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It is no wonder that Herod was shocked and all Jerusalem was in a commotion because of these Gentile wise men who had come from far away following the star that had appeared in accordance with the prophecy. The words of prophecy the chief priests and scribes found in the Old Testament scriptures said that a ruler over Israel would come forth from Bethlehem.
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But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting. (Micah 5:2)
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When Herod heard these words, he realized that his throne was no longer secure and so he devised a countermeasure. He secretly summoned the wise men and ascertained from them precisely when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying,
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"Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also" (Matthew 2:8).
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These words, however, were a lie that concealed the dark intentions in Herod's heart.
Having heard the king's request, the wise men from the east went on their way, and the star appeared in front of them once more. They followed the star and stopped where it came to a halt. They rejoiced with exceedingly great joy as they entered the stable. There they found the baby and His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped the Child. Then they presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
That night God warned the wise men in a dream that they should not go back to Herod, so they returned to their country by a different route.
Joseph also received a command from the angel of the Lord in a dream:
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
(Matthew 2:13).
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Joseph arose and immediately took the Child and His mother and departed for Egypt.
Before all these events took place, God had already spoken through the prophet Hosea, saying,
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"Out of Egypt I called My Son" (See Matthew 2:15, Hosea 11:1).
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King Herod waited, expecting the wise men to return and give him news of the Child. In the end, when they did not come, he realized that he had been deceived and he flew into a rage. He sent his men to Bethlehem, telling them to kill all the male children under the age of two living in Bethlehem and the surrounding region. He based this action on the information he had received from the wise men regarding the precise time of the appearance of the star.
Later, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph again in a dream while he was living in Egypt and told him,
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"Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead" (Matthew 2:20).
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Joseph arose quickly, took the Child and His mother, and returned to the land of Israel. There, following God's instructions, they went to the region of Galilee and settled down in the town of Nazareth. Thus the words spoken through the prophet were fulfilled:
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He shall be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23).
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When Jesus had reached adulthood, people thought of Him as the Son of Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth.
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