Advent Prophecies - Joseph and Mary Flee to Egypt

This will be our final blog of 2022. We hope that you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. We will resume our daily Moment of Hope on January 2, 2023. Our Advent prophecy today is when Joseph and Mary had to flee to Egypt. The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” If you remember, Old Testament prophecies were God’s way to whisper of the coming Messiah. He gave clues and indicators that pointed to the Advent of Jesus. To have over 300 Old Testament prophecies come true hundreds of years later is simply amazing. Hosea 11:1 says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” This prophecy gives the whisper that ends up being fulfilled when Joseph and Mary had to flee to Egypt in Matthew 2:16. Herod ordered for all male children two and under to be killed. He had heard of one who had been born called “king of the Jews.” That was a title his father had claimed that Herod now held. He was threatened. Jealous. Desiring to share his glory with no other human. He alone would be king! Mary, Joseph and the newborn baby Jesus fled to Egypt to escape harm. It is sobering to see what jealousy can do to a person’s heart. Some say that jealousy walks hand in hand with a murderous spirit. It is why we must be so on guard in our personal lives against a spirit of jealousy. It can produce all sorts of evil. We see this with Herod. But Jesus is the King of the Jews. And Gentiles. And all. One day, he will return as King of kings and Lord of lords. He will reign forever and ever. Until that day, we worship him. Follow him. Serve him. Adore him. He is worthy of all of our praise. From him comes all things. To him are all things. He alone deserves the glory.