Today's Daily Bread

GOD PROTECTED HIS SON

Date : Saturday, January 24, 2026
Passage : Matthew 2:13~23
Keyverse : 14  
13
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
14
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,
15
where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
17
Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18
"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
19
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
20
and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead."
21
So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
22
But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,
23
and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Herod was furious as he realized that the Magi had outwitted him and had returned home after worshipping the Messiah without reporting to him. He ordered all boys in Bethlehem under the age of two to be killed, leaving no margin for error. The mothers’ bitter cries filled the air as they could not be comforted (18). It was a dark time when tyrannical leaders prioritized their own greed, showing no regard for the lives of people..

However, the Lord had directed Joseph to go to Egypt ahead of time to avoid the massacre. As Joseph obeyed the Lord’s command, he was used to protect the child and Mary. The angel of the Lord called him back to Israel, upon the death of Herod, but directed him to relocate to Nazareth to avoid Herod’s son. This would also fulfill the prophecies spoken about the Messiah, who would be called a Nazarene (23)..

When it seemed as if evil kings were ruling without justice, and the people were devoured like sheep without a shepherd, God was quietly executing his plan to bring up the Shepherd King Jesus, fulfilling all his promises and saving each of His flock back to Him.

Prayer: Father, you are sovereign, and your plans are perfect. Help me find peace and comfort in trusting your diligence and perfect plans today.
One Word: God is working