By Sharon Loomis

Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved Him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” (CSB) (785-725 BC)

Matthew 2:13-15 “When they had gone, and angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. …So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. …” (NIV)

Matthew 2:20-26 “…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. So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. …” (NIV)

Have you ever received a direction that you knew, without a doubt, was from God? Many would say “that’s not possible”. Or they might argue that God worked that way during biblical times, but it doesn’t happen anymore.

Well, I’m here to tell you it happened to me. There was no angelic appearance or vision in a dream. In the quiet of the day, a clear voice surrounded me, telling me exactly what needed to be done in that moment. The gentle voice was undeniably specific… there was no choice but to listen and obey. That voice changed the direction of the path I was on in many ways.

Before the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph had both been visited by angelic presences, giving them clear direction. After the Magi left, Joseph once again, saw an angel in a dream. This time, the angel directed him to take his family and flee to Egypt because Herod was going to kill all the babies aged two and under who had been born in Bethlehem.

Joseph did not even wait until morning to depart. He packed up his family and fled in the middle of the night. The angel also instructed that he would tell Joseph when the time was right for his return to Israel. This is exactly what happened, fulfilling the prophecy recorded in Hosea 11:1.

After Herod’s death, the angel appeared again in a dream telling Joseph it was safe to return to Israel. Herod’s equally evil son, Archelaus, was reigning in Judea so Joseph took his family to Nazareth. A town that was despised – definitely not on the “top 10 places to live in Israel” list – but it assured Joseph of greater safety for his family. This is why we hear Jesus referred to as Jesus of Nazareth or as the Nazarene.

Food For Thought

How do you know when something comes from God rather than your own thoughts or desires?