Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20071230.htm

GOD'S DIRECTION IN FAMILY CRISES AT CHRISTMAS
Part IV: Respecting God's Use Of Our Own Cautions To Guide Us
(Matthew 2:13-23)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Many Christians wonder what to think of their fears today, wondering if these concerns mean they are failing to trust in God, or if God is using their fears to lead them to take a certain course of action:

(1) For example, right after our recent Christmas Eve service, a relatively new convert to Christ came up to speak with me about his concern on what he believed was the secular world's "attack on Christmas." He asked if he was being paranoid about whether there was such an "attack," but that if this "attack" was real, he wondered just what he could do to counter it!

(2) Other more personal issues produce similar questions! For example, I had decided to be a "good steward" of God's money and save up cash to buy new tires for our car next spring, thinking that what tread we had on our older tires would last us through the winter! However, when the Diem's missionary letter was read last fall telling of the wild spinout Steve had when his van hydroplaned due to a lack of tread on his tires, it left me concerned about my decision on my tires: I knew that waiting could leave us facing a bad New England winter with shallow tread, and lead to high costs in an unwelcome accident!

In cases like this, many Christians wonder if they are acting in unbelief in God's protection of their driving were they to replace their tires sooner than later, thinking God could not take care of them in bad weather, or if wisdom dictates God wants them to respond to their concern about the tread, and spend the money to replace the tires soon!



So, in situations where we experience FEAR or CONCERN, we may be asking, "Am I failing to trust God by harboring such concerns, or, does GOD expect me to RESPOND to them in a certain course of action?!"



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "I am facing a situation that leaves me CAUTIOUS! Am I FAILING to TRUST God, or not, and HOW should I RESPOND?!"
  1. Though God led him to return to Israel, due to past events, Joseph was afraid to go into Judaea where Jesus had been born, 2:13-22a:
    1. God directed Joseph in a dream to return to Israel from Egypt since those who had sought to slay the Infant Jesus had died, Matt. 2:19-20.
    2. Joseph obeyed, taking Jesus with his mother, Mary to Israel, 2:21.
    3. However, when he heard there that Archelaus reigned in Judaea in the place of his father, Joseph was afraid to go into Judaea, Matt. 2:22a.
    4. Studying historical events reveals Joseph had cause for this concern:
      1. Matthew 2:16-18 reports that after Joseph had fled with Jesus into Egypt, Herod slew all the children ages 2 and under in Bethlehem and its district in an effort to destroy Jesus, Matthew 2:16-18.
      2. So, what Joseph then heard of Archelaus, the son of Herod who inherited his throne, would have easily concerned him (as follows):
        1. When Herod the Great was near death just before and during Jesus' birth, there was an intense struggle between Herod's sons for his throne so that Herod changed his will three times, Harold Hoehner, Chron. Aspects of the Life of Christ, 1979, p. 22.
        2. While Joseph was in Egypt, five days before Herod died, he killed one of his sons, and changed his will to make Archelaus, a brutal, incapable ruler, the next king, Ibid.; Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. i, p. 219-220.
        3. Archelaus then assumed the throne, and tried to crush a revolt of infuriated Jews who were incensed by Herod the Great's recent brutal execution of two rabbis; in doing so, he slew 3,000 Jews in the temple precinct, terrifying his realm, Ibid.!
        4. So, when Joseph arrived in Israel and heard of all this, he feared to resettle in Judaea regardless if he as an Orthodox Hebrew knew the Messiah, Jesus was to come from there! (Micah 5:2)
  2. Scripture reveals Joseph's FEAR was NOT SINFUL UNBELIEF, but was ALLOWED to RISE by GOD to MOTIVATE Joseph to AVOID Judaea and REAR Jesus in GALILEE, Matthew 2:22b-23:
    1. Opposite the Hebrew view, God wanted Messiah raised in Galilee:
      1. From the prophecy of Isaiah 49:1-3 KJV, we know the Messiah's words were so sharp in their critique of the sins of Israel's leaders that God the Father sought to "hide" Him like a sharp, "polished shaft" in the quiver of far-off Galilee from Judaea's religious leaders until He was to critique them and have them react by soon crucifying him, Ryrie St. Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Isa. 49:1-7.
      2. Also, Matthew 2:23 notes that Jesus was to fulfill Scripture, being "'despised'" and "'contemptible'" by hailing from Nazareth in Galilee that many Hebrews abhorred because it housed the Roman garrison for the northern sections of Galilee, Ibid., ftn. to Matt hew 2:23 (Isaiah 53:3); Bible Knowledge Com., N. T., p. 23.
    2. Yet, the Hebrew people expected their Messiah to be honored as He rose to power by militarily conquering Gentile rule versus how Christ first came as meek and despised, (cf. John 6:14-15; Luke 24:19-21).
    3. Thus, Matthew's Gospel explains why the Orthodox Hebrew Joseph would shift his plan out of FEAR and God's revelation from settling Messiah in Judaea to rear Him in Nazareth opposite his own common Hebrew expectation, Ibid., Ryrie, p. 1337!
  3. The details of this CHANGE in Joseph plan is recorded to show Jesus IS the TRUE MESSIAH even THOUGH He was RAISED as a MEEK, DESPISED GALILEAN in NAZARETH, Ibid.!
  4. God then let Herod's will be changed days before his death so that a brutal Archelaus would rule in Judaea, and God arranged for the flight of Joseph from Herod to cause him to FEAR resettling in Judaea so that, OPPOSITE his USUAL expectation, Joseph would heed God and take the young Jesus into Galilee, Matthew 2:22-23!
Application: If afraid in a given situation, and confused as to what it means and how to respond to it, (1) trust in Christ as Savior to become a child of God who is led of God, John 3:16; Romans 8:14. (2) Then, (a) WATCH for GOD to LEAD as (b) He MAY be the One to have arranged for us to have a CAUTIOUS spirit to LEAD us along a path we might not otherwise have chosen to take! [(c) We must also take care to live MEEKLY as God wanted Joseph to rear Jesus to live VERSUS fighting secular powers hostile to our faith!]

Lesson: Joseph's FEAR was NOT due to FAITHLESSNESS, but was ALLOWED by GOD to ARISE to get Joseph to rear Jesus in GALILEE OPPOSITE his OWN Hebrew messianic expectation where Messiah would MILITARILY CONQUER His Gentile oppressors in His first coming, and show JEWISH readers of Matthew's Gospel Jesus' TRUE MESSIANIC credentials in His first arrival as meek and despised!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

This message was applied to the issues in our introduction.

(1) As you recall from our introduction, though I really could have used new tires with a deeper tread for the car in the early fall of this year, I had decided to postpone replacing our tires until next spring when we had saved up cash to buy them! It "seemed" a sensible thing to do in being a "good steward" of the money God had granted to us!

However, around Thanksgiving, a letter from our missionaries, the Diems, was read in our sanctuary. In it, Steve told how he had escaped a serious accident when his van had suddenly hydroplaned out of control. Following this harrowing event, Steve had checked to find he had no tread left on any of his tires, so he had replaced the tires!

After the letter was read, my wife and I became concerned, wondering if we should also replace our tires before winter! I realized that what savings we might make in waiting to buy tires next spring could be lost several times over in a bad winter accident! So, we saw our concern raised by God's servants, the Diems, was God's indicator that the "best stewardship" meant replacing our tires before winter!

So, I soon replaced all four tires. It was just in time, too! Only days later, an ice storm hit our county, and, since then, we have been hit by several bad-weather driving days! My wife and I have often noted how glad we are that our tires were replaced when they were! It is evident that the Lord had used the report of the Diem's hazardous spinout to jar us into replacing our tires before the winter weather hit!

(2) Then, recalling the new believer had asked me Christmas Eve about what he felt was a "war on Christmas," I could see he needed some insight! I explained Scripture predicted a "falling away" from the truth of God's Word, that this is what we were witnessing in the world! However, as Christ's kingdom is not of this world so that we His servants are not to fight it opposite the view of Calvinistic reconstructionism (cf. John 18:36), instead of "in-your-face" political and-or militaristic activism toward the world, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to live righteously (Eph. 5:15-16; Gal. 5:16-23), and keep meeting in local churches for edification (Heb. 10:24-25)! I said God is using the world's hostility of Christmas to jar us to holier living!

So, if feeling CAUTIOUS or AFRAID in a situation we face, may we get right with God, and HEED His LEADING! He may want to DIRECT us via our CAUTION to take steps for His glory!