When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son."
When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazorean." (Mt 2:13-15,19-23)
God’s revelation through dreams is to protect the child. God always wants the family to be together, united, and protected. It is a lesson for the family to be caring and protective. The family should take the step even to flee in order to save the child in a sense to save the unity of the family. Family is to be united, caring, protective at the cost of even fleeing one’s own country.
Going into Egypt is for a theological reason. He has to come out of Egypt. Jesus has to go through the experiences of the Israelites in Egypt. He has to re-live the same experience of what the people have gone through. Only then he will be able to redeem the people. Experience is essential.
Again, when the family returned to Israel they choose Galilee and not Judea. It is because there is danger in Judea (Archelaus was ruling Judea). A family has to grow in a place where there is freedom to grow. The family fled Israel when there was Herod and now the family avoids Judea because of Archelaus. Family grows where there is freedom. Family should move towards freedom. Freedom, unity, care, protection are essential for the family.
