And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Ver 13. Behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream] Angels cannot enlighten the mind or powerfully incline the will (that is proper to the Holy Ghost to do), but as spirits and instruments of the Holy Ghost they can insinuate themselves into the fantasy (as here to Joseph), stir up fantasms of good things, propound truth to the mind, advise and persuade to it, as counsellors, and inwardly instigate, as it were, by speaking and doing after a spiritual manner, suggesting good thoughts as the apostate angels do evil. How often had we fallen had not these guardians hindered (as Michael opposed Satan, Jdg 1:9) by removing occasions, or casting in good instincts into us, either asleep or awake. a
Take the young child, and flee into Egypt] Perhaps through that terrible and roaring wilderness of Arabia: Deu 8:15 however, this was a part of his passion; for, from his cratch to his cross, he suffered many a little death all his life long; and as it is said of that French king (Henry IV), that he had more wars than others ever saw, so our Saviour suffered more miseries than we ever heard of. Banished he was early, to bring back his banished to paradise, that is, above, their proper country; towards the which we groan and aspire, as often as we look towards heaven, waiting, as with outstretched necks, "for the manifestation of the sons of God," αποκαραδοκια , Rom 8:19 and saying with Sisera's mother, "Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?"Judges 5:28; "Make haste, my beloved, and be like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices," Song of Solomon 8:14 ..
For Herod will seek the young child to destroy him] The devil in Herod, Revelation 12:4. So Revelation 2:10; "The devil shall cast some of you into prison," &c. Is the devil become a justicer, to send men to prison? By his imps and instruments (such as Herod was, that abuse their authority) Satan exerciseth his malice against the saints, lending them his seven heads to plot, and his ten horns to push; but all in vain,Psalms 2:5 .
a Magnus est animus qui se Deo tradidit. Great is the mind who turns himself over to God. Senec.