The National tribune., 1894-07-12
SUNDAY MEDITATION
A Study of the International Sunday
School LessonslAppOinted for July
sfit
%, 1894 asl

Subject: The Flight into Egypt OF tho Infant
Jesus. StsMatt, 2:J3-23.

zone reading these .notss should first carefully |
study the paragraph from the Holy scriptures as
indicated aboye.l
ST. JOSEPH WARNED TO GO TO EGYPT.
The wise men having ascertained the |
place of the abode Of Jesus, set out for Beth |
lehem, six miles south of Jerusalem. We |
would suppose they went by night, since |
they were guided by the star which re-
appeared. Having worshiped the Babe, |
and made their presents, they left the house. |
Herod had ordered them to return to Jeru-
salem and make report of their visit to the
Messiah. Wedo not learn they agreed with
Herod to meet him again. Doubtless they,
in their innocency, not knowing the wicked
intentions of the King, would have gone back
and told him the whole story had not God
warned them of the danger to the Babe, and
directed them not to go to Jerusalem. 1t
was evident such slight would anger the
Jealous. cruel Herod. With murder in his
heart, he would bring vengeance upon Beth
lebem. In such case the infant Christ wOnld
be in peril Hence, God warned Joseph,
bidding him OF once remove the mother and
Child into Egypt.
Egypt.
Egypt was a very fit place for refuge. 1t
was independent of Herod. 1t was not too
miles of Bethlehem, Herod's rule extending
only to the river Sihon. Passing that line,
Joseph was out of the jurisdiction of Herod.
Ouitea number of Jews were settled in Egypt,
who might receive and help Joseph and
Mary with the Babe. 1t was to the south of
Jerusalem, and hence their going would not
necessitate their nearing the residence oil
Herod.
All the roads toward Egypt were we'll
travelled and offered convenient route. The
distance from Bethlehem to Cairo is about
244 miles Three rifles from Cairo the trav-
eler is shown Old Cairo. There, in a Greek
convent, you are taken into a room IN which
it is said Mary and the Infant Christ re-
| manned while in Egypt. At Heliopols, six
miles northeast from Cairo, are grand old
sycamore tree and natural fountain. 1t Is
| said Joseph, Mary, and the Babe reposed
| under the one and were refreshed by the
| other The tree is on the ground formerly
| owned by the Istbmus of Suez Canal Co. 1t
| was to be cut down, but the Empress Eugene
purchased i, and provided for it guardian.
Paintings, based on tradition and on East
ern customs, generally represent the mother
| and Babe on an ass and Joseph afoot. Night
| was chosen for thestsrt from Bethlehem for
| the sake Of secrecy, and night was also Sc
| lected for travel oninto Egypt, SO as TO escape
| the great heat of the day in that hot c0un-
| try. It was necessary td hasten from Bethie-
| hem from the fact Ii vas so near jerusalem
| Joseph probably set out on the very night OF
| the command. Perhaps the Magi came, WIS.,
| tied, and departed, Joseph dreamed, and the
three left for Egypt, all on the same night
| Thus the wise men, coming and going ut
night, would not attract the attention of the
! Beihlehemites, so calling special notice to
the Iuiant and hiszocaton. We observe it
was an advantage atthat time 10 Joseph that
his family was quite obseure. -"
| In those times and In such peculiar cir
cumstances. it is not TO he supposed Joseph
could anticipate emergencies and know how
to act in each case. HENCE he had commune
cations direct from God. 1t is said these
came as dreams. This statement does not,
however, give any authority 10 The idle. dis
connected, fantastic imaginpgs of sleeper
dis urbed, Ill, peevish, tired, dyspeptic We
! understand by dream" in verses IL, Is, 20,
| direct revelation from Heaven.
The Murdered Innocentsa
While the Holy Family were safe, horri-
BILE scene was transacted In Bethlehem
Herod was enraged because the Magi did
not return. Then he was frantic with jeal-
ousy, fearing the Babe might yet become
He decided to have the child slain at once.
But he did not know which babe was the
one to be dreaded. He had gathered many
particulars from the wise men. To insure
the slaughter of the real victim, he ordered
all male infants below two years Of age to
be killed We gain hint here n TO the
probable age of the Infant Christ. We may
suppose ne was one year old. Careful cal
culation has been made as to the probable
number thus slain. Bethlehem was town
OF probably about 1000 population. 1t is
likely very young babcs-say those below
six month of age-were spared. The Greek
Church canonized the slain children at IA 900.
OF course, such figures are absurd. We
may suppose hat about 20 were killed.
Rachel was wife Of Jacob. She died at
Bethlehem in the year 1866 A. M. The
Babylonan captivity took place ], 100 years
afterward. jeremiah, the Prophet, was then
alive, and wrote of the captivity. In his
imaginative style, he represented the cap
tiyity as such terrible, deporable circum-
stance, that Rachel, though buried 1150
before, shed tears at the thought her descend
ants were so disgraced, SO miserable. Now,
the murder Of infants in Bethlehem took
! place l,735 years after Rachel was buried.
ST. Matthew imagined the event so shocking
that Rachel again broke forth into tears. III
the sadness and disgrace of the people OF
Judah assembled at Rama, which was their
: place OF rendezvous just before going to
Babylou,-if their sorrow and shame could
so aff, CT the buried Rachel, IL miles off, as
to force tears from skeleton-sockets, how
much would she groan at the horrors raging
Just above and about the grave at Bethle.
hem? We see how general in its applica
a ton is the prophecy of Jeremiah.
1t was not long after the departure of thu
. Holy Family from Bethlehem that Herot
died-probably not many months passed
The Infant Jesus was about one year ole
!, when he went to Egypt He remained fo
q probably about IL months.
From earliest times the Staying of TIT
, babes OF Bethlehem has been commemorate
on what is styled Holy Innocents' Day, viz
q | Dec 49, 8Es
f Joseph Directed to Return to Palestine.
r After Herod's death the Angel again ap
0 peared to Joseph, directing his return t.
Palestine. Out offEgxpt have called m.
n son." ". 49, is quoted from Hos, HI. l
k does not as there recorded, refer at all to tn
It return of Christ from Egypt, but rather It
e the escape of the Isfaelites from bondage 4
Il Pharaoh. How, then, can we account 70
s the statement in V. Is that the prophecy .
T, Hosea was fulfilled by the journey of tn
r, Infant Jesus back to, Palestine? Whel
" Hosea wrote that verse he did not act as