The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 45 -
A Comparison With Israel In Egypt
WHEN JOSEPH recovered from his great surprise, he inspected everything with Cyrenius.
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Mary, who again took the Baby from the arms of Cyrenius, also looked at everything and was full of joy at the great kindness of the Lord, since He had also provided so well for her in an earthly way.
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When they had seen everything and entered the well-kept dwelling, Mary blissfully said to Joseph,
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'Oh my dear, beloved Joseph! See, I am overjoyed that the Lord has provided for us so well!
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Yes, on the whole it seems to me as if the Lord had turned the whole old order around.
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Just look, once He led the children of Israel from Egypt into the Promised Land of Palestine, in that day called Canaan,
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but now He has again made Egypt into the promised land and fled with us or rather led us here Himself from where He once redeemingly led our fathers through the desert into the Promised Land, which overflowed with milk and honey.'
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Joseph replied, 'Mary, there is much to be said for your glad comment,
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but I believe that your statement applies only to our present situation.
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On the whole it seems to me as if the Lord had now done with us what he once did with the sons of Jacob when the great famine had just broken out in the land of Canaan.
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The people of Israel then stayed in Egypt until Moses came, but Moses led them home again through the desert.
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And I believe It will also be the same with us - we too will not be buried here and will surely have to return to Canaan when the time is right.
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To guide our fathers homeward, a Moses did indeed have to be first raised up, but now we already have the Moses of Moseses in our midst!
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Therefore I believe it will come to pass as I have spoken!
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Mary kept all these words in her heart and agreed with Joseph.
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And Cyrenius also listened to this conversation very closely and then asked Joseph to tell him about the early history of the Jews.