When God addresses you by your Big-Boy-Name S31e5

When you have a Big-Boy-Decision to make, sometimes God addresses you by your Big-Boy-Name. This should get your attention. Perhaps He'll also send an angel.

Such is the situation of Joseph, who is asked to change his mind and by so doing, put himself in particular peril.

Watch as Joseph stands with Mary as he is pretty sure she has lain with another.

God will ask him to change his mind about that too.  

Watch. Admire. Consider. Share. Comment.;-)

https://youtu.be/7vUJWa9BhnI

Transcript

atthew

When God addresses you by your Big-Boy-Name S31e5

Yesterday we used our biblical imaginations to put ourselves in the shoes of Joseph as he finds out Mary is pregnant during their betrothal period. 1:18When Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  He has to make a decision about the fate of Mary, and by extension, about the unborn baby Jesus. 

As far as we know he thinks Mary has betrayed him 

and has no evidence yet of the contrary

It is within his power to make a stink about this and by so doing put stoning on the menu options.

Joseph has a decision point that the fate of the world rests upon

What should strike you, is that to stone Mary is to stone Jesus.

19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 

Just man, innocent, upright, holy

unwilling to put her to shame

We are witnessing his thinking in real time. Resolved to divorce--he had already decided at the moment of this encounter. 

There is in dt 24:1 a scriptural escape hatch: if he finds an indecency, sexual indecency,  in a wife he can righteously divorce her. For cause. Write her as divorce.

Decision point. Resolve. Make up mind. Determine future

Jesus could have, if Joseph wasn’t just and holy, been stoned before birth.

I can settle this with a signature rather than shame and stoning

In this way, Joseph saves the life of Jesus and Mary. 

Today we hear the Rest of story of Joseph:  Listen in real time

20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 

Moment is that Joseph is considering all these things.  He must have been a whirlwind. He’s made a resolution for mary and for the child being of his just character and unwilling to shame her.

He stood with her, when he was pretty sure she didn’t stand with him.

He stood with her when he was pretty sure she had lain with another

As he was considering these things, an angel appeared in a dream

Catapult this local, personal, private consideration into epic, other worldlypublic realm. 

Cannot over state the presence of an angel

Cannot over state the appearace of an angel.

Angels change the direction of everyone they encounter.

Of note, we find Joseph a fraid. But not of the angel. Perhaps he was, as everybody else in scripture that sees one is terrified.

What is Joe afraid of?

         We already know that at this moment Joe had resolved, decided to NOT take her as wife. 

         Now the angel fills in another little gap in our understanding by revealing that Joe was AFRAID. Afraid to take Mary as wife.

Here’s a reason: so far, only Mary, and by extension the unborn Jesus are at risk for stoning.

How bout this: if Joe takes mary as wife. 96% of his neighbors are going to do the math and conclude they had been sleeping together, got pregnant, got married during the gestation. This means that Joe too was guilty of a sexual sin before marriage whose penalty was up to and including stoning to death.

Stoning would be on the menu for HIMSELF as well as mary and baby

I think Joseph had real reason to be afraid for HIS LIFE, as well as HER life if he took her as wife. “guilt by association”.

His conclusion, is resolve was to NOT be associated with her, divorce her… and then this happens: Angel comes and tells you to do something that you already have resolved to do the opposite thing. Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife

Of note, the angel addresses Joseph by his name, and by the covenantal call back to DAVID.

We just finished the geneology of Jesus, which is also the geneology of Joseph and also the geneology of David.

28 generations ago a covenant was made by God to David.

As if the Angel says”

Remember this. You are more than just joseph.  You are son of David. This is bigger than you.

I am addressing you by your big-boy name. because this is going to require of you big-boy-decision, change your mind.

I am “asking” you to change your mind about mary and marriage.

You already made a resolution, a decision. I address you by your big boy name because you have a big boy decision ahead.: I want you to marry this girl. Does Joesph make a big boy decision?

Stick around tomorrow to see what happens.

In the meantime, I wonder if God has ever addressed. You by your big-boy name to help you make a big boy decision.