Monday, January 6, 2020
“And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49 KJV).
And, just what is the Lord Jesus’ Father’s “business?”
Matthew chapter 2 is one of the Bible’s two glimpses into Jesus’ life as a small boy. Based on verse 16, we see that He is as much as two years old here: Herod the Great, King of Judaea, perceives the “young child” as a threat to his throne, thus prompting him to slaughter all of Bethlehem’s children two years of age and under. It was just prior to this that the angel of the Lord warned Joseph to take young Jesus and His mother Mary and escape Palestine and flee to Egypt. This occurred to fulfill Bible prophecy.
Let us read Matthew 2:14,15: “When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” This, of course, is a quotation of the Prophet Hosea whose ministry was over 700 years earlier. Notice Hosea chapter 11: “[1] When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. [2] As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.”
Originally, Hosea was referencing Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage as recorded in the Book of Exodus. Through Matthew, though, the Holy Spirit shows that Hosea 11:1 was actually a dual prophecy. Not only did He intend the nation Israel in Hosea 11:1, He also anticipated the Lord Jesus Christ. That Israel perish not in Palestine because of a severe famine, God ordered his father (Jacob) to go down into Egypt (Genesis 46:1-7). Fast-forward 17 centuries, and see the magnificent parallel. That young Jesus perish not in Palestine because of a pagan king, God commanded His step-father (Joseph) to take Him down into Egypt! Yet, there is more.
Upon returning to Canaan, one son of God will be about ignoring his Father’s “business,” and the other Son of God will be about running His Father’s “business….”
333 Words of Grace 