"Arise, and take the young child and His mother."--_Matt. 2:13._
HEROD was afraid that the new-born King of the Jews would take away his
kingdom. So he meant to kill Him as soon as he could find out from the
wise men where He was. But the wise men never came back to tell him,
for God spoke to them in a dream, and warned them to go back to their
own country another way.
[Illustration: JOSEPH COMMANDED TO FLEE INTO EGYPT.--Matt. 2:13.]
And God also spoke to Joseph the carpenter, the blessed Virgin Mary's
husband, and told him to take the young Child and His mother, and flee
into the land of Egypt, and stay there till they should be told to come
back, for Herod was seeking the young Child to destroy Him. Joseph
obeyed, and the whole family fled into Egypt, and lived there for some
years.
When Herod found the wise men did not come, he was very angry; and to
make sure of killing Him who was to be King of the Jews, he was so
cruel and wicked as to cause all the babies in Bethlehem, of two years
old and under, to be put to death.
[Illustration: THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.--Matt. 2:14, 15.]
We call them the Holy Innocents, because they were the first who died
for Jesus Christ's sake. It seemed very sad then, but they have been
happy and glorious ever since in heaven, and always will be. But God
had taken care of Him, and He was safe in Egypt; and there they stayed
till our Lord was about three years old, and then the wicked King Herod
died.