A Man In Silence

Study: #674 – Church in the Houses From: March 8 – 14, 2011 TOPIC: "A Man In Silence" Matthew 1:18-25

Mary was the young woman engaged to Joseph, but the wedding had not yet been celebrated. She was a young woman that had been asked for in marriage, she was recently married to Joseph. The betrothal was a ceremony. Mathew 1: 18 Infidelity on behalf of the newlyweds was considered adultery and penalized with death. For the people for a woman to be pregnant had only one possible explanation. But, they thought this way because nobody knew the day in which the Redeemer was going to arrive to the world to save the sinners from their sins. In the same way today, we do not know the day the Lord will return to lift the church. So, in those glorious days no one knew that all this that was happening in the life of Mary and Joseph was the work of the Holy Spirit. There were very few spiritual people in those days who could understand the things of the Spirit. So Joseph had to face all this in the midst of his loneliness, with his struggle with incredulity, having to face great persecution from the government, from the religious, from his friends and family. Besides, he had to struggle to conserve his honor. Joseph finds out at the time of the betrothal that Mary had conceived. There was a commitment between them and later a marriage. In those times a commitment could be made even when they were children and had never met. There was no way to conclude a marriage, only by divorce. So a cloud of suspicions and scandals floated upon Mary. So, for Joseph, it was best to give her a divorce. What a great mystery he had to live! In that mystery he had nothing, but gossip, suspicions and shame. So Joseph had nothing to be proud of. In the eyes of common men Joseph was a man who Mary had been unfaithful to, but for God he was a man in silence chosen to defend and take care of Jesus in his childhood. Joseph did not yet have a true explanation of Mary’s condition. Perhaps he would feel indignation with Mary for two reasons: first, for the evident infidelity against him, and second, although he was innocent it was almost inevitable for him to be accused of complicity. His love for Mary and his desire for justice led him to make the decision to dissolve the marriage by means of a discrete divorce. While this kind and noble man made plans to protect Mary (because he did not know what the Holy Spirit was doing on earth for the good of mankind) an angel reveals himself to him. Joseph was King David’s descendant; he was the son of David. That was his lineage. His lineage would awake in him and he would understand that from his lineage the Messiah would arrive, the King of Israel. There was no doubt of Mary’s purity. Her pregnancy was a miracle of the Holy Spirit. It was a visitation from God for a pious and just man. For such reason, it was easy for God to reveal himself to him and for him to believe. The mission and the name of that child were given to him: Jesus, which means: Jehovah is salvation. This told Joseph what Jesus was going to do for his nation. This boy of destiny was Jehovah himself visiting the earth to save the people from the penalty of death, from the power of sin and finally from the same presence of sin. How well for Joseph to be chosen under any circumstance! As he had the intervention of the angel Joseph abandoned his plan for a divorce. His commitment was until the end and he joined Mary to fight whatever he had to face. As Joseph took Mary as his wife he also took her baby as his adopted son. This is how Jesus came to be the legal heir of the throne of David. One must notice the way in which Joseph gave himself to take care of Jesus and Mary. His own life did not matter to him. The birth of Jesus took place where God wanted, in Bethlehem of Judea. Micah 5: 2 God does and moves everything; there is nothing to worry about, one must let God lead us toward His will. Caesar

Augustus, the Roman emperor, (Luke 2:1) issued a decree of a census which took Joseph and Mary from Galilee to Bethlehem, precisely in the time that the Messiah was to be born there for the glorious fulfillment of the prophecy. Bethlehem was crowded when they arrived from Galilee. The only place left was a stable in a small inn. Only a person like Joseph was capable to be so meek as to follow Jesus’ path. He was not a warrior of ambition, or did he have any demands, he was so meek that he was capable to comply with what was written for more than 700 years concerning the Messiah. He cared for the scriptures for its fulfillment with his humility. Mathew 2: 12, 13 All who walk in God’s will are immortals until they have finished his job. Jesus was going to die but it wasn’t His time yet. An angel comes again to reveal to Joseph to go to Egypt. In the same way as His birth was going to be fulfilled by being taken to Bethlehem, He would also be called to go to Egypt. Hosea 11:1 "from Egypt I have called my son." As a consequence of acknowledging the birth of the Messiah, King Herod ordered to kill every baby boy two years of age or under. Matthew 2:16; Jeremiah 31:15 "Rachel” symbolizes Israel and Ramah was a place near Bethlehem where the killings took place. We can see that Joseph in humbleness complied word by word everything that was entrusted to him by God. (On the other hand, there were men as King Saul that did not comply with what was ordered by God, as was the case when he did not want to kill the king and the animals of the Amalekites and all because of his pride.) After the killing of the children an angel reveals himself again to Joseph to return to Galilee to get established in Nazareth. The prophets had predicted that He would be called Nazarene. Here another prophecy was fulfilled because he lived in Nazareth. Joseph was a meek carpenter, humble, and willing to be guided by God’s will. The last time we hear about Joseph is when Jesus is at the age of twelve. Then he was never mentioned again. This is how we know of a person who is pleased to do God’s will in silence. This is a great example for each one of us. Amen.