December 15: Seeking Faithful Obedience

We were privileged to attend a program by the United States Marine Corps. The two main attractions featured the Drum and Bugle Corp and the Silent Drill Platoon. The success of each presentation depends on the complete obedience of the participants to follow rigidly prescribed moves. The way Joseph reacted to some strange spiritual encounters and directions should inspire all of us.

Wiley Richards is a retired professor of theology and philosophy at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.

He showed the importance of a faithful attitude when the way is unclear (1:18-19). Verse 16 reports he was a son of Jacob and the husband of Mary. Later references describe him as a carpenter by trade (Matt. 13:55) and the legal father of Jesus (Luke 2:4; 3:23). However his reaction to Mary's pregnancy showed him to be a man of deep piety and compassion.

His legal engagement to Mary followed the customs of the day. The first stage toward marriage consisted of a time of engagement, a legally binding contract in which the couple did not engage in sexual activity. To his horror, Joseph discerned that Mary was pregnant.

Being completely ignorant of the circumstances of Mary's pregnancy, he decided to divorce her quietly, probably to avoid public embarrassment for her. Unknown to him, God was using his ignorance to undergird one of Christianity's most fundamental doctrines, the birth of Jesus by a virgin. His was a divinely guided obedience.

Joseph was led to the next step in learning to obey when the mind is overwhelmed (vv. 20-25). As he meditated on his course of action, an angel appeared to him in a dream and delivered a mind-boggling message. Mary was pregnant in a unique way, the Holy Spirit conceiving in her. He had begun by addressing Joseph as a son of David, reminding him of the royal lineage. Joseph was to name her son Jesus because he would save His people from their sins.

The message was interrupted by a message from the Holy Spirit through the writer in explaining the prophetic significance of the birth. The Old Testament background is Isaiah 7:14, a text speaking of a child named Emmanuel, God with us, to be born of a virgin. Scholars debate whether the young woman (Hebrew almah) in Isaiah's text should be translated as young woman or virgin. Since the verse in Matthew says the young woman was a virgin, the issue is settled. Jesus was virgin-born, as prophesied.

Joseph, took Mary as his wife but delayed sexual relations until after Jesus was born (v. 25). The text implies a normal sexual life for them even though some interpreters believe she was a perpetual virgin. However, in addition to the inference drawn from "until," the Bible through Paul identified James as the Lord's brother (Gal. 1:19). Further, it speaks of his mother and brothers (Matt. 12:46). He also had sisters (Matt. 13:55-56).

Following the birth of Jesus, Joseph learned to obey when the road is rocky (2:13-15). We are not sure how long the little family remained in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus. The Bible says the magi came "into the house" to worship Jesus. Allowing for the time it took them to travel from their country, several months may have gone by. An angel appeared to Joseph, again in a dream, and directed him to travel south to Egypt and remain in Egypt until told to return.

Sometimes, obedience sometimes means we cannot return home (vv. 19-23). King Herod had died, but the political situation improved but little (vv. 19-20). Warned by God in a dream, Joseph settled in Nazareth.