Untimely Decisions that Can be detrimental to your soul

Photo CR: Samluce

A very important message to the Body of Christ from HIS apostle.

​​So, all the leaders and King Herod who sought to have Jesus killed were dead. See Matthew chapter 2, verses 19 and 20.

​Verse 19 – Now King Herod was dead
Verse 20 – The angel of the LORD spoke to Joseph, who was in Egypt with his family, and told him, “… those who sought the young child’s life are dead….” 
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Recall, at Matthew chapter 2, verse 13, an angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph, Jesus’ father, in a dream and instructed Joseph to take his son, and his wife, Mary, and flee to Egypt. This was a divine instruction and protection GOD gave to Joseph that I discussed in my January 2 YouTube post – Divine Instruction, Provision, and Protection. To watch, click here.

Within the divine instructions that the angel of the LORD gave to Joseph, there was an additional set of directions. The angel of the LORD also said to Joseph, “… stay there (in Egypt) until I bring you word…” (Matthew 2:13). Therefore, it was extremely important that Joseph remain in Egypt until he heard from the angel of the LORD once again. 
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what lesson can Joseph’s situation teach us today

​There is a great lesson in Joseph’s story for us today. As we observe our surroundings today, everywhere we turn, the world around us is becoming extremely corrupted and dark. Matthew 24:12 explains it this way. 
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“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold” (NIV).
The NLT says, “Sin will be rampant everywhere….”

We see the above becoming a reality, as we consider the increase in lawlessness when a state or region has reached its fullness in corruption and evil, as we have noticed in such states as California and New York City. When the laws of the land no longer benefit nor help to improve the lives of their citizens, the heads of households must contemplate whether to stay or relocate his or her family to another region. We don’t want to overlook the factor that Joseph found himself in a similar situation concerning the welfare of his family. He had to choose to stay, to go, and if he goes, when and where.

​Decisions like these should not be made without the divine direction of GOD. This is so important. Why? Remember the case of Elimelech’s family who was dwelling in the land of Bethlehem, Judah. A famine came and struck the entire land. So, without consulting thy LORD thy GOD, Elimelech decides to flee from his region and relocate his family to the region of Moab, in hopes of finding better resources and provisions for his family there (Ruth 1:1-2). What became of Elimelech’s family’s fate due to his untimely decision? Ruth chapter 1, verses 3, 5, 13, 20, and 21 explains. 
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​Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons…. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband…." She said, "… It grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me! … Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
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We see in these verses what can happen to a family’s livelihood when the heads of a household do not wait on the divine instructions from the LORD. Elimelech did not wait for directions from GOD concerning how best to deal with the famine that was in his land. Instead, he took it upon himself to relocate his family to a land that seemed to him to be more prosperous. The results?

​Verse 3 – Elimelech experienced an untimely death in the land where he relocated his family.
Verse 5 – Then later, both of his sons, Mahlon and Chilion die, leaving the women alone to fend for themselves.
Verse 13 – These losses were so great to Naomi, the wife of Elimelech, that she became depressed. She said to her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, “… It grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!”
Verses 20-21 – Upon returning home to Bethlehem, she said to family and friends. “… Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
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​Now, let’s compare Elimelech’s family’s outcome to Isaac’s. In Genesis chapter 26, we see a famine struck the land in which Isaac, the son of Abraham, was residing. Isaac was faced with the same circumstances as Elimelech – to go or to stay and if he went, where. But noticed an angel interfered in the plans of Isaac and provided him divine instructions. “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you…” (Genesis 26:2-3).
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Did you see that? Don’t miss what just took place! GOD provided Isaac with divine instructions that came with divine protection, which led to divine provisions for him if he followed the divine plans of the LORD for his life. As a result, Isaac decides to stay in the land.

Now, despite there being a famine in the land, noticed how GOD kept HIS promise to Isaac. Starting with verse 12 to verse 14. 

​Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants….
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Isaac and his family prosper during a time of famine because Isaac, as the head of his household, chose to follow the divine plans of the LORD. Therefore, Isaac and his family did not suffer the same fate as Elimelech and his family.
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This is a lesson we need to take to heart today as servants of the Most High GOD. 
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how did it end for joseph

​So, let’s now turn our attention back to Joseph's situation. As we recall, the men who sought to have Jesus killed were all dead (Matthew 2:19-20). So, the same angel of the LORD who divinely instructed Joseph in a dream to relocate to Egypt from Bethlehem returns to Joseph in another dream with new divine instructions. He instructs Joseph to take his family and move to the land of Israel (verse 20). As Joseph contemplates the angel’s instructions, Joseph is aware of the problems that occurred in Judea. 
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​SIDEBAR: After the death of King Herod I, his rulership was divided up among his three sons – Archelaus, Antipas, and Philip. Initially, King Herod assigned his youngest son, Antipas as his successor. But upon his death bed, he changed it to his son Archelaus, to which, his brothers challenged their father’s change to Caesar Augustus. Caesar divided the region among the brothers, which left Archelaus overseeing 3 areas – Samaria, Judea, and Idumea (non-Jewish regions).
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Over time, Archelaus loses favor with the Jewish people during an uprise situation when Archelaus’ men lose control over a Jewish gathering during a Passover event. Some Jews rose up and stoned some of Archelaus’ men who were there for crowd control. [(Is this starting to sound somewhat familiar to the so-called January 6 insurrection attack on the Capital?) “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)].

In response to this insurrection, Archelaus sent his entire army to regain control over the crowd, which resulted in 3,000 Jews being massacred. This triggered a delegation to form to plead to Caesar Augustus to have Archelaus removed. Once Archelaus learned of the delegation's actions, he retaliated by having the men of the delegation tracked down and killed along with their families. 

​Joseph was aware of such atrocities that occurred under Archelaus’ rulership. So as he contemplated the angel of the LORD’s instructions to relocate his family to Israel. He knew if he moved his family to Judea, and if Archelaus became aware of Jesus as the next king of the Jews, whom his father, Herod I, was unsuccessful in killing, it might put Jesus’ life at risk. So he decided instead of going to Judea to relocate his family to the region of Galilee and establish his family in Nazarene. This act by Joseph kept him and his family aligned with GOD’s divine plans for him and his family. Furthermore, Joseph was able to fulfill the words spoken by GOD’s prophets years prior, in which they proclaimed that Jesus would be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23; compare to Isaiah 11:1; Zechariah 6:12).
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our lesson today

​The lesson we can learn from these events and the decisions made by Elimelech, Isaac, and Joseph concerning the welfare of their families is that it is important to look to GOD for all instructions and direction on behalf of our family before choosing to uproot our family from any region. For our divine protection and divine provisions (HIS blessings) will only be provided by GOD, IF we are in the divine place that GOD has called us. 
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other resources

​Stay Series by Felicia Crawford Ministry. To watch, click the picture below.