In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 2, there is a quote referencing an Old Testament prophecy about God calling his son out of Egypt.
The verse in Matthew reads:
“And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”” (Matthew 2:14-15 ESV)
This quote from Matthew is referencing a prophecy in the book of Hosea chapter 11 verse 1, which states:
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” (Hosea 11:1 ESV)
To fully understand this New Testament passage, it is important to examine the Old Testament background and context of Hosea’s prophecy.
Hosea was a prophet who lived and prophesied between 755-725 BC, during a very troubled time in Israel’s history.
The northern kingdom of Israel had turned away from God and fallen into idolatry and injustice.
As judgment for their sins, God was going to allow Israel’s enemies to conquer them.
Hosea’s prophecies contain messages of doom and judgment, but also speak of future restoration through God’s unfailing love.
It is in this context that Hosea refers to Israel’s Exodus out of captivity in Egypt as a symbol of God’s deep love and care over his people.
He uses the metaphor of God calling his “son” Israel out of Egypt to depict Israel’s relationship with God and how He delivered them in the past.
At first glance, these two verses can seem confusing. The prophecy in Hosea is referring to God calling the nation of Israel out of Egypt after being in captivity there.
But Matthew says this prophecy is fulfilled by Jesus coming out of Egypt after fleeing from King Herod. So how exactly does Jesus fulfill this prophecy?
The Prophetic Significance of Israel as God’s Son
To understand this connection, it’s important to examine how the prophecy in Hosea portrays Israel’s relationship with God.
By calling Israel his “son” in Hosea 11:1, God is highlighting that He has a special, fatherly relationship with the nation of Israel.
They are his chosen people, and he cares for them and protects them as a father would for a son.
God brought the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt through Moses during the great Exodus.
This was a key moment in Israel’s history as God’s people.
God freed them from slavery and led them to the Promised Land as their rightful inheritance.
The Exodus journey also involved 40 years of God testing and preparing Israel in the wilderness after leaving Egypt.
This time of dependence on God and purification prepared them before finally entering the land that God had promised.
So in this prophecy, God is emphasizing his fatherly love and protection over Israel by referring to the Exodus out of Egypt as “calling his son” out of that foreign land back to the land promised to Abraham.
Jesus as the True Son of God
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is revealed to be the Messiah – the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies about a coming rescuer for Israel.
More than that, the New Testament teaches that Jesus is the very Son of God.
Multiple times in the Gospels, there is a voice from heaven declaring Jesus as “my beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5).
Jesus refers to God as his Father, teaching that He and the Father are one (John 10:30).
The writers of the New Testament proclaim Christ’s divinity and position as the true Son of God (John 1:34, John 3:16, Romans 1:4).
So while God called Israel his “son” in a symbolic sense in Hosea, Jesus Christ is considered the actual, biological Son of God – sharing the same divine nature as God the Father.
The Parallels between Jesus and Israel
With this background in mind, we can start to see how Jesus fulfills the Hosea prophecy that Matthew quotes.
Just as God called Israel his son out of Egypt, God also called Jesus his son out of Egypt.
In both cases, God protected his “son” from danger in Egypt and called him out to dwell in the place prepared for him.
For Israel, it was the Promised Land after a period of testing and preparation in the wilderness.
For Jesus, it was Israel itself, where he would grow up, minister, and accomplish his ultimate mission.
Additional parallels can be drawn between Israel and Jesus’ lives:
- Israel was forced into Egypt to escape danger and famine, just as Joseph took Mary and Jesus into Egypt to flee from Herod (Genesis 46:1-7, Matthew 2:13-15).
- Israel was persecuted in Egypt before being delivered by God, similar to how Herod slaughtered infants in Bethlehem, prompting God to instruct Joseph to take Jesus to safety in Egypt (Exodus 1:22, Matthew 2:16-18).
- After a period in Egypt, Israel passes through the waters of the Red Sea before inheriting the Promised Land (Exodus 14). Jesus passes through the waters of baptism by John the Baptist before beginning his ministry in Israel (Matthew 3:13-17).
So while the Hosea prophecy had an initial fulfillment in Israel’s national history, Matthew is highlighting that Jesus follows the same overarching pattern as the greater Son of God and Messiah.
Where Israel failed in obedience to God and fulfilling its mission, Jesus succeeded. He is the embodiment of the perfect Israel.
Why This Matters for Matthew’s Gospel
Exploring how this prophecy applies to Jesus is important for what Matthew is trying to communicate in his Gospel account.
Matthew wrote his gospel primarily for a Jewish audience. His goal was to convince the Jews that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah they had been expecting.
This is why Matthew’s Gospel contains more citations and allusions to Old Testament prophecies and parallels between Jesus’ life and Israel’s history than any other Gospel account.
By linking Jesus’ flight to and return from Egypt with Hosea’s prophecy about Israel, Matthew provides encouragement and assurance for his original Jewish readers.
It shows God’s hand was on these events all along, just as He guided Israel in the past. Jesus’ life is part of the same divine narrative.
This also establishes Jesus as being closely identified with Israel in God’s redemptive plan.
Just as God delivered and protected his “son” Israel in the past, he now delivers and protects Jesus – the true, ultimate Son.
The prophetic patterns are being fulfilled in new ways through Christ.
Matthew is able to powerfully demonstrate to the Jews from their own Scriptures that Jesus is the fulfillment of all Messianic prophecies about Israel’s redemption.
The Significance for All People
While this prophecy was specifically chosen to resonate with a Jewish audience, the implications extend further.
Jesus came not only for Israel, but for the whole world.
And just like Israel was persecuted and oppressed in Egypt but delivered and called by God, all who follow Christ are similarly rescued from bondage and darkness.
Those who put their faith in Jesus become children of God as well (John 1:12).
So this ancient prophecy about God calling his son out of Egypt takes on new meaning for Christians today.
We have been called out of our own “Egypts” – perhaps slavery to sin, despair, brokenness – through the salvation Christ provides.
As God’s children in Christ, we are on our own journey to the true Promised Land of eternity with Him.
Though Jesus came first to fulfill God’s promises to Israel, his salvation opened the door for the redemption of both Jews and Gentiles together.
Matthew makes this inclusion clear through passages such as the Great Commission where Jesus commands his followers to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
No longer would God primarily work through just one nation, but now through people of every tribe and language who put faith in Jesus.
Why Only Matthew Includes This Prophecy
It is notable that only Matthew’s gospel includes this connection between Hosea’s prophecy and Jesus coming out of Egypt.
The other gospels do not apply this specific Old Testament passage to that event.
The most likely reason is that Matthew had a particular agenda of highlighting Jesus’ mission to the Jews and fulfilling Old Testament expectations about the Messiah.
Matthew’s original audience was predominantly Jewish, so drawing out detailed prophecies like this was compelling evidence for them to accept Jesus as the Christ.
The other gospels were likely written for wider audiences, so did not emphasize this prophecy fulfillment since it relied heavily on Jewish history and Old Testament symbolism that might not resonate with non-Jewish readers.
Ultimately, while only Matthew makes this Hosea prophecy connection explicitly, all the gospels affirm Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament.
So in summary, Matthew’s quote of Hosea 11:1 gives this prophetic significance to Jesus’ flight to Egypt as an infant:
- It establishes Jesus as the true Son of God, identifying him with Israel.
- It shows God’s protection and deliverance, guiding Jesus’ life.
- It anchors Jesus as the fulfillment of all Messianic prophecies about Israel’s redemption.
- It hints there is a spiritual Exodus Jesus leads all of God’s children through, out of darkness and into eternal life with the Father.
In just one verse, Matthew is able to connect Jesus’ life to the epic biblical themes of exile, redemption, prophecies of the Messiah, and God’s eternal promises to his people.
This reveals the deep significance even a short passage of Scripture can hold when explored in detail.
