Matthew 2:13-23 Signs of God’s Protection Dec 30 2007
On Wednesday of this past week, landslides in Indonesia killed over 75 people. It was a bad month around the world for strange events. Just the week before Christmas, in Stava, Italy, tourists were returning to their hotels when there was a rumbling in the ground. "I thought it was an earthquake," said one survivor. Less than a mile north of the village, earthen dams collapsed. An avalanche of water, mud and debris swept through Stava, destroying three hotels and burying homes. The deluge left over 200 people dead and more than 100 injured. And in California, this month, massive amounts of rain caused mudslides that killed 28 Californians and caused more than $100 million in damage. We could go on and on. It seems bad news is always around us. We are sometimes tempted to lock ourselves in our homes and never go out. What can we do to find protection? Well, we can never completely protect ourselves from all danger. All we can do is put ourselves into the hands of God’s protection. Now putting ourselves in God’s hands will not assure that bad things will not happen. Bad things happen to even the best of people. But finding a trust in God assures us that whatever happens, we can find strength and courage to stand and in the end we will find victory. Not even death can separate us from the love of God. This past month, we have been looking at all the signs which God sends to us to let us know that God is with us. Today, as we end this month and this year, I want to help you see that whatever the New Year brings, God will be with you and you can see the signs of God’s protection.
How does God protect us? In 0ur scripture, Joseph and Mary found themselves in a bad situation. Herod was searching for the child to kill him. Herod the Great ruled over Israel with Rome’s support for 37 years. He was involved in the struggle between Mark Antony and Caesar Augustus. To gain the Jewish throne, he married his teenage niece who was closer in line to the throne. He already had a wife and three year old son, but he banished them so that he could marry his niece. Anyone else who stood in his way was executed. And when he was on his deathbed, he had some of the leading citizens of Jerusalem arrested with orders to have them killed when he died. This would assure that there would be weeping when he died. Fortunately for the citizens, the order was not carried out and the people were released when he died. So we have no trouble believing that this was a man who would search out and kill children.
How about you today? Who or what is the Herod in your life? Maybe a person who is out to get you? Maybe an illness that you are struggling with? Maybe a situation at work or home or school? At times, we all face Herod. But Joseph was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt. You see, at this time, there was a large colony of Jews living in Egypt and it would be easy for the family to loose themselves among their fellows. God sent Joseph a sign in a dream telling him what to do.
So what did Joseph do? The Bible says, he got up, took the child and Mary by night, and left for Egypt. Did you hear that? By night. They left immediately. They did not wait until morning when it would be easy to travel. They did not wait to say good bye. They did not spend a few days getting packed and ready. They left the minute that Joseph awoke as if the building were on fire.
You know, we have talked all month about seeing God’s signs. I suspect many of us have seen the signs concerning our own lives. God has sent His Word to us to offer us his protection. Now we know what we need to do. About our work. About our financial situation. About our marriage. About our grades at school. About our health and physical condition. About relationships with other people. We know we need to do something and we probably know what we need to do. And if we are uncertain what to do, then we know we need to go and talk to someone to get help. But we have seen the signs and we now need to rise up, grab what we need, and get going. And listen, when we take action, we will find God’s protection surrounding us.
Now perhaps you are thinking, “But you do not know my situation. Is God really here to protect me?” Yes, God is here to protect you. Does that mean you will not have terrible problems? No, you will have problems. Does it mean that you will not suffer troubles? No, you will suffer. Does it mean you will not die? No, you will someday die. But God will be with you and His protection is there even when you cannot see. The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy's thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. He was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick dark woods and could see nothing. Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity in the dark, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long.
Listen, all these troubles we face are merely twigs snapping in the darkness. Yes they are real. But the greater reality is that our Father is standing nearby watching over us and nothing will harm us in an ultimate sense. Even if they kill us, we have nothing to fear. We can stand and be full of courage. God is protecting us. We have seen His signs. Amen.