Upon finding out of Mary's
pregnancy, we read this in Matthew 1:19; "Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man
and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce
her quietly."[1] This
tells us three things: That Mary's husband's name was Joseph, that he was a
righteous man, and that he did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace, so
he purposed to divorce her quietly.
As a name, Joseph is both a
solid Hebrew name and a shout out to the patriarch of long ago, so we can know
that Mary's chosen husband was one that was culturally appropriate. Whether
that was her choice entirely, or one that was arranged by the families, is not
given to us. What we can ascertain is that they as a couple were likely to fit
in well with normal society, but then, the truly great almost always start off
as 'normal'. Of course, how ‘normal’ Joseph was is a matter of subjectivity. The
narrative of the Word of God details Joseph as a righteous man. That is
striking, and makes him hardly average. It is one thing to be righteous in your
own eyes and another altogether to be actually right in your character - but
only a few are counted righteous in the pages of Scripture. It is into this last
category that we find Joseph placed - a high honour by the hand of God! More
than that, the text tells us he was unbelievably kind. In fact, one can scarcely conceive of another
so other-minded. He hears the news that his bride to be is pregnant, and his
measured reaction is to avoid exposing her to disgrace! Is that how most of us
would've reacted? In consideration of her,
after she comes and tells us she is pregnant by God Himself?
Some have suggested that it
is well possible Joseph thought she has simply lost her mind, or was covering
for a family member who had done something too horrible to speak of. But to
conclude such would be to embark down the same faithless line of thought as
Mary's pregnancy had first suggested to the reader. Joseph was a righteous man.
He therefore would've been able to hear the Spirit's silent witness to his
Bride's explanation. Not that it would've been easy news, but that she was not
wrong, whatever had happened. So he determines to quietly divorce her
(engagement being as legal marriage). There will be no public shaming, no
stoning for adultery and no demands for increased dowry. Joseph was a righteous
man, and kind.
This is, on a human scale,
a touching story of humility and grace. But on a divine scale, it is one of
those rare seasons when you know God is up to something. For to display His
character in the face of the sorest of trials (and surely it is that, when the
one you've already committed your whole life to shares such news with you?) -
is to live out what His Spirit has quietly said in the depths of your soul. That,
of and by itself, is to invite Him to work ever deeper. Realize then, that Joseph is now in a thin
place, regardless of geography. His character and his choice have put him
there. God is close.
· What difficult
circumstances do you currently face? How
has your character been revealed by them? Are you ready for what God has for
you next?
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