THE MAN GOD CHOSE

Joseph the Carpenter

What sort of Man would God pick to rear his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World? Would the Man have to wield great influence? Amass tremendous political power? Accumulate fantastic riches? No.No.No God’s requirements came down to these two items:

•He had to be a direct descendant of David (2 Samuel 7:16)

•He had to follow directions

Joseph, a Jewish carpenter, fit both requirements. He traced his lineage King David(Matthew 1:1-16, Luke 1:27), and he made it a habit to obey God in all matters, small or large. 

Scripture doesn’t tell us a lot about Joseph. He comes only on the scene abruptly at the beginning of the Gospel story. We learn he is a “just” Man (Matthew 1:19) and that he works as a carpenter (Matthew 13:55). He plans to marry a young woman named Mary. But when he discovers that she is carrying someone else’s child, he decides to break the engagement quietly. 

How did Joseph find out about the pregnancy? Did she tell him directly? Or did he hear the shocking news through friends or family? Did he wonder, well if God could send an Angel to tell her, why couldn’t he bother to send one to tell me?

Whatever the case, he made up his mind to distance himself from Mary. And then a second shock took place: God did let Joseph in one divine secret. An angel appeared in a dream and said, Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to marry Mary. For the child within her has been created by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save people from their sins (Matthew 1:20-22). 

The angel offered no explanation. He gave no apology, no further instructions of any kind-and yet Joseph hurried to comply with God’s command. He immediately took Mary home to be his wife and named her son Jesus the moment he was born.

 At least three other times Joseph got instructions from an angel in a dream and all three times he immediately complied. There are numerous times throughout the bible where others received messages or instructions and ignored them. Joseph however leaped to obey God’s instructions in both the “small” stuff and the big. 

That’s the kind of man God looked for to rock his Son’s cradle. And it’s still the kind of Men he seeks to rock the world!

THE POINT: “God searches for Men who eagerly desire to do his will!”

Have a meaningful and blessed Month.

Elder J. Jennings