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Matthew 2:19 – 23
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. We have been talking about Christmas dreams. We have seen God move in Joseph’s life to reassure him in his marriage, deliver him in a time of danger, and now we are going to watch God direct him to the place he will call home. These are the last 2 dreams recorded in Matt 1, 2. These two dreams come to Joseph. As with everything that comes to us from God they have specific purpose. Let’s consider first it is:
- A DREAM OF FULFILLMENT! V. 20. When God first told Joseph to go to Egypt, He told Joseph to “remain there until I tell you.” There are a couple truths we must see here in this dream of fulfillment. First, Joseph had to obey God’s instruction to stay in Egypt—how long? Until God told him to do something else. Nowhere in Scripture that I know of, do we ever get to tell God how to run our life! True men and women of God understand that God is the only One Who can be in charge of their entire life! Why? He is the Only One Who knows how it is supposed to come out, so we each receive the most benefit. God tells us at least 2 specific requirement we must meet before we can have what we want. Do you know what they are? Ps. 37:4. Read slide—is that how you feel toward the Lord, listen, in the intents and motives of your heart? Is God the object of your desire? The second situation where we can ask God for whatever we want is found in John 15:1-7. Read slide. Notice here there are two qualifications. The privilege of asking God for our desires belongs only to those who are saved! The only desire the unsaved can ask God to fill is the desire to be saved. Even the saved do not have carte blanche with God! For God to give to one of His adopted children, they must first be living as Children of God, not children of the world claiming to be children of God. There is also:
- A DREAM OF FAITH! V. 21. Glance back up at v. 13 (read) notice God tells Joseph to “flee to Egypt” implying imminent danger. Now go back to v. 20 (read). Now God tells Joseph to “go to Israel.” No need to rush, the danger is past. God often tells us to “flee” when we are in danger, but He always tells us to “go or come” when we are being directed to His chosen place for us! Ever notice that when you are reading Scripture? Notice next Joseph’s dream was:
- A DREAM OF FOREBODING! V. 22. God lead Joseph back to Israel, and Joseph obeyed. God may not always give us exact instructions from the beginning. He often gives us general information to get us started in the right direction. When we respond to His leading by obeying, He will then let us know the next step when it is necessary. Remember what doctrine we are talking about when talk about God telling us only what we need to know when we need to know it? The doctrine of progressive revelation.
- A DREAM OF FINALITY! V. 23. Here God brings Joseph full circle. Joseph is home after a long journey that began out of necessity for a census and ended with the divine Providence of God. Don’t you find it interesting that both Joseph and Mary were from Nazareth? The real reason God led Joseph back to Nazareth was that OT prophecy tell us the Redeemer would come from Nazareth. On the surface Joseph just goes home, but the real reason is the Providence of God fulfilling His inspired and inerrant Word. Those OT prophets wrote what they wrote because the One and Only God Who is God was guiding them along through the Holy Spirit so what they wrote was exactly what God wanted written. This season we celebrate the birth of the Savior, and in this account from Matt. we learn that God’s sovereign hand guides every facet of our lives from beginning to end. And that my Beloved is part of God’s greatest gift to us in the redemption we have in Christ!
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