THE GOSPELS – The Return to the Land of Israel, Matthew 2:19-23

21 February 2025

We are studying Matthew chapter 2:19-23 today about the RETURN TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL.

We are mainly reading from the Complete Jewish Study Bible – insight for Jews and Christians with cross references to other Bible versions. As well as the Nelson’s Foundational Bible Dictionary.

As you know we are using the Hebrew names of God the Father, namely YHVH (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh) where the word LORD in capital letters is used in standard versions of the Bible, and we will also use the description, Abba Father.  And we also use the Hebrew Name Yeshua the Messiah instead of the English Name Jesus Christ translated from the Greek.

We ended last week with verse 18 with the women in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas mourning for their slain children.

And in Matthew 2:19-22 we read further: “After Herod’s death, an angel of YHVH appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go to the LAND of ISRAEL. However, when he heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judah, he was afraid to go there. Warned in a dream he withdrew to the region of Galilee.

The Afrikaans Bible in Practice and other Internet sources explain: Herod the Great died in 4 BCE, likely around the age of 69. His cause of death is debated but it is known that he suffered from both mental and physical disorders including atherosclerosis (arteries hardened and narrowed due to plague buildup). Rome did not trust his sons in the same way as it trusted Herod. He knew that his successor would not have as much power as him and therefore he divided his kingdom into three parts – one for each of his sons. Archelaus (Ache-le-as), received as kingdoms – Judea, Samaria and Idumea, Herod Antipas received Galilee and Perea, and Herod Philippus II received Trigonites. Archelaus was a violent man and had 3000 influential people killed right at the beginning of his reign and he was banished nine years later.

The Jewish Study Bible explains: The New Testament does not call the HOLY LAND PALESTINE, but it calls it THE LAND OF ISRAEL.

In the OLD TESTAMENT the LAND of the ISREALITES was called PALESTINE.  It came from the fact that PALETINE was the LAND of the PHILISTINES before conquered by the Israelites. The LAND was called CANAAN by the Hebrews in distinction from GILEAD, east of the Jordan. When taken by Joshua, it became known as the LAND of ISRAEL (read 1 Samuel 13:19 and Matthew 2:20). It is called the LAND of PROMISE in Hebrews 11:9 and the HOLY LAND in Zechariah 2:12. During the MIDDLE AGES, the name “HOLY LAND” was the most popular. In those days, PALESTINE was considered to be the CENTER of the EARTH, and in a sense, this is perfectly true. It is strategically located on a tiny strip of land on the EASTERN COAST of the MEDITERRANEAN SEA which UNITES THREE CONTINENTS – AFRICA, ASIA and EUROPE. It was situated between the MOST DOMINANT ANCIENT KINGDOMS of the world – EGYPT, BABYLON, ASSYRIA and PERSIA. As occupied by the ISRAELITES, the land extended from MOUNT HERMON on the NORTH to KADESH-BARNEA on the SOUTH and from the SEA on the WEST to THE JORDAN and the REGION EAST of the RIVER occupied by REUBEN, GAD and half-tribe MANASSEH. The ISRAELITES never expanded their kingdom to include ALL that ARE PROMISED to them in Numbers 34. The REASON being their DISOBEDIENCE to GOD (read Deuteronomy 28).

In New Testament times GALILEE was one of three PROVINCES of PALESTINE. It was located in the NORTHERN part. In the OLD TESTAMENT it was considered to be roughly the territories of Asher, Naphtali, Zebulun and Issachar. Many Canaanites lived in this district according to Judges 1:30-33 and 4:2. Many GENTILES (that probably included people from the LOST TEN TRIBES under Ephraim), continued to live there after the conquest of the land, as was indicated by the expression: “Galilee of the Nations” – see Isaiah 9:1-2 and Matthew 4:15. Yeshua was raised in Galilee and performed several miracles there.

And we read in Matthew 2:23 “and they (Josef, Mary and the Child Yeshua) settled in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that He will be called a Nazarene.”

And we see the reference to Him in all four GOSPELS as: “Yeshua from Nazareth.” Read Mark 1:9, Luke 1:26 and John 1:46.

The Jewish Study Bible explains: The word “NETZER” in Hebrew comes from the Hebrew root word for Natzrati (Nazarene), meaning BRANCH. We read in Isaiah 11:1-5 the prophecy that Yeshua the Messias, a BRANCH (Netzer), will emerge from the TRUNK (the family) of Jesse, king David’s father, and the Holy Spirit will rest on Him and He will bear much FRUIT.

As referred to in Matthew 2:23, we read about many BRANCH prophecies in the OLD TESTAMENT like:

Isaiah 11:1 as already mentioned as well as Jeremiah 23:5, Isaiah 4:2, 53:2 and Zechariah 6:12.

Nazareth is a town of LOWER GALILEE where Yeshua spent His childhood years. Nazareth is located about thirty miles (approximately 48,3 km) from the MEDITERRANEAN SEA. Its MILD CLIMATE and SHELTERED LOCATION in the HILLS of GALILEE made it an ideal place to live.

A Nazarene is an inhabitant of Nazareth. Yeshua was BORN in BETHLEHEM, but He was BROUGHT UP in NAZARETH and was called a NAZARENE. The town and its people were held in low esteem (read John 1:46).

BELIEVERS are related to YESHUA the MESSIAH as BRANCHES to the VINE. According to the Jewish Study Bible the modern Hebrew word for CHRISTIAN (a follower of Christ/ the Messiah), is NOTZRI, a variant of NATZRATI, meaning BRANCH.

We read in John 15:1-5 Yeshua our Messiah saying: “I am the REAL VINE, and MY FATHER is the GARDENER”. This reminds one of Genesis 2:8-9 where we read that it was GOD who PLANTED the GARDEN toward the EAST of EDEN! We further read in John 15:2-5 “EVERY BRANCH (in Hebrew it would be EVERY NETSER), which is PART OF ME BUT FAILS TO BEAR FRUIT, HE (God the Father) CUTS OFF; and EVERY BRANCH (NETSER) that DOES BEAR FRUIT, HE PRUNES, so that it may BEAR MORE FRUIT. Right now, because of THE WORD which I HAVE SPOKEN to you, YOU ARE PRUNED. STAY UNITED WITH ME, as I WILL with you – for just as the BRANCH (the NETSER) can’t put forth FRUIT by ITSELF APART FROM THE VINE, so you can’t BEAR FRUIT apart from ME. I AM THE VINE, and YOU ARE THE BRANCHES (the NETSER). THOSE who STAY UNITED WITH ME, and I WITH THEM, are THE ONES WHO BEAR MUCH FRUIT; because APART FROM ME YOU CAN’T DO A THING.”

The Afrikaans Bible in Practice explains it as follows: A VINE is VERY FRUITFUL as a SINGLE BRANCH can BEAR MANY FRUITS. In the Old Testament ISRAEL is often compared with a VINE when the NATION did the WILL of GOD. Since they were then just as FURTILE as a VINE – read Genesis 49:22-26, Psalm 80:9 and 128:1-3 and Ezekiel 19:10-11. Yeshua distinguished between two types of CUTTING – CUTTING the BRANCHES OFF and PRUNING THEM. FURTILE BRANCHES are PRUNED to BEAR even MORE FRUIT. That means that it is sometimes necessary for God to DISSIPLINE us to STREGHTEN our FAITH and CHARACTER to ENABLE us to BEAR MORE FRUIT. But BRANCHES that BEAR NO FRUIT and maybe despise and reject discipline are CUT OFF the VINE. These BRANCHES are viewed as DEAD and therefore can ONLY be used as FIREWOOD.

To be a LIVING BRANCH requires from us to:

1. BELIEVE in Yeshua the Messiah and CONFESS Him as the Son of God (Ephesians 2:8, John 1:12 & 1 John 4:15).
2. To KNOW Him as our SAVIOUR and our GOD (John 1:12, John 17:3, 2 Peter 3:18 & 1 John 1:3).
3. To DO what God tells us in His WORD – to OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS (1 John 3:24).
4. To PERSERVERE in our FAITH in the FATHER and the SON (John 17:20-24 and 1 John 2:24).
5. To be PART of the COMMUNITY of BELIEVERS, the BODY of Yeshua the Messiah (Romans 12:4-5 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-31).
6. In UNION with Him, day-by-day cultivating the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control by ALLOWING Him to RENEW our MINDS with His WORD and being sensitive and accepting to the guidance and teaching of HIS HOLY SPIRIT (Galatians 5:22-23 and 1 John 2:27).