An Unexpected Journey by firstfamilychurch

The Compass First Family Church

VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 11 | DECEMBER 20, 2015

Leading Families Toward Spiritual Maturity

AN UNEXPECTED TO FULFILL

JOURNEY MATTHEW 2:13-23 This Week’s Core Virtue Hope (Hebrews 6:19-20): I can cope with the hardships of life and with death because of the hope I have in Jesus Christ.

ere’s what is happening in the last half of Matthew 2 in a nutshell: the political environment in Israel grows alarmingly dangerous, and because of the threat of death and violence, Joseph takes the Child and his mother, Mary, and flees from the hostile land of Israel to the relative safety of Egypt, where he lives until the danger has passed. Sounds like the Middle East today, doesn’t it? We see the Child Jesus forced to flee or risk certain death at the hand of Herod, and we see thousands of Syrians fleeing today or risk certain death at the hands of ISIS.

This shines an important light on the realities of the political environment we see in the Middle East today. Political violence and death have been a part of that culture for much longer than Americans care to admit. Jesus was a refugee forced to flee from the threat of Herod. This raises a difficult question for Americans. How should we respond to the request of our president to bring 10,000 Syrian refugees to the United States? I think one clear principle we see in the Matthew narrative is the importance of returning to your homeland. Jesus didn’t flee to Egypt, take up residence and live out the rest of His life in Egypt. As soon as the threat of violence was over, He returned to the Land of Israel. One of the problems we face with the prospect of bringing Syrian refugees to America is that they will likely live out the rest of their lives here. Is it right to take

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Step 1 ENCOUNTER–God’s Word to put yourself in touch with him. Matthew 2:13-23 The Flight to Egypt 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an anel 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.” 14And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15and 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.” Herod Kills the Children 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. 17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: Continued from page 1... the very health and vitality of a population and transport them around the world where they will never return? Would it not be better to put resources into helping refugees flee to countries neighboring Syria, care for them, and then when the danger of ISIS is gone, help them return home where they can live and serve as productive citizens? From a military perspective, it doesn’t make sense to transport able-bodied young Syrian men and women to the United States while at the same time arguing we should transport able-bodied young American men and women to Syria to fight their war. I try to picture how Americans would respond if the situation was reversed. Based on what we know of American history, I think it would be safe to assume that most Americans would rather stay and fight for their homeland than flee to another country on the other side of the world. I recently read an article on Medgar Evers, the civil rights champion of the 1960s. The South was not a safe place to be an African-American civil rights worker in the 1960s. Evers lived with the constant threat of violence and even death, and many encouraged him to flee the South until the political environment cooled down. Not long before he was gunned down by Byron De La Beck-

“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.” 18

The Return to Nazareth 19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But 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. 23And 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.

with, he was quoted as saying, “I don’t know whether I am going to heaven or to hell, but I’m going from Jackson.” Evers had the courage and the conviction to stay in Mississippi and fight for the rights of others, but he also had something else–a love for his home and a desire to see it become a better place to live. I find it hard to believe there are not modern-day Syrians who have the “stay and fight” courage and conviction of a Medgar Evers or Mahatma Gandhi. Would the people of Syria not be better served if we created safe zones within neighboring countries to protect the true refugees–the mothers and their children, the old, and the weak–and then train and equip the young men to fight against the evil that has invaded their country? I can hear someone now charging, “that’s not compassionate.” Is it compassionate to take the very people who will be needed to rebuild a new Syria after this terrible civil war? Is it compassionate to accept a token 10,000 refugees out of the millions of hurting people just so we can feel good and note we “did our part”? No, my friend, true compassion is being willing to help change the radical Islamic paradigm in Syria in order to lay the foundation for a peaceful, prosperous country that is safe for all people to live. Simply transporting the problems to America is not a compassionate solution.–Chris Eller n

These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly sermon series at First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources are available at www.ffclife.com. This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

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Step 2 ENQUIRE–the answer to these questions to better understand what the passage means. Use the questions below to guide your reading and to ensure you are grasping the key lessons and themes of the text. This is called Inductive Bible Study, in which you ask the questions, Who?, What?, Where?, Why?, When?, How? as you read the text. (Also known as the “5Ws and an H.”)

1. Where did the angel tell Joseph to go? Why? (2:13) 2. How did Joseph respond to the warning he received? (2:13) 3. What event allowed Joseph to depart from Egypt with his family? (2:15) 4. Why was the “escape to Egypt” significant in the life of Christ? (2:15) 5. Who prophesied the horrible episode of infanticide in Bethlehem? When? (2:17) 6. What happened when Herod died? (2:19) 7. Where were Joseph, Mary, and Jesus at the time? (2:19) 8. What did the angel tell Joseph to do? (2:20) 9. What was the reason behind the angel’s command? (2:20) 10. Why was it significant to Joseph that Archelaus was ruling in Judah? (2:22) 11. What was Joseph’s emotional response when he heard about Archelaus? (2:22) 12. Why was it significant that Jesus’ family settled in Nazareth? (2:23)

About The Compass

Summary Notes

Write a one paragraph summary of this week’s text including key areas of interest and significant instruction.

The Compass is a ministry of First Family Church and is edited by Chris Eller. The purpose of The Compass is to help you better grasp the truth of the biblical text from which the weekend sermon is based. The Compass also connects readers with the principles of discipleship found in 10 Core Beliefs (doctrine) 10 Core Practices (disciplines), and 10 Core Virtues (spiritual fruit).

Consult the commentary on the text and the notes following this page for additional help.

If you would like The Compass delivered each week to your email box, you can to to www.thecompass.life for a free subscription.

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Step 3 EXPLORE–the commentaries to answer the questions.

The Escape to Egypt; The Bethlehem Massacre Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt (2:13). During the turn of the first century, Egypt was a Roman province outside of Herod’s jurisdiction, so Joseph and his family would have found a natural hiding place there among their fellow dispersed Jews. As far back as Abraham, Egypt had become a haven of refuge for the people of Israel when they faced difficulties or danger. Perhaps the largest, most significant, and culturally creative center of the Jewish Diaspora (“dispersion”) in the first century flourished in Alexandria. According to the Jewish philosopher Philo (15 b.c.–a.d. 50), who lived there, its population included about a million Jews. So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt (2:14). The border lies approximately eighty miles from Bethlehem. If they took the primary route, Joseph and the family would have traveled south to Hebron, west to the coast at Gaza, and then south again to the Nabatean border. From there, it is about fifty miles to the Egyptian border and over two hundred miles to the main Jewish community in Egypt at Alexandria. “Out of Egypt I called my son” (2:15). The nation of Israel was consistently reminded by Old Testament authors to look back to the way in which God redeemed Israel by bringing them out of Egypt. The yearly Passover was a reminder, but also a promise, that God had provided a sacrificial lamb for his people Israel. Jesus’ infancy corresponds analogically to Israel’s history (cf. Hos. 11:1). He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem (2:16). Only 123 men returned to Bethlehem from the Babylonian deportation (Ezra 2:21), and it appears not to have grown beyond a small village of perhaps a thousand people at the birth of Jesus. Herod’s forces kill all the infant boys under the age of two years, which would calculate to between ten to thirty boys. Although this number of infant boys massacred would be a huge loss for the village of Bethlehem, it is not an incident that stands out significantly when seen in the light of other horrific events in Herod’s infamous career, and historians would have easily bypassed it.

“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning” (2:18). Centuries earlier, Nebuchadnezzar’s army had gathered the captives from Judah in the town of Ramah before they were taken into exile to Babylon (Jer. 40:1–2). Jeremiah depicts Rachel, who is the personification of the mothers of Israel, mourning for her children as they are being carried away. However, there was hope for their future because God would restore Rachel’s children to their own land (31:16–17), and messianic joy would come in the future establishment of the new covenant with Israel (31:31–34).

The Return to Nazareth

After Herod died (2:19). The family stays in Egypt until after Herod’s death (March/April 4 b.c.), when the angel tells them to return to Israel (2:20). They probably stay in Egypt no more than a year. Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod (2:22). After remaking his will at least seven times, Herod finally settled on dividing the kingdom between three of his remaining sons, Archelaus, Herod Antipas (14:1ff.), and Herod Philip (16:13). Archelaus, a nineteen-year-old son by Malthace, was appointed successor to Herod’s throne with power over Judea (including Samaria and Idumaea). Archelaus quickly displayed the same kind of cruelty that marked his father’s reign. He overreacted to an uprising in the temple at Passover after his father’s death, sending in troops and a cavalry who killed about three thousand pilgrims. He was notorious for his cruel treatment of both Jews and Samaritans, continually using oppressive measures to quell uprisings of the people. Augustus feared a revolution from the people, so he deposed Archelaus from office and banished him to Gaul in a.d. 6. The rule over Judea was thereafter passed to Roman prefects. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee (2:22). Joseph led the family to the region of Galilee, which was not under the jurisdiction of Archelaus. Galilee was governed by another of Herod the Great’s sons, Herod Antipas, who did not yet have the same bloodthirsty reputation as did his older brother. He went and lived in a town called Nazareth (2:23). Nazareth was occupied early in Israel’s history, but was apparently deserted in 733 b.c. during the Assyrian invasion of the northern kingdom and appears to have been uninhabited from the eighth to third centuries b.c. Modern archaeological excavations have uncovered the

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EGYPT AND JUDEA The map traces the possible route Joseph took on the flight to Egypt.

remains of houses and a tomb from the Herodian period, indicating that Nazareth was reestablished as a small agricultural village around the third century b.c., perhaps founded and named by exiles returning from the Babylonian captivity. The town is located in the hills in lower Galilee, twenty miles from the Mediterranean Sea to the west and fifteen miles from the Sea of Galilee to the east. Nazareth was not a strategic town politically, militarily, or religiously in Jesus’ day, so it is largely left out of documents of the first century. However, it was not isolated. A ten minute walk up to the ridge north of Nazareth provided villagers with a magnificent view of the trade routes a thousand feet below on the valley floor and of Herod Antipas’s capital city, Sepphoris. In Jesus’ day, this humble agricultural village probably had a relatively small population of around five hundred people. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene” (2:23). The term “Nazarene” (Gk. Nazōraios) derives from “Nazareth” (Gk. Nazaret) to indicate a person from that town. The return-

ing founders of the village were apparently from the line of David and gave the settlement a consciously messianic name. They connected the establishment of the town with the hope of the coming messianic neser, “branch” (Isa. 11:1), and the believing remnant of Israel (Isa. 60:21; niv “shoot”). The “Branch” or “Shoot” had became an important designation of the Messiah in Jewish literature. One text from Qumran says, “This refers to the ‘branch of David,’ who will arise with the Interpreter of the law who will rise up in Zion in the last days.” Matthew also points to “Nazarene” as a slang term for an individual from a remote, despised area. He draws a connection between the divinely arranged association of Jesus with Nazareth and various Old Testament prophets who foretold that the Messiah would be despised. Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002).

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SUNDAY

Daily Bible Reading Plan

MONDAY

12/20

TUESDAY

12/21

WEDNESDAY

12/22

Zechariah 2:1-3:10

12/23

Haggai 1:1-2:23

Zechariah 1:1-21

Zech. 4:1-5:11

Revelation 11:1-19

Revelation 12:1-17 Revelation 13:1-18 Revelation 14:1-20

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

12/24

SATURDAY

12/25

12/26

Zech. 6:1-7:14

Zechariah 8:1-23

Zechariah 9:1-17

Revelation 15:1-8

Revelation 16:1-21

Revelation 17:1-18

Psalm 139:1-24

Psalm 140:1-13

Psalm 141:1-10

Psalm 142:1-7

Psalm 143:1-12

Psalm 144:1-15

Psalm 145:1-21

Proverbs 30:15-16

Proverbs 30:17

Proverbs 30:18-20

Proverbs 30:21-23

Proverbs 30:24-28

Proverbs 30:29-31

Proverbs 30:32

For complete details on First Family’s Daily Bible Reading Plan, visit our website at www.ffclife.com/biblereading.

WORDSEARCH–all the words come from this week’s text or lesson. An Unexpected Journey December 20, 2015 Matthew 2:13-23 H

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Departed Flee to Egypt To Fulfill Male Children Lamentation Archelaus Nazarene

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Angel of the Lord Herod Prophet Bethlehem Rachel Judea

Joseph Search for the Child Tricked Jeremiah Weeping Galilee

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Dream His Mother Killed Ramah Land of Israel Nazareth

To see the answers to the puzzle, go to www.thecompass.life/311

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Connecting the Family

“Arise...Flee to Egypt!” God gave directions to the wise men via the star and, indirectly, through the scriptures, Matt. 2:1–6: He directed the shepherds to Christ by the angel, Luke 2:9–12, but Joseph received his divine announcements and warnings through dreams, Matt. 1:20; 2:13; 2:19; 2:22, in the same way as his illustrious predecessor of the same name, Gen. 37:5, 9. First, Joseph had to take ‘the young child and his mother’ to Egypt, but then he was promised that while they were in Egypt he would receive further instructions, thus assuring him that they would arrive there safely! Joseph obeyed the word of the angel in that he left as soon as possible, but he used his common sense—he left at night, Matt. 2:14, this being one of the many important things that happened to the Lord at night. In passing, we also note the way that the angel spoke to Joseph; first in the instructions comes ‘the young child’, then His mother, with no mention at all about Him being Joseph’s son. How careful was the angel to guard the truth about Christ! The successful flight of the family is followed by the so-called ‘massacre of the innocents’—one of the most notoriously brutal acts of human history. Sadly, it was all quite in keeping with Herod’s other actions in even being prepared to kill a large number of his own family. In fact, the Roman writer, MACROBIUS, quoted Augustus Caesar as saying that it was better to be Herod’s sow than his son, for the sow had a better chance of surviving!

pels. It is certainly prominent in the story of these early years of our Lord, with no less than four explicit references to scriptures being fulfilled: the virgin birth, Matt. 1:23; cf. Isa. 7:14; Christ coming out of Egypt, Matt. 2:15; cf. Hos. 11:1; the massacre of the innocents near Rama, Matt. 2:17; cf. Jer. 31:15, and lastly Joseph being directed to Nazareth and then living there, Matt. 2:23, which is ‘probably referring to Isa. 11:1, where Christ is spoken of as a “netzer” (or, “rod”) out of the stem of Jesse’.–John Bennett

Memory Time Memory Verse “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.”–Matthew 2:23

R2R Life Distinctive

Hope (Hebrews 6:19-20): I can cope with the hardships of life and with death because of the hope I have in Jesus Christ.

Not surprisingly, the fulfilment of scripture is an important subject in Matthew—the gospel to the Jews—with fourteen mentions, significantly more than the other gos-

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10 Core Beliefs

The Bible (2 Timothy 3:16–17): We believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. God the Father (Psalm 121:1–2): We believe God is personally involved in and cares about the daily lives of His children. Jesus Christ (John 1:12): We believe in Jesus Christ, His deity, virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death, burial and bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father and His personal future return in power and glory. We are significant only because of our position as children of God. The Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14): We believe the God of the Bible is the only true God and is eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Humanity (John 3:16): We believe all people are born separated from God by sin, but God in his love sent his Son Jesus Christ as their savior. Eternity (John 14:1–4): We believe there is a heaven and a hell and that Jesus Christ is returning to judge the earth and to establish his kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the dead: the believer to life everlasting and the unbeliever to the resurrection of judgment. The Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:15-16): We believe in the church as the body of Christ, which is composed of all believers who have accepted Christ as Savior. We believe the church is God’s primary way to accomplish His purposes on earth today.

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Stewardship (1 Timothy 6:17-19): We believe that everything we have, including our very life, belongs to God. Salvation by Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23-25; 8:38-39): We believe a person has a right relationship with God only by His grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. This makes believers eternally secure in Jesus Christ. Compassion (Psalm 82:3-4): We believe God calls all Christians to show compassion to those in need.n

10 Core Practices

Worship (Psalm 95:1-7): I worship God for who He is and what He has done for me. Bible Study (Hebrews 4:12): I study the Bible diligently to know God, to become like Christ, and to discern His will for my life. Service (Colossians 3:17): I give away my time to fulfill God’s purposes. Witness (Matthew 28:18-20): I live to tell the story of Jesus and to make disciples of Him even to the ends of the earth, knowing he is with me always. Biblical Community (Acts 2:44-47): I fellowship with other believers in a small group to accomplish God’s purposes in my life, others’ lives, and in the world. Prayer (Psalm 66:16-20): I pray to God to know Him, to lay my request before Him and to find direction for my daily life. Spiritual Gifts (Romans 12:4-6): I know and use my spiritual gifts to accomplish God’s purposes. Authenticity (John 13:33-34): I know and understand biblical truths and transfer these truths into everyday life. Who I am

on the inside and outside is a pure reflection of Christ and His Word. Simplicity (Matthew 6:33): I seek to live a simple life focused on God and his priorities for my life. Possessions (Luke 16:11–12): I seek to maintain an eternal perspective on money and possessions, realizing God has give me all that I have, and that he expects me to manage it wisely for His glory. n

10 Core Virtues

Gentleness (Philippians 4:5): I am thoughtful, considerate and calm in dealing with others. Faithfulness (Proverbs 3:3-4): I have established a good name with God and with others based on my long-term loyalty to those relationships. Hope (Hebrews 6:19-20): I can cope with the hardships of life and with death because of the hope I have in Jesus Christ. Joy (John 15:11): I have inner contentment and purpose in spite of my circumstances. Love (1 John 4:10-12): I sacrificially and unconditionally love and forgive others. Peace (Philippians 4:6-7): I am free from anxiety because things are right between God, myself and others. Self-Control (Titus 2:11-13): I have the power, through Christ, to control myself. Humility (Philippians 2:3-4): I choose to esteem others above myself. Patience (Proverbs 14:29): I take a long time to overheat and endure patiently under the unavoidable pressures of life. Kindness/Goodness (1 Thessalonians 5:15): I choose to do the right things in my relationships with others. n