Dec 08 2024 7 mins
The David Alliance
Garth Heckman
Words have power… but without action they are simply parlor tricks.
Yesterday I returned a wallet with a few thousand dollars in it… I will admit, I have done this a few times… when I was younger I would have waited for a “WOW thank you” and maybe even a little reward…. As I get older I realized to give God the glory I should say less and be seen more. I gave the guy his wallet and walked away… he told me thank you a few times… as I walked away.
Words many times water down and dilute character. (GWH) And sometimes even dilute God’s glory.
A man in scripture who we have no record of him speaking … but lots of examples of his Godly character.
Matthew 1:18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.
Matthew 2:13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”
Matthew 2:19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee.
When we think of the birth of Jesus, Mary often takes center stage, but standing quietly beside her is Joseph—a man of remarkable faith, integrity, and humility. Though Scripture doesn’t give us many details about Joseph’s life, his role as the earthly father of Jesus is undeniably profound.
THINK OF THE TASK BEFORE HIM?
JOSEPH WOULD BE THE EARTHLY FATHER OF JESUS. - WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
- Thought one
He already knew God before the great assignment given him.
He was called a righteous man… not looking, but actually seeking to Be right before God by keeping he law
Joseph was a builder… (Gk Tek-ton worker… most likely worked with stone not wood) it was not a specialty trade, nothing special about him. It was a low class job and low paying job. He was normal, general - pedestrian. But Joseph still saw himself as a servant of the most high God. He did not excuse his role and his obedience to God simply because of his lot in life.
May we never excuse our usefulness to God by our place in life.
Seek God and expect to be used by God.
- Thought two
Even when it was hard he did what was right, He did what was disciplined and maybe even misunderstood.
THIS WAS A SCANDAL… THE TURMOIL HE MUST HAVE FELT… the woman he loved now pregnant… not his child.
Joseph was said to be around 16-18 yrs old
Mary between 14-16
Youth had no influence on Joseph doing what was right.
Misunderstood.
He was willing to take on the hate of his family… he was making his family look bad… he did not care. He wanted to do what God told him to do… AT 18 YEARS OF AGE!