Text: Matthew 1:19 – “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.”
We left Joseph yesterday in a great dilemma. His wife to be was discovered to be pregnant, and he knew he was not the father. What could he do? What would he do? Their betrothal could only be dissolved with a public divorce revealing the circumstances.
Not wanting to disgrace Mary, he determines to break their engagement secretly.
“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man…” He was deeply in love with her. How could she do this to him? If he lied and claimed the child, he had a reputation of being upright and truthful.
“And not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.” Making her a public example was against his love for her. He struggled with the idea of holding up to public shame. In fact, the Law of Moses treated this as adultery – and the punishment was stoning. To “put her away” meant to divorce her, loose her from the contract.
We have to be careful about making decisions based upon ourselves without bringing God into it. We see examples in the Old Testament of this happening. Go back and read the account of Abraham and Sarah where she gives her handmaid Hagar to Abraham to try to fulfill God’s promise. Or, David with Bathsheba. Great heartache and pain resulted from both of these times when decisions were made outside of God’s timing and will.
So, Joseph’s distress brought us to Joseph’s decision. We will look
tomorrow at Joseph’s Dream to see how this works out.
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