Matthew 2:12-14
12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,
This is all that the Word has to say about the sudden departure of the Wise Men. After their worship and offering of gifts, they receive divine guidance to depart without reporting to Herod. Some ask why we are not guided like the Wise Men. WE ARE! We find guidance in the written Word of God on a daily basis, and we find guidance through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Again, Joseph has an angel appear in a dream with further instructions for him. Perhaps Joseph’s secondary role in all of this is reinforced by the fact that his two revelations both came in dreams. Mary and Zacharias both saw the angel Gabriel and spoke with him.
The emphasis of the passage, however, is on the fact that Joseph in his own way is to protect the young Child by fleeing at night out of Palestine and down into Egypt. God could have transported His Son by a miracle, but the Son of God had also become man, and now it was for Him to enter into the natural restrictions of humanity.
Joseph is given a reason for the sudden departure—Herod will seek for the life of the Christ child. Satan is always in focus here as the one who moves Herod to do this action. It sounds much like Revelation 12, where the great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns is ready to devour the man-child.
Come away from this brief passage with the knowledge of the sovereignty of God—God is aware of all of the enemy’s plans, and can always do His will and purpose despite those attacks.