|
"But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.' So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.'"
(Matthew 1:20-23)
Joseph had a life-changing dream! While he thought about what to do, I think he was in deep contemplation and dosed off, because verse 20 says he had a dream. And this was no ordinary dream like what you and I have; rather, this was a life-altering dream! I think about some of the dreams I've had, and most of them I cannot remember more than a few seconds. Can God speak to us in dreams today? Surely He can, but His primary method of revealing what He wants us to do is through reading His Word and praying. If you ever have a dream or feel an impression that is contrary to God's Word, then it was not from God.
In Joseph's dream, the first thing the angel of the Lord did was call him by name and identify him. He was Joseph, in the lineage of King David. The Jews knew that it was going to be through the offspring of David that the Messiah would come. Mary was also in David's lineage, and Joseph, though not the biological father of Jesus, because He was born of the Virgin Mary, was also from David's lineage. I think that is cool.
The next thing the angel told him was to not be afraid. The angel addressed the primary emotion Joseph had, which was fear. Fear can hold us back from doing what God wants us to do. Fear of failure, fear of what other people think, fear of the unknown; these all have the same outcome: us not doing what we need to do. Courage is not the absence of fear but moving forward despite our fears.
Joseph was to take Mary as his wife. This next part I am not sure he could have believed unless the angel told him. His betrothed Mary was pregnant, but she had not been unfaithful to him, not at all. Instead, the Holy Spirit had caused this supernatural conception. I imagine he was relieved at first and then was thinking, "How can this be?!" Then he learns they will have a Son; the angel tells Joseph what His name is to be, followed by this incredible and amazing news: "for He will save His people from their sins." What a promise and declaration!
The angel tells Joseph in the dream that what is happening is a direct fulfillment of prophecy in Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."
Perhaps you have heard the saying, "Nothing is as bad as it first appears." This certainly applies to Joseph. At first, he was devastated by the news that his beloved and betrothed, Mary, was pregnant, and he knew the child was not his. But God intervened and assured Joseph that He was at work and Joseph was not to fear. Is God doing something similar in your life? Is He speaking to you and telling you to be patient and that He is in control? Fear not, for God is at work, and He will bring good from this present difficulty.
|
Apple
Spotify
Stitcher
YouTube
