Church Sermon - December 30, 2001

THE GUIDING HAND OF GOD

Rev. Bernt P. Tweit

Epistle Lesson; Galatians 4:4-7
Old Testament Lesson; Isaiah 63:7-9
Sermon Text; Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

There is only a little bit of this year left. Another year is quickly drawing to a close. The holiday season is just about over. The rush of preparation has ended with a few hours of quality time spent with friends and family, but now that is done. The gifts have been opened; the food has been devoured.

The hectic pace of the holiday season can leave us longing for a break. It can also leave us with a sense of sadness. The tinsel and the glitter, the lights and the decorations, the smells and the sounds of Christmas - everything is replaced now, with the routine sameness of life. Many people struggle with the post holiday blahs.

I wonder if Mary and Joseph felt some of those same things? The excitement of the Son of God being born that night, the visit of the shepherds, and some time after that, the visit of the Wisemen from the East bringing gifts. Those things are done - in the past, distant memories for Mary and Joseph. Now they needed to set about the task of raising a family, making a living. The excitement of the moment is gone.

Did they struggle with the post holiday blahs? God didn't let them. He didn't allow them to live a peaceful and quiet life in Bethlehem for very long. Things couldn't be peaceful and quiet, because the baby they were raising was the very Son of God, the Savior of the world. And, the Devil was trying to wipeout the Savior.

For you and me, as Christians living in the 21st century, the text we are looking at today has a great deal of significance. As we sit here, at the end of the year, with all the holiday hype coming to a close, there is much ahead, much to think about, much to look forward to, and God shows us what those things are today. Today we can't help but see "The Guiding Hand of God."

Throughout the course of history,

we can’t help but see the guiding hand of God.

In the Old Testament, Joseph was hated by his brothers because of the dreams that he shared with them. They wanted to kill him, but instead sold him to a caravan of merchants with supplies, heading to Egypt. The merchants then sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

Later, Joseph helped to interpret some of Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, you shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders."

As a famine came upon the land, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt in search of grain. Since Joseph had stock piled grain, he was able to provide for his brothers, otherwise they would have died in the famine. God used the evil that the brothers had done by selling Joseph as a slave, and turned it into good. God not only preserved Joseph’s brothers, but also preserved the line of the Savior through Judah.

When Joseph’s father died, his brothers thought Joseph would hold a grudge against them. Notice what Joseph said, "Don’t be afraid. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." God’s guiding hand used Joseph to save His people.

God’s guiding hand also used Moses. After Joseph died, Moses was born. The new Egyptian King in power didn’t know Joseph or God. He said, "These Israelites are becoming too numerous."

He told the midwives, "When you help in child birth with the Israelites, kill any boy who is born, but let the girls live."

The midwives didn’t obey the order of the new king and allowed all boys to be born, including Moses.

God’s guiding hand used Moses (who should have died from the decree issued by the king of Egypt), to rescue his people from slavery into freedom.

Today in our text, when God told Joseph, through an angel, to go down to Egypt, it was not an accident.

It was a plan,

not just for Joseph and his family,

but also

The flight to Egypt, was a fulfillment of

Old Testament prophecy. To us, it might seem like a lot for Mary and Joseph to go through, just to fulfill a couple of prophecies concerning the Messiah:

"Out of Egypt have I called my Son"

and

"He will be called a Nazarene"

But once you think about it, it’s a great comfort to know that God is willing to move all of Heaven and Earth, if need be, to bring to pass even just one of His loving promises, in our lives!

The flight to Egypt was a repeat of Israel’s history. Israel, as a nation, also found refuge in Egypt during a severe famine, (as I mentioned earlier, with Joseph inviting his family to stay there). Then, hundreds of years later, when they were in slavery, God brought them out again, using Moses. This was the Exodus; God’s great and mighty act of deliverance.

The flight to Egypt was a demonstration of Jesus’ great humility. Jesus came into the world to be our Savior. Yet in coming, He made himself vulnerable! As a result, God had to save His own Son from Herod’s murderous threats. It is a wonder that Jesus, the "Mighty God", could also become an example for us, as we depend upon our Heavenly Father to help us in our weakness.

The flight to Egypt was a matter of timing.

Galatians 4:4-5 says, "But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons."

When God had Mary and Joseph go down to Egypt with Jesus, he was safe – but only for the moment. God didn’t allow Jesus to be put to death by Herod because Jesus first had to complete our salvation. He had to live a perfect life. He had to successfully resist temptation. He had to be able to fully drink the cup of human suffering, and fully experience the wrath of God. He had to fulfill all of God’s promises. Then, and only then, when the time was right, he suffered and died for the sins of the entire world.

At that time he said, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified."

He continued by saying, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." The reason Jesus’ murder was postponed by his flight to Egypt was so that our own salvation would be full, finished, perfect and complete.

Now how often do we fail to see God’s guiding hand? The Devil is still at work today. And right after Christmas, it seems that he works extra hard, especially on Christians. He wants you to not only put your decorations away, but to put your joy away and your faith away.

"You can stop being religious now" The Devil says. "You can stop being joyful now. Christmas is over. It is time to get back to the regular things of life."

The Devil attacks us with these thoughts and unfortunately, we sometimes listen. We get down in the dumps. The birth of Jesus fades into the past. Our desire to worship goes down with the lights. Our joy disappears with the wrapping paper.

Maybe our joy and desire disappear because we have bought into the world’s thinking more than we realize. Perhaps we believe the equation:

happiness = material things

If lasting happiness could be found in having material things, and in being able to indulge ourselves in whatever we wanted, then most of us in America should be delirious with joy, and happy all of the time.

But it isn’t that way. We are not happy. We are sinners.

At the beginning of a New Year, we often wish each other health, prosperity, and success. Today, my prayer for all of you is, that you have true joy and peace, knowing that you are in God’s guiding hand. I pray that no matter where the Will of God may lead you, you have confidence that you have a Savior who loves you and died for you. Finally, I pray you have comfort knowing you are in God’s hands with His everlasting and unchanging love, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who in all things, works for the good of those who love Him.

Amen!

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