Reading
Read Hosea 11:1
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When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and I called my son out of Egypt.
Read Jeremiah 31:15
This is what the Lord says:
“A cry is heard in Ramah—
deep anguish and bitter weeping.
Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted— for her children are gone.”
Read Matthew 2:13–18
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After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
“A cry was heard in Ramah—
weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”
Reflection Questions
- How does Joseph respond when the angel speaks to him?
- Why is it important for us to respond to God quickly and directly?
- What does quick and direct obedience look like for you? What is an area of your life where you need to move and obey?
MOVE: Start a conversation in your small group group message and share what your step of obedi- ence is and how your group can keep you accountable.