“Flight to Egypt“
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.”
Ecclesiastes 3.1,2
Joseph’s turbulent thoughts quieted as he contemplated Mary’s words.
Her encouragement fed the realization the Spirit of God was attending to them, even now. He drew Mary closer. She yielded to his gesture, and leaned her head to his chest.
As they embraced, the infant on Mary’s arm formed a bulge between them. The tender moment clarified the growing awareness in Joseph’s mind.
They would not be on the road to Nazareth when the sun appeared over the Eastern horizon.
As his head cleared, he found a resolve he had not known before. God had sent the dream to warn him! Mary’s trust placed the responsibility on his shoulders. They must move quickly.
As the sliver of a moon dashed through the break of the clouds Joseph helped Mary and the infant onto the back of the little donkey.
Under cover of darkness, they made their way from the garden and down the slopes of the mount of olives.
The faint light from the moon showed the outline of the trio as they fled for refuge on the well-worn trail leading south to the land of the Pharaohs. The silhouetted walls of the City of David grew faint and disappeared when the trail dropped over a ridge and twisted out of sight.