Many of the historical events recorded in the Old Testament prefigure some historical event that would happen in the life of Christ. One such historical event is the exodus of the children of Israel out of Egypt. In the Hebrew version of the Book of Hosea, there is a prophecy about the Christ leaving Egypt.
So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the King of Israel utterly be cut off. When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called My Son out of Egypt. As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. (Hosea 10:15; 11:1,2)
The Septuagint differs here from the Hebrew. It says:
Thus will I do to you, O house of Israel, because of the unrighteousness of your sins. Early in the morning were they cast off, the King of Israel has been cast off: for Israel is a child, and I loved him, and out of Egypt have I called his children. As I called them, so they departed from My presence: they sacrificed to Baalim, and burnt incense to graven images. (Hosea 10:15; 11:1,2, LXX)
The Hebrew is untrustworthy, but it is not to be totally disparaged. It must be used selectively and with caution, however, since the Jews tampered with it. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew for Jewish converts to Christ. In the second chapter of his Gospel, he quotes Hosea 11:1 in the Hebrew as proof that the Christ would live in Egypt.
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him. When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called My Son. (St. Matt. 2:13-15)
Jesus claimed to be the promised Christ. He claimed that the Old Testament Scriptures testified of Him.
Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. (St. John 5:39)
He explained the prophecies about Himself to His disciples after His resurrection.
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (St. Luke 24:27)
And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures. (St. Luke 24:45,46)
If St. Matthew quoted this verse from Hosea as a proof text that the Christ would live in Egypt, then He most likely learned that that is a prophecy of Christ from Jesus Christ Himself. I do not think that He was perverting the sense of this passage.
If we examine the text from Hosea closely, we can see that it is talking about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. However, among all of those Israelites who left Egypt under the Prophet Moses' leadership there was a man who was an ancestor of King David from whom would come the Christ.
Looking at the genealogy given by St. Matthew, we see that Naason is one of Jesus' ancestors. (St. Matt. 1:4) Salmon is Naason's son. (St. Matt. 1:5) Salmon married Rachab (Rahab) and begot Booz (Boaz) by her. None of the Israelites met Rachab (Rahab) until after they had entered the land of Canaan. (Josh. 2:1-3) Rachab and her relatives were the only ones from Jericho who were spared by the Israelites when they destroyed Jericho. (Josh. 6:17-25)
Naason left with the Israelites when they made their departure from Egypt. He was a biological ancestor of Jesus Christ. When God called the Israelites out Egypt under the leadership of Moses, He was calling out Naason, the biological ancestor of the Christ. His DNA would be transmitted through successive generations to the Virgin Mary who would give birth to the Christ. So then, "Out of Egypt God called His Son."
Jesus Christ lived in Egypt when He was a small Child. In fulfillment of Hosea's prophecy, He left there with His family when He was still a small Boy and returned to the land of Israel.
The exodus of the Israelites (and most especially Naason) from Egypt also prefigures the departure of Christ from Egypt when He was a young Child. So, this prophecy in Hosea is a prophecy about Christ leaving Egypt as a young Child.
Steve
So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the King of Israel utterly be cut off. When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called My Son out of Egypt. As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. (Hosea 10:15; 11:1,2)
The Septuagint differs here from the Hebrew. It says:
Thus will I do to you, O house of Israel, because of the unrighteousness of your sins. Early in the morning were they cast off, the King of Israel has been cast off: for Israel is a child, and I loved him, and out of Egypt have I called his children. As I called them, so they departed from My presence: they sacrificed to Baalim, and burnt incense to graven images. (Hosea 10:15; 11:1,2, LXX)
The Hebrew is untrustworthy, but it is not to be totally disparaged. It must be used selectively and with caution, however, since the Jews tampered with it. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew for Jewish converts to Christ. In the second chapter of his Gospel, he quotes Hosea 11:1 in the Hebrew as proof that the Christ would live in Egypt.
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him. When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called My Son. (St. Matt. 2:13-15)
Jesus claimed to be the promised Christ. He claimed that the Old Testament Scriptures testified of Him.
Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. (St. John 5:39)
He explained the prophecies about Himself to His disciples after His resurrection.
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (St. Luke 24:27)
And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures. (St. Luke 24:45,46)
If St. Matthew quoted this verse from Hosea as a proof text that the Christ would live in Egypt, then He most likely learned that that is a prophecy of Christ from Jesus Christ Himself. I do not think that He was perverting the sense of this passage.
If we examine the text from Hosea closely, we can see that it is talking about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. However, among all of those Israelites who left Egypt under the Prophet Moses' leadership there was a man who was an ancestor of King David from whom would come the Christ.
Looking at the genealogy given by St. Matthew, we see that Naason is one of Jesus' ancestors. (St. Matt. 1:4) Salmon is Naason's son. (St. Matt. 1:5) Salmon married Rachab (Rahab) and begot Booz (Boaz) by her. None of the Israelites met Rachab (Rahab) until after they had entered the land of Canaan. (Josh. 2:1-3) Rachab and her relatives were the only ones from Jericho who were spared by the Israelites when they destroyed Jericho. (Josh. 6:17-25)
Naason left with the Israelites when they made their departure from Egypt. He was a biological ancestor of Jesus Christ. When God called the Israelites out Egypt under the leadership of Moses, He was calling out Naason, the biological ancestor of the Christ. His DNA would be transmitted through successive generations to the Virgin Mary who would give birth to the Christ. So then, "Out of Egypt God called His Son."
Jesus Christ lived in Egypt when He was a small Child. In fulfillment of Hosea's prophecy, He left there with His family when He was still a small Boy and returned to the land of Israel.
The exodus of the Israelites (and most especially Naason) from Egypt also prefigures the departure of Christ from Egypt when He was a young Child. So, this prophecy in Hosea is a prophecy about Christ leaving Egypt as a young Child.
Steve
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