At the end of Chapter 2, Joseph packs up everyone and starts back to Israel, based on the “OK” from the Angel of God in the prior verses. He did not seem to get far when he found out that Herod’s family was in power, and he got afraid. Why was he afraid…well Herod killed every baby in town to try and kill Joseph’s son. This was to make sure Herod’s kin got to power. Now Herod’s kin was in power, do you think that Herod did not tell him, “Son, there was a prophecy that some other child would be King. If you get word of anyone coming back to town with a child of about this age, be wary!”

OK…so the fear was valid. (SPOILER ALERT: it’s even more so, since Joseph is about to be warned to go to Nazareth instead!)

“Why would the Angel tell him to go back then, and not just tell him to go to Nazareth?”, you may ask… I think it was a test of Faith. Here was a Father that was to raise the Savior of the world, the Christ, the living Son of God. Odds are, God was keeping him on his toes, more often than not!

So how does Joseph react? Read it again…”he was afraid to go there”. That’s all it says. It does NOT say, “He went somewhere else, cause he thought that would be safer”. It did NOT say, “He decided against going back, and went back home” It did NOT say, “He asked his buddy Frank for some advice on what to do”. It said he was scared. Leads me to believe he was going anyway. That is some solid faith! Take your son who is marked to be killed, and trust in God that God will protect Him.

How often do we take some things into our own hands, when we know God wants us to do something? God says, “Move that rock” and we say “OK, let me consult a planner, buy a tractor, hire a contractor and make sure they get it done!” Is that really what He meant….? How about taking God at His word, and trusting that if you know something is His will, trust that he will get you through it!