last week, in his hypocritical appearance of wisdom—we see here his plan coming to fruition, in a diabolical fashion. We see the true colours of depraved Herod as he lashes out to destroy the true King of kings, and Lord of lords—the promised Messiah. Last week we saw that the wise men were warned to go back to the east, to their homeland, without stopping to see Herod. And it’s at this point that Matthew picks up:

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,

This is now the third time in the Gospel of Matthew that we see the Lord personally watching over his people, by revealing their path through a dream, through a prophetic revelation. While we don’t expect these things ordinarily today (now that Scripture is complete), we must not miss God’s intentional care and guidance of his children. The angels of God are ministering spirits unto the saints—to protect them in their journey through this present evil age. Know that our Father cares for his children with perfect power and love:

Psalm 91:11–13 ESV

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

Though the serpent was attempting to crush the Son of God, the Lord sent an angel to ensure that the Son of God would trample underfoot the serpent. And so this angel says to Joseph:

“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.”

With fatherly care and protection, the Lord delivers Mary, Joseph and Jesus—and just like Israel of God during the famine, they flee to Egypt for refuge, safety, and provision. And in Egypt they would stay until the time of the promise, until a word from the Lord, when they would return to the promised land. Here again we see the first hint of promise + fulfillment with Jesus being the true Israel of God fleeing to Egypt. But we don’t just see him fleeing to Egypt—we see this new Pharoah like figure, Herod, who is attempting to destroy this child. Sound familiar? Here Jesus isn’t just portrayed as the true Israel in Egypt, but also as true and greater Moses who is being hunted down by this wicked and tyrannic Pharoah, King Herod the Great.

Truly Jesus was a man of sorrows, even from his earliest days. Right from the get go he was hunted down by the legions of Satans armies, through the scheme of King Herod—but the Lord God protected him, provided for him, and delivered him from the deadly clutch of this wicked Pharoah. Oh to learn the way of the Cross—to prepare ourselves for suffering—for the servant isn’t greater than the master; if they hated Jesus, they will hate us too (Jn. 14-16). But we must learn to submit to the will of our Father, and follow the orders of our King:

Spurgeon: We cannot expect to serve the Lord, and yet have an easy time of it. We must cheerfully journey across a desert if we have a charge to keep for our God; and we must tarry in banishment, if need be, and never venture to come back till the Lord sends us our passports. Our orders are, “Be thou there until I bring thee word.” The Lord’s servants must wait for the Lord’s word before they make a move, whether it be to go abroad or to come home. Waiting is hard work, especially waiting in Egypt; but it is safe to tarry till we have our marching orders.

Let us learn to wait on the Lord, and to only walk through the doors that he opens for us, in line with the Word of God. Let us not forget that it isn’t only granted to us that we should believe in Christ, but also that we should suffer for his sake (Phil. 1:29). So let us, like the holy family, suffer with Christ, that we might also be glorified with Him when he returns in majesty (Rom. 8)! And so with the angel warning Joseph, we see his godly response:

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.

Again we see the faith and obedience of the holy family for all of us to emulate. We see instant obedience. We see faith made evident. We see godliness exemplified.

Oh how slow we are to obey the Word of God! How slow we are to believe all that is written! How slow we are to put our sin to death! How slow we are to seek the Lord! How slow we are to get on our knees! How slow we are to serve our neighbor! How slow we are to build up the church. Calvary—let us learn to be instant in obedience. When the Spirit convicts us by the Word, let us heed his call—draw near to the Lord Jesus—and walk in all things pleasing to our Father who is in heaven.

Hebrews 3:7–8 ESV

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,

If the Lord makes something clear to us by His Word and Spirit—we must respond in lively and speedy faith, love, and obedience. And as we do so, we can take heart that the Lord is using the good works and faithful love of his saints to fulfill his redemptive purposes in this world. As Joseph obeyed, God’s sovereign plan was being fulfilled:

This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

And so we see another instance of promise + fulfillment. In the original OT context, Matthew is quoting from Hosea 11:1—which does not explicitly refer to Jesus the Messiah. But Matthew didn’t think in literalistic and wooden terms. He understood that historical acts of God in the OT were laden with deeper spiritual meaning that pointed forward to greater realities! (x2).

And so he draws from this text in Hosea about the nation of Israel coming out of Egypt, and he applied it to Jesus, who fled to Egypt, and who will soon be called out of Egypt in a new Exodus, as he begins to bring a new redemption for the church of Jesus Christ (Heb. 7-8; Col. 1-2; Eph. 1-2). Israel of old was a corporate son of God, who pointed forward to the true and faithful Son of God, Jesus Christ—who fulfills the law to earn the promised blessing for all who believe! Here is Jesus Christ, coming out of Egypt, out of the tyranny of this wicked Pharoah, Herod—and here is the Lamb of God that is slain, whose blood covers all who believe, as they are brought out of the land of darkness and into God’s marvelous light (Col. 1; 1 Peter. 2)! Praise God for the true and spiritual redemption that is in Jesus Christ! Don’t rest in the shadows, trust in the fulfillment—in whom all the promises of God are yes and amen (2 Cor. 1-2)! And Matthew is going to continue this theme of showing how Jesus fulfills the story of Israel in the OT, and how He brings the Church of the NT to share in His identity as the true Israel and Son of God:

RSB Commentary: Hos. 11:1 refers to God’s calling His son Israel out of Egypt in the exodus (see Ex. 4:22, 23). Matthew means that the history of God’s redemption of Israel points forward to Jesus, the true Son of God. When Israel left Egypt, its fidelity as God’s son was tested forty years in a wilderness, and the record of this testing is largely one of failure (Deut. 8:2–5). Jesus is later tested in the wilderness forty days. He sustains His test and shows that He is indeed the faithful Son of God (Matt. 4:1–11).

And so, in the Lord Jesus Christ—we have the connecting bridge between Israel in the OT, and the Church in the NT. Jesus is the bridge. Jesus is the true Israel, the true Son of God—so that all who are in Him, who are united to Him, who are repenting and believing—are sharing in His identity as the true child of Abraham. This is why the Apostles apply promises to Israel in the OT directly to the Church in the NT—because the Church is united to Jesus, and because Jesus is the true Israel of God—therefore, we become the true Israel of God in Him and share in all of his spiritual blessings (Gal. 3:1-6:16).

Carson: For Matthew, Jesus himself is the locus of true Israel. This does not necessarily mean that God has no further purpose for [ethnic] Israel; but it does mean that the position of God’s people in the Messianic Age is determined by reference to Jesus, not race.

Praise God that it’s not only Jesus who was called out of Egypt and freed from wicked Pharoah in Herod—but all true believers are called out of Egypt and freed from wicked Pharoah in Satan—we are called out of the darkness into the marvelous light of God’s redeeming grace and steadfast love. Peter says this to the Church:

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear Christian—take heart—Jesus fulfilled the OT, so that all of his purposes of redemption could be freely given to you. Jesus is the true Israel, the true Moses, the true Lamb, and the true Son—so that in Him you might receive the promised mercy of our covenant-keeping God!

(1) Jesus is the True Israel and Son of God who is Delivered from Death - v. 13-15.

And in Him—we too find deliverance from death, salvation by the blood of the lamb, and a promised eternal inheritance in the new Canaan to come. Praise be to God for Jesus Christ! Let’s see just exactly what the Lord spared Jesus from in this new exodus:

(2) Herod is the New Pharoah and Tyrant who Decrees Bloody Slaughter - v. 16-18.

Matthew 2:16–18 ESV

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. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “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.”

(2) Herod is the New Pharoah and Tyrant who Decrees Bloody Slaughter - v. 16-18.

Again we see another instance of promise + fulfillment—there is a new Pharoah in town:

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious,

As we saw last week—Herod is a sinful tyrant and false King of the Jews whose very depravity keeps him on the throne, with an eye toward devouring the promised Messiah and King of Israel. And so, when he realized that the wise men didn’t return to him, but went home by another route—it occured to him that he had been tricked. Herod’s trickery turned on his own head, and so he burst forth in wicked anger, wrath, and fury—and he went forth on a mission to abort the Son of God, by murdering all children under the age of two, just like Pharoah of old in the OT. Matthew says this about Herod:

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.

Spiritually dead, sinfully blinded, wickedly cold, tyrannically ruling, oppressively reigning, and disgustingly depraved—king Herod sends forth a decree of utter destruction to kill Messiah—and just to make sure that there is room for error in the age range, he adds an extra year or so to the age of Jesus at the time, and so slaughters an extra handful of innocent children whose blood cry out like Abel of old—whose blood cry out for vengeance—whose blood cry out for justice—whose blood cry out for judgment. Pharoah in the OT made this very same decree:

Exodus 1:15–16 ESV

Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.”

Exodus 1:22 ESV

Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

The Apostle John clarifies that it was Satan the dragon who was behind this evil scheme of bloody murder:

Revelation 12:4–5 (ESV)

And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne.

Satan, grabbing hold of king Pharoah, and again in king Herod—launches a wicked scheme, as a roaring lion, to devour this child who was born as the promised Messiah—and just to be safe, he plans to slaughter all other males under two years old. Truly, Satan is a murderer from the beginning (Jn. 8:44). But the Lord would not let the wicked schemes of this evil king prevail—he protected the Anointed One—and would call him forth from Egypt in his perfect timing, in order to bring redemption, the Gospel of the Kingdom—who would then ascend to the throne and rule with all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18-20). No one can thwart the hand of Yahweh! No one can stop the plans of Jehovah! Not even Satan, the god of this age—for he is a defeated foe, as Jesus will triumph over him in the wilderness in a couple chapters!

No matter what you are going through—beloved—Jesus wins! The very scheme of Satan proved to be his own demise! Let us never lose heart, for Christ has overcome the world, destroyed the works of the devil, and promised the treasures of heaven for all who repent and believe in Him (1 Jn. 5:1-4). In the very chapter that tells us about the roaring Lion of Satan, we find the way to true salvation and victory in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ!

Revelation 12:10–11 ESV

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

Have you conquered the schemes of the evil one through the blood of the Lamb? Then take heart—for even in a time of great grief and spiritual warfare, of despair and destruction, of darkness and confusion, we can find hope in God’s promises. Matthew says:

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.”

Again, Matthew shows us that these tragic events are the fulfillment of the OT. We see the sorrow of these children being slaughtered and aborted by this evil king—but the text quoted is imbedded in the promises of a new covenant, a new exodus, a new redemption, and a new kingdom. One scholar says:

RSB Commentary: 2:18 Matthew is quoting from Jer. 31:15, a prophecy about the exile. Jeremiah uses the imagery of Rachel weeping for her sons Joseph and Benjamin to describe the sorrow of Israel at the time of the exile. In the next section of Jeremiah’s prophecy, he foresees the return from exile, a new exodus. Matthew’s use of this prophecy appears to portray Jesus as a new Moses (the one who led Joseph’s descendants out of Egypt) who fulfills the prophecy of a second exodus. Like Moses, Jesus escapes slaughter as an infant. Like Moses, He is sent to rescue God’s chosen ones.

And so even in the darkest hour, with murders abounding around us, with innocent children being aborted left and right—even in our weeping and loud lamentation over the absolute wickedness of our own sin and the sin of our nation—we can find comfort and hope in Jesus Christ, who was spared, that he might redeem—who was spared, that he might restore—who was spared, that he might revive.

In Jesus we find life and life abundant—in Christ we find hope and living hope—in Messiah we find peace and everlasting shalom. Are you finding your only comfort in life and in death in Jesus Christ—who is the Saviour, yes—but who is also the Judge. He will come to judge the living and the dead and bring true justice at the bar of God’s courtroom—and he will bring true mercy for all who put their hope in Him alone. If you are weeping like Rachel this morning—know this day that there is comfort to be found only in Jesus Christ, who can free you from sin and Satan, from death and despair—come and welcome, Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost.

(2) Pharaoh is the New Pharoah and Tyrant who Decrees Bloody Slaughter - v. 16-18.

But in Jesus we find the only way in the exodus of his redeeming blood, who frees us from death due to our sin—and who will bring justice against the murderous evil of Herod. And this leads us to our last point for this morning:

(3) Joseph and Mary are Protected, Guided, and Freed by the God of Grace - v. 19-23

Matthew 2:19–23 ESV

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 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.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 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. 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.

(3) Joseph and Mary are Protected, Guided, and Freed by the God of Grace - v. 19-23

Finishing our passage this morning, Matthew shows us that just as God’s protected Israel as they came out of Egypt, so too did God protect Joseph and Mary as they are called out of Egypt and come back to the promised land. The death of God’s enemies made way for the victory of God’s people:

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

Though Herod had the appearance of the upper hand in murdering these children, just like we see today in infinitely greater amounts in modern-day-abortion—we must not forget the promise of God’s judgment. Sin will find us out. The wages of sin is death. No one can escape the judgment seat of the infinite, eternal, and unchangeable God of perfect justice.

Genesis 9:6 ESV

“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

Deuteronomy 19:13 ESV

Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may be well with you.

And so the very Herod who was slaughtering many—died himself of the judgment of God Almighty. The death of this tyrant was the way forward for God’s redeeming plan in the true King, Messiah, Ruler, and Redeemer of God’s people. And so the angel continues:

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.

And so the new exodus is under war! With the downfall of Pharoah, the holy family were on their way to crossing the Red Sea, which we shall see soon at the Baptism of Christ and the Cross of Calvary—the Lord called Jesus the Son out of Egypt, to open the gates of the promised Land of the new creation. In judgment, the path of mercy opened up for all who believe. The wicked Pharoah was crushed, he perished in the way—for the true King had arrived, and no one could stop this King from taking his seat at the right hand of the Father, after making purification for sins (Heb. 1:1-4).

The false king of the Jews was dead—so the true King of the Jews could arrive. This is no mere King, this is Immanuel, God with us—the God of angel armies—and the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will ensure that He brings the Kingdom for all who are born again. However, the battle wasn’t over yet. Joseph still had to be cautious in light of the new leader in town:

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.

One wicked king falls, and another takes his place. But not even this can stop the Lord of Glory as he comes to save sinners. Notice that the promises and presence of God don’t excuse us from making wise choices as we follow Jesus. Being warned, Joseph decided to take his family to the district of Galilee. Being warned, he made a wise decision to protect his family, and to bring them to safety. God’s fulfillment of his promises doesn’t excuse our responsibility to obey his Word—rather—it is through our obedience to his Word that he fulfills his promises. And so Matthew adds:

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.

Here it is again, and one last time—promise + fulfillment. Through the faith and obedience of Joseph—God, who decreed the end from the beginning—brought them to their destined home, where Jesus would humbly be raised up as a true boy, and a true man, in order to be fit to serve as our true King and Saviour. However, there is one trouble in this fulfillment text—there is no reference to Jesus being called a Nazarene in the OT. Again, this shows the depth of fulfillment, being woven together through themes in the OT, which find their goal in Jesus. One writer says:

RSB Commentary: He would be called a Nazarene. The OT has no verse exactly corresponding to this, but note that Matthew introduces this reference to the prophets in more general terms than his other quotations. Nazareth was Christ’s home, but Matthew’s point is probably that Jesus would be despised, as people from Nazareth were (John 1:46; 7:42, 52). If so, the Scripture in view may be Is. 53:1–3—He was despised and rejected by men, a man f sorrows and acquainted with grief. Alternatively, it might refer to Is. 11:1, which refers to the Messiah as a “branch” (Hb. netser) from the roots of Jesse [which is connected to the word for Nazarene].

Whatever the case—Jesus fulfills it. And even today we stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Oh yes, the Ancient of Days came forth—Immanuel, Christ the Lord—and He is the King of kings, Lord of lords, and God of gods—He is the only Mediator between God and Man—and so if we don’t trust in this one from the town of Nazareth, we shall perish in our sins. Only this one, this Godman, this Jesus—only He can save us from our sins, in his new exodus, of everlasting redemption, by the blood of the new covenant of grace (Jer. 31; Lk. 22).

(3) Joseph and Mary are Protected, Guided, and Freed by the God of Grace - v. 19-23

And so too are all those who belong to Jesus—together we are protected under God’s righteous right arm, guided by his all wise hand, and freed by the ransom in the blood of the Lamb—this God is the God of all grace, is He your God? Have you tasted the gracious blessings of his salvation? Hear now our conclusion for this morning:

(C) True Israel will be Delivered and Wicked Pharoah will be Judged—so Return to God, Rise Up, and Run after Jesus.

Only through the blood of Jesus do we find salvation through the waters of God’s judgment, as God’s enemies are destroyed, and God’s people are redeemed. And so the very next thing we see in the Gospel of Matthew is this Gospel call:

Matthew 3:2 ESV

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Oh what good news there is for those who repent, who cast their faith upon the saving power of the blood: Promise made—promise kept—promised fulfilled—now all that stands for us is whether or not the promise will be received.

1 Timothy 1:15–17 ESV

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

(C) True Israel will be Delivered and Wicked Pharoah will be Judged—so Return to God, Rise Up, and Run after Jesus.

Amen? Let’s pray.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What must have been in the heart of Herod for him to make such a wicked decree to murder these children? How is that paralleled by modern-day-abortion?

(2) How is Jesus the true Israel and Son of God? How does Matthew’s quotation from the book of Hosea prove that point?

(3) Who was behind Herod’s evil actions that led to weeping and loud lamentation? How does this parallel Pharoah of old?

(4) How does God’s protection and deliverance of the holy family from Egypt prove that Jesus is bringing a new exodus, deliverance, and redemption from death, sin, and Satan?

(5) How can we emulate the faith, obedience, and wisdom of Joseph’s actions as they are displayed in this passage? And how can we be encouraged that God will use us for His purposes?