Quiet Strength
Matthew 1:18-25; 2:13-15, 19-23
"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength....'"
(Isaiah 30:15)
Remember the adage "The squeaky wheel gets the oil"? That may be true for wheels, but is "squeakiness" a trait God desires in those on His journey?
Take Joseph, Mary's husband and Jesus' earthly father. Scripture does not record one word that he spoke. Yet, today's readings along with Luke 2, give a strong profile of the kind of man Joseph was. Called righteous, he strictly observed the Jewish law and saw that his new family observed the sacrifices, feasts and rituals as well. He also did what the Roman law required, registering for the census in Bethlehem. He had a solid trade to support his family and pass on to his son. He was a good listener - when the angel of the Lord spoke to him, on four occasions, he listened and obeyed. He was a sensible and dependable man whose actions spoke louder than his words.
Though Joseph does not seem to have been a man of many words, he listened and obeyed. Isn't that what God desires from us? How He longs for us to hear His Word and, in quiet confidence, trust Him!
INSIGHT
"BEWARE OF STOPPING YOUR EARS TO THE CALL OF GOD...."
(OSWALD CHAMBERS)
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Nehemiah 12-13
Psalm 37
Mark 16
Matthew 1:18-25
New International Version (NIV)
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[d] (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 1:18 Or The origin of Jesus the Messiah was like this
b. Matthew 1:19 Or was a righteous man and
c. Matthew 1:21 Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.
d. Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 2:13-15
New International Version (NIV)
The Escape to Egypt
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[a]
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 2:15 Hosea 11:1
Matthew 2:19-23
New International Version (NIV)
The Return to Nazareth
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
WHAT GOD HAS PLANNED
Do you remember what it felt like to be a kid at Christmas? You knew there were great things coming, but some of it was a surprise. God's future plans for us are a lot like that. Are you excited?
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