 |  |
same time left undone the more weighty matters of the law. The Lord had to say to them
in this connection, "these ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other undone"
(Matt. 23: 23). Yet their religio national awareness coupled with the presence of the
conqueror in their land cultivated in them a great yearning for the coming of their
Deliverer, the Messiah.
Into this scene Joseph is born and clearly born for a purpose in God's plan for His
people. He was a humble man, obedient and faithful. What we know about him suggests
he was rather slow, ponderous. But when given a clear lead, he acted without hesitation.
He was a very human man, yet "just", and like many of his contemporaries, desirous of
keeping the law: the law, both of God, and of man. This is made clear in passages such
as Matt. 1: 19,
"Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public
example, was minded to put her away privily."
"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar
Augustus, that all the world should be taxed . . . . . And all went to be taxed, every one
into his own city . . . . . And Joseph also went up . . . . . unto the city of David, which is
called Bethlehem" (Luke 2: 1-5).
"And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were
accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord: . . . . . and to
offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of
turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luke 2: 22-24).
Similar stress is also found in Luke 2: 39, 41, 43. Joseph: kind, just and law abiding.
The circumstances of his call must have been rather traumatic. Matthew records the
call in chapter 1: 18-25. Joseph had learned that Mary was with child, and Mary was his
betrothed wife. In those days, and in that society, betrothal was treated as binding as was
marriage, and the consequences of disloyalty were literally fatal (Deut. 22: 23, 24). The
fact that Mary "was found with child of the Holy Ghost" was unknown to Joseph at that
point, and he was as troubled and concerned as any man of his day and race would have
been. Matthew tells us Joseph "thought on these things". Bullinger's Critical Lexicon
defines the word "thought": "thought, as being the result of a commotion of the mind".
Joseph's mind was in a turmoil. He eventually made up his mind what to do: He would
"put her away privily". He would quietly divorced her, and so avoid the degrading
publicity any other course would entail. He wanted to obey the law, yet he did not wish
to expose Mary to all the shame of "taking her to law".
It was at this point the angel appeared to him while he slept, with this message for him:
"Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt
call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1: 20, 21).
On hearing this Joseph obeyed, and evidently without question; he "did as the angel
of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife" (verse 24).