How is God’s sovereign plan distinctly evident in the way the wise men’s visit to Bethlehem unfolds?
God’s sovereignty is shown in how he directed events to bring Joseph to flee specifically to Egypt. He allowed the Magi to draw Herod’s attention to Jesus’ birth, and then raised Herod’s suspicions by commanding the Magi not to honour their promise to return to Herod. He then had the Magi leave before Joseph even knew that they were avoiding Herod, and commanded Joseph to flee, not to the Nabatean kingdom just on the other side of the Jordan, but to Egypt. All this was to fulfill prophecy about Jesus’ life
From these facts Joseph can gather that God himself directs everything. First, by letting the Magi travel through Jerusalem he grabbed Herod’s attention. Secondly, he raised Herod’s suspicions by commanding the Magi not to honour their promise to return to him. He then decreed that the Magi would depart before Joseph even got the chance to ask them to take him, the child, and Mary with them back to their country of origin. The Lord therefore does not even allow Joseph to flee where he wills. There was another country nearby where they could flee to—the Nabatean kingdom on the other side of the Jordan river. The road to Egypt is longer and more difficult, however. Nonetheless, the Lord directs Joseph in the dream to take the child and his mother along this more challenging road.1
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”