Examples From the Life of Joseph

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. We greet you in Jesus' name this morning. I'd like to talk about a character in scripture that I would call a minor character. He is one that, although he is mentioned quite a number of times, and he has had an important role to play, I would still call him kind of a minor person in Scripture. [00:00:44] I'd like for you to turn with me to Matthew, the first chapter. I'd like to read the last part of this chapter, beginning at verse 18. The character is Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, the person who took care of Jesus while he was here. And I have considered the life of Joseph a number of times and I have been blessed by some of the things that I have seen in his life. [00:01:16] Verse 18 of Matthew chapter 1 and I'll be reading the rest of this chapter and then kind of picking and choosing verses Matthew chapter 1 verse 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise when as his mother Mary was espoused or she was, some translations say engaged there's another word that's used and it's not contract but it's something like that I think It's more than an engagement than we think of as an engagement. [00:01:48] I understand they were considered to be married. It took a divorce to separate them at this point. Mary was espoused to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. [00:02:28] And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, [00:03:02] and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son and he called his name Jesus. Now I'd like to go to chapter 2 beginning to read at verse 13. And when they were departed, this was the wise men here. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt [00:03:32] And be thou there until I bring thee word For Herod will seek the young child to destroy him Now dropping down to verse 19 But when Herod was dead Behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying Arise and take the young child and his mother And go into the land of Israel For they are dead which sought the young child's life and he arose and took the young child and his mother and came into the land of Israel but when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod [00:04:08] he was afraid to go thither notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream he turned aside into the parts of Galilee and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets he shall be called a Nazarene I don't know what it sounds like to you It sounds like quite a few dreams to me. I think there were four if I am thinking correctly. First of all, when the angel came to him and said, it's all right to take Mary as your wife. She is innocent of any wrongdoing. That is the work of the Holy Ghost. [00:04:45] And then he was warned to go to Egypt. He was instructed to come back. And then even he was told where to go being in verse 22, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee. and if I am correct, Joseph and Mary went back to the city where they had lived originally because they came from Nazareth to Bethlehem in the census [00:05:15] and for some reason stayed there for quite some time after that. Did he take his carpenter's tools with him that he could work in Bethlehem? Or maybe he didn't have tools. Maybe he worked for somebody else that furnished the tools. I don't know. But things were a little different than they are today. Now, I'd like to, if you would, before we make comments on what we have read and on the life of Joseph, I would like to turn to Luke and look at a number of scriptures here in Luke chapter 2. [00:05:49] In Luke chapter 2, beginning at verse 1. and it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed and this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria and all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city and Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea unto the city of Bethlehem, which is, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem [00:06:20] because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child. And we'll just simply stop reading there. Although we would be covering the Christmas story, we would continue reading there. Drop down with me to verse 22 of the same chapter. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they, notice it doesn't name Joseph, but it says they. and I assume that's talking about Joseph and Mary. [00:06:52] They brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. As it is written in the law of the Lord, every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. Now drop down to verse 27. And he came by the Spirit into a temple And when the parents, referring to Joseph and Mary, brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, then took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word. [00:07:35] We're going to stop reading there, although we're not done with that sentence. I read a little more and I was going to. Drop down to verse 33. And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him by Simeon here in the temple. Verse 39, And when they had, again they referring to Joseph and Mary, had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned unto Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. There it must have been after they came back from Egypt here. [00:08:08] Now, I'd like to read, begin to read at verse 41. Now, his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and his mother knew not of it, but they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey, And they sought him among their kinfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. [00:08:58] And when they saw him, they were amazed. And his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my father's business? Notice that father's there is capitalized, whereas Mary, when she referred to father, is not. And that is because the one refers to God. and they understood not the saying which he spake unto them [00:09:30] and he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. Now, I'm not sure about this. I pointed out a fallacy or a scriptural error in that song and you can correct me if I am wrong. I believe maybe this is what I just got done reading is the last mention we have of Joseph. At least, Joseph drops out of the picture. [00:10:02] During the time when Jesus' ministry, we do not read about Joseph. And I do not know, did he die? Some people assume that he died. There is some conjecture that Joseph was a widower. He was at least an older man. That's what some people say. Some people think. I don't think we know, and maybe because he passed away, but that we do not know. But I'd like to just have you consider with me, I've entitled my message, Lessons from the Life of Joseph. [00:10:38] And I have preached about another Joseph, never about this one to my knowledge, not at least, didn't devote an entire message to him. I read here in Matthew what kind of a man Joseph was. How does the Bible describe him? A just man. And another translation says just and upright. In Spanish, the word for just means righteous. [00:11:11] So we could say he was a righteous man and be saying the same thing as the Bible is saying here. So he was a just man. He was not interested in doing anything that was harmful or unneedfully hurtful to Mary. And I think that is why it says that he was minded to put her away just in a private way, not doing anything public. What would the law have asked for in this kind of a situation? [00:11:42] What could he have done? This could have cost her life if indeed she was guilty as he thought that she was. But he was not interested in that kind of thing. There is something else, and I recognize that in saying what I'm about to say, I am reading something into scripture. But I notice that every time after there was a dream, it just simply says that Joseph did what he was told to do. [00:12:14] It reminds me of Abraham. God spoke to Abraham and said, Abraham, I want you to offer your son Isaac. What does the Bible say? Did Abraham get up early the next morning? There was no delay. And that's the same thing that I see in Joseph. Not only was Joseph obedient, he was prompt in his obedience. You notice that each time after the vision, after the dream that he had, he obeyed. [00:12:47] There was just no dilly-dallying around. I see Joseph as a concerned father in this respect. Well, let's just turn to Matthew chapter 2 and verse 14. You notice what time of day they left for Egypt. Why did they leave by night? Not a very usual time to travel, especially when you didn't have headlights and you were just out there probably without any light. [00:13:17] Why did they travel by night, do you suppose? There was a certain sense of urgency in that dream when God told him, take Mary and her child and go into Egypt, because there are those that seek his life. And there was a fear, and I think Joseph was doing what was prudent when he left by night. And I don't know how they traveled, but I would just guess that they went on foot. Although I don't know that. Maybe they did have a donkey as some of the artists would have us believe. [00:13:53] But as I said, Joseph was a relatively obscure person in scripture. But as I also pointed out, I think there are some things that we can learn from him. I had to, as I was studying about Joseph and knowing what our Sunday school lesson was about, I wondered, would Joseph have qualified as well to be in Hebrews chapter 11 as a person of faith? And I don't know what your conclusion is, but it seems to me that he would have qualified. [00:14:26] Indeed, he was a person that was a person of faith. I think one of the last references to Joseph, actually I did look this up, And I didn't realize that John talked about Joseph and I did jot down one other scripture reference. Maybe we should just turn to that John chapter 6. There is a reference made to Joseph, but it does not talk about, it only talks about Jesus here as the son of Joseph in verse 42. [00:14:57] And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? They said Joseph was Jesus' father, and indeed he served as the father of Jesus, as I already pointed out, and we may talk about that a little bit more. I suppose we could say that Joseph was not particularly outstanding as some of the patriarchs were. [00:15:28] He didn't do anything that outstanding. And yet, the thing that I have just been blessed by in looking at Joseph's life is just simply what I've already pointed out. His willingness to just simply take God at his word. Okay, God, you've said it. I will carry it out. And that he did. I appreciate the role that he played in the life of Mary and Jesus as the provider for them. The protector. We've already pointed out the fact that he took them under cover of darkness. They left and started out to Egypt for giving them the security of a home. [00:16:11] It seems as though all it took was a nudge from God and Joseph was willing to do it. And we'll come back to that a little bit more. In Acts chapter 1 verse 14, just going to turn to this, we have not the naming of Joseph here, but I had to ask myself the question as I looked at this. In Acts chapter 1 verse 14 it's talking about the disciples after Jesus went up, after Jesus ascended to heaven and in verse 13 it mentions the disciples and then in verse 14 it says these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brethren. [00:17:03] The rest of Jesus' family was here. Joseph is no longer mentioned. We assume he had passed on by this time. And I don't know, but I wonder if Joseph had been living, if he wouldn't have been there as well with the people. And we will come back to this a little bit more. It seems to me that seeing his prompt, unquestioning obedience in other things that he would have accepted Jesus for who Jesus said that he was. [00:17:39] The question that came to me as I thought of this is, how easy is it for me? And when I say for me, you can put your own name there to move when I get a signal from God. I don't know how easy it is for you. I am the kind of person that it's pretty easy for me to ask, now, is this from God for real? Or is this just a figment of my imagination? And I want to be pretty certain before I do what I think I should do, what God wants me to do. [00:18:17] And I had to ask myself the question, you know, am I a Joseph when I feel a nudge from God to do something? Or am I a Jonah, for example? Or at least an Ananias. If you remember Jonah, when he was told by God, Jonah, go down to Nineveh and preach. What did he do? Turned the other way. And he went the other way until he was stopped by God very forcefully. And in fact, until he was swallowed by a big fish. [00:18:51] And when he was down in that fish and still alive, He prayed, and I am blessed by that prayer of Jonah. Is it Jonah chapter 3? I'm not sure. Chapter 2 or 3. And we have the prayer of Jonah there, and it was a prayer of faith. But it took some pretty severe, it took some roadblocks in Jonah's way before he was willing to do that. I mentioned Ananias, and maybe there is more than one Ananias. I'm thinking of the one that was asked to go and lay his hands on Saul. [00:19:24] You know what he said when God said, Ananias, I want you to go down there in the street called Straight, and there's a man, and he's praying. I want you to go in there. Ananias had some words for the Lord. I would have too, I think, if I would have been in his shoes. He said, God, don't you know how this man is using the people that worship you? And God just simply said, go, because I am sending you to him. And I, he must, you must show him where I am. Did God say, I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. And I am sure that I would probably not qualify as a Joseph in my ready obedience. [00:20:11] Now, I do not take lightly what Jonah was asked to do. Jonah was asked to do a difficult task. Going to Nineveh may have been the equivalent, probably not going to North Korea, but at least going to China and saying, God is pronouncing judgment upon this nation, this city. Because Nineveh, let me see, the Assyrian, Nineveh was a part of Assyria [00:20:43] And Israel were mortal enemies And he was asked to go to the enemy and proclaim a gloom and doom message So he was not asked to do something easy And furthermore, as Jonah told God later, I knew you were a merciful God And I thought that what happened might just happen, that they might repent And so, I'm not wanting to pass judgment on Jonah. However, I just appreciate the fact that we can respond readily. [00:21:21] We can do what God asks us to do. Now, I have a question for us. Because both Ananias and Jonah were asked to do something that was a pivotal thing in history. What about Joseph? What Joseph was asked to do? How does that rate? How would you rate that in terms of importance, the role that Joseph played in Mary and Jesus' life? Do you understand what I'm saying? [00:21:57] Joseph was asked to do what nobody else on earth ever did when he provided the father figure for Jesus and became Mary's husband. Jesus was what some people have called the God-man. And yet, I say that, I would also remind us of what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 25 [00:22:29] when he said that inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me. So, you and I do have the opportunity to do something very similar in our lives today. I'd like to just deviate a little bit from Joseph now and I'd like to notice several things from Acts and I read one of these already in Acts chapter 4 or chapter 1 verse 14. [00:23:02] You notice here that it says these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brethren. I'd like to read just a few other verses. If you want to turn with me to these, you may, all in Acts. In Acts chapter 2, verse 1, And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Drop down to verse 46, the same chapter. [00:23:34] And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. What's a common thread in the three verses that I looked at here in Acts? With one accord. Except for the first word of those three, that word is repeated in each one of these verses that I read. And if that's not enough, turn with me to Acts chapter 4, verse 24. [00:24:06] And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, Lord, thou art God which has made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is Again here, they with one accord lifted up their voices to God And we could look at other cases In some cases it was other people opposing God that they were with one accord In Acts chapter 7 verse 57 you have that But maybe we should look at one more In Acts chapter 5 verse 12 [00:24:38] And then just make some comments on what I am saying here. Acts chapter 5, verse 12. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people, and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. I see here a people that were together, and sometimes it says these people were with one accord, and it kind of separates them from the world out there. And I just had to ask myself the question, if we as God's people are as willing to move at the nudging of God, won't we have more of that working together in unity, in one accord? [00:25:23] What if the church asks me to move to the outreach, for example, and I don't have any idea what will be asked? Is it going to take just a little nudge or am I going to be more of a Jonah? And it's going to take the hand of God. I think the blessing, the greatest blessing comes when we are willing to hear what God has to say to us and just simply do that. [00:25:54] And I think we want to be sure. I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to be sure, make sure that this is God's will for us. Joseph was just an obscure person, I said. He functioned basically in obscurity, unnoticed, died unnoticed by history. Just a poor carpenter, but he served a very important place in history. You and I can serve in an important place in history as well. [00:26:27] We have the opportunity to do basically what Mary and Joseph did. Are we open to a nudge from God? I'm going to just say one thing here, and you can consider this a nudge, and if it's from God or not, I'll let you decide. Recently, we've had the opportunity to sit down with a number of people, And I noticed a pattern that was not true of everyone, but it was true of quite a few people. [00:26:58] As we asked rather personal questions, one question that we asked, people were just honest enough to say, this is an area that we struggle in. And that is the area of our devotional life, reading and praying. And I understand that struggle because I'm there with you. You're going to have to decide whether you're a Joseph or a Jonah with what you do, with what I've said. Shall we come before the Lord in prayer?