Matthew 2:19-23 NKJV
Hosea 9:10 (word way-yin-an-ze-ru; Nzeru)
Isaiah 11:1 NKJV
BE Grateful Series
Again, Joseph had a dream.
More than once, God appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him where they needed to go to protect the child Jesus.
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus had been living in Egypt.
In Matthew 2:19-23 we read, “Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Joseph was told it was safe now for them to return to Israel.
Joseph was told it was safe for them to go to Galilee.
Once in Galilee, they settled in Nazareth.
There is some question about what Matthew meant in the last line of this scripture. Scholars don’t all agree on the meaning of the ‘Nazarene’.
But, in the Western culture words can have multiple meanings. If you look up a word in the dictionary it can mean several things. In this case we would probably tend think the word Nazarene as being a person from Nazareth.
In Matthew 2:23 the Greek word Nazoraios meant a person of Nazareth.
Jesus was from Nazareth.
In Hosea 9:10 the prophet uses the Hebrew word we would pronounce as ‘way-yin-an-ze-ru’. In Hebrew the word means they separated themselves (nzeru). Another way of saying that is they were Holy.
Matthew could have also been speaking of the way Jesus would carry himself (set apart) and relate to others. Jesus loved everyone, and He knew what they needed. He was focused on helping, healing, leading, and teaching about God the Father.
Just like Hosea described it, Jesus was set apart and Holy.
Jesus was a man from Nazareth who was set apart and Holy.
It’s also possible that the word Nazarene meant a shoot or a branch. Here we need to remember Israel’s history. Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. The Southern Kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians in 587-586 B.C. Metaphorically speaking, the branch of Israel had been cut down and as Isaiah 11:1 said,
“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” (https://www.adamhamilton.com/blog/the-meaning-of-nazareth/#.YcpAWC1OK-o).
Jesus was from the lineage of Jesse. Both Mary and Joseph (the man who raised Jesus) were from the line of Jesse.
Israel had been cut down and conquered.
From the stem of Jesse, came a branch that was set apart and Holy.
From Nazareth, of the stem of Jesse, a man Jesus who was set apart and Holy redeemed Israel and a branch grew out of His roots.
I tend to think the comment made by Matthew was all encompassing. It had multiple meanings and every meaning was applicable.
When we step back and look at the big picture of this section of scripture, we realize that God continues to work through Joseph to keep Jesus (and Mary) safe from danger.
I also wondered if Joseph set up a carpenter shop in Egypt. He would have had to find a way to take care of his family while they were there. Joseph would have also been responsible for establishing another carpenter shop once they were settled in Nazareth. Did he move all of his tools from Israel to Egypt and then from Egypt to Israel?
Scripture doesn’t give those details, yet every time he had a dream and God told him to pack up and move, he did it without questioning God. Joseph did absolutely everything that was needed in order to have provision and keep his family safe.
He was a great dad.
He was hand picked by God.
From the time he became betrothed to Mary, a lot was required of him and he didn’t miss a beat.
Joseph was chosen.
Chosen to raise the Son of God.
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Chosen
What does God have for you? How is He choosing you?
In God, Deborah
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