When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him.” Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod died. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I have called my son out of Egypt. When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. This fulfilled the word spoken through Jeremiah the prophet: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and much grieving. Rachel weeping for her children, and she did not want to be comforted, because they were no more. After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. “Get up,” the angel said, “and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus ruled over Judea in place of his father Herod, Joseph was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he went to the area of Galilee. He settled in a city called Nazareth so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene. (Matthew 2:13-23, CEB)
Herod was fooled by the Magi, because they were supposed to come back and tell him where the king was when they found him, but they didn’t and when Herod figured this out he killed all of the baby boys in Bethlehem who were two years old and younger.
Herod was afraid of what the baby would do.
Are we afraid of what God will do? Maybe not the way that Herod was, we won’t lose power, well we will actually if we give up control of our lives like God wants us to, but we shouldn’t be afraid as in fear of that. We can be afraid of what will happen in a good way.
I have moved across the country and from north to the south and back and back again, and I always wonder at what God will do next. Maybe one could say that is fear. Fear is a healthy thing and keeps up alive sometimes.
God works through the details and happenings in our lives to help the world see God’s grace and mercy. Never think your life is not worth something, it is worth Jesus coming and everything to God.
Know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and are a treasure to God.
Loving People. Loving God.