Matthew 2:22-23 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he took refuge in the regions of Galilee, 23and after coming, he lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
There is still a further issue for the holy family upon their return to the land of Israel. Joseph had obediently followed the directions of the angel, but the enemies of the new boy king are still around. Archelaus was a son of Herod who became king at age 18 after Herod’s death. He was also know for his intrigue and cruelty. Joseph must of heard of this rumor and made the wise decision to stay out of Bethlehem, which is near Jerusalem, the capital of Judea. No doubt, word would have trickled out that a family with a boy matching the description of a child born in Bethlehem a few years before would have reached the capital city.
Joseph had God’s help and intervention once again in a fourth dream. This time, there is no mention of an angel, but the story assumes divine intervention again. God was watching out for the family. Joseph had learned to trust the dreams he received from God. Verse 22 assumes that the dream gave Joseph instructions to flee to the area of Galilee, which was far north of the center of activity in Judea. There, the family could melt into the local village life. There was plenty of work for a carpenter. The community was small and relatively far away from the threats of the Romans and Jewish leaders.
The village they ended up in was Nazareth, basically a little know place with not much happening. Matthew again points out how the events of Jesus’ life were fulfillments of prophecy. Matthew uses the plural prophets, but there is no specific Old Testament prophecy that mentions the Messiah would come from Nazareth. Nazareth was a new village and is not mentioned in the Old Testament. It is possible that Matthew may have been referring to a similar Hebrew word, neser, which meant “branch” referenced in Isaiah 11:1. This could be a play on words, and Matthew saw a deeper connection between Jesus as the branch from David and the town he grew up in. In this small town, Jesus would grow and learn Scripture and prepare for the mission his heavenly Father had for him.
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