(Deep Dive Book-By-Book Journey Through The Bible)

As we happily journey along, sometimes God interrupts our plans with a change in direction we don’t see coming. Because we can feel blindsided, we don’t always recognize that God is even involved.

Does this sound familiar?

You’ve been faithfully walking in God’s ways, doing all the right things, and your world suddenly seems to be falling apart despite your best efforts. After much prayer and soul searching, you feel God has given you a direction, but it doesn’t make sense. It’s all wrong and nobody will understand. You don’t even understand.

In the back of your mind is the nagging fear that if you make the wrong decision, it could change the course of your entire life. Not wanting to give place to the enemy of your soul, you quietly fight the bewilderment and fear that tries to take root. God said it so you want to do it.

But how do you stand your ground and go against what you’ve been taught? How do you regroup and adjust?

In Matthew chapters 1 and 2, Joseph is faced with such a life-changing, gut-wrenching decision.

Lessons We Can Learn From Joseph and Matthew Chapters 1 & 2

Putting Matthew Chapters 1 and 2 Into Context

Before we can look at the lessons we can take away from the story of Mary and Joseph, we need to carefully put their story into context.

Mary and Joseph were engaged. In their Jewish culture, marriage commitment was taken very seriously. Even before the wedding, folks would refer to them as husband and wife, as Matthew did in verse 19. While engaged, if something went wrong with the relationship, they were permitted to end the relationship through natural death (of course) or divorce. Yep. Just like they were already married.

If, on the wedding night, it was discovered that the woman was not a virgin, her husband was within his rights to seek a divorce or have her stoned to death. (Deuteronomy 22:13-30)

Before Mary and Joseph were married and consummated their vows, Mary was found to be pregnant. Joseph knew the child was not his. This would have been humiliating and not shared outside of the families due to severe social stigma. Joseph was a righteous man who had a life-altering decision to make in a very short time.

Thus, Joseph had an agonizing choice to make. Did he “out” his intended and publicly shame her and her family before the people by demanding she be stoned to death? Or would he quietly divorce her? Neither option would have been ideal for a heartbroken and fearful couple. Even if Joseph and his family kept Mary’s secret, their community was so small that giving birth to a child without being wed would become public knowledge pretty quickly.

As noted, Joseph was a righteous man. It would have been normal for him to take the issues to God in prayer. I’m sure he felt every emotion imaginable. It doesn’t say how long Joseph agonized over the decision but 1:19 lets us know a decision had been made. Joseph was going to quietly seek a divorce instead of having Mary stoned to death.

But God had other plans. Per Jewish law and culture, Joseph had two options available to him. God presented a third option; get married anyway, accept God’s hand in the situation, and accept the child as his own. Often in Scripture, God moves out of the box we put Him in.

Father God sent an angel of the Lord to speak to Joseph in dreams. In one of those dreams, Joseph was told the facts from God’s heavenly perspective. The angel of the Lord pinpointed Joseph’s main issue (fear) and reassured him. Then Joseph was instructed what God’s will was for his next step.

When Joseph woke up from his first godly dream, his faith was ignited. He was convinced the Lord had spoken to Him and given him direction. He did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him to do.

Then, baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Around the same time, at the prodding of the Holy Spirit, a group of wise men began searching for the long-awaited king of the Jews. This disturbed king Herod greatly. Using manipulation and deception, he encouraged the wise men to find the child. His true intent was to kill the child. The Holy Spirit led the wise men to the child, and they worshipped him.

After that, the wise men had a dream in which they were warned about Herod. At the same time, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in another dream giving him a heads-up and instructions that needed to be followed immediately. No time to plan and put their carefully thought out plans into action. They had a make the decision to trust. Again, Joseph quickly obeyed and altered their course. Furious that he had been tricked, Herod demanded all boys who were two and under be killed.

After Herod died, Joseph again had a God dream in which he was updated on the situation with Herod and given his next steps. However ,in the process of walking out those steps, fear again overcame Joseph when he had yet another God dream warning him of Herod’s successor. As a result of that dream, Joseph changed course and moved his family to Nazareth.

Is Your World Falling Apart Or Falling Into Place?

The Bible says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

This proverb used to confuse me. I thought it meant it was a waste of time to make plans because God was just going to change them anyway. As I’ve gotten to know God’s character better, I realized how wrong I was. That isn’t what the Word is saying at all. I think the point God is making is perfectly illustrated through the story of Mary and Joseph.

Joseph was a kind and obedient man of God. Mary was highly favored by God. They were good people who fell in love and decided to marry. Can you imagine what must have been going through their minds? In a few short years, their lives radically changed multiple times. I’m sure, like any young couple, they dreamed of their future, made plans, and worked hard to see their plans come to pass. Only to have to regroup and alter their steps.

God allows us to make plans. Occasionally, God has to redirect our steps because the path we are on isn’t in alignment with His will. When this happens, we can get angry because we have no clue what is happening or why. We just know that everything seems to be falling apart. The truth is, things aren’t falling apart so much as God is aligning them to fall into their proper place. We just don’t always recognize God’s handiwork. At the time it is happening, the sudden shift in our world is hard on us and shakes all that we know to be true. It tests our faith and willingness to submit to God.

Sometimes when you go through these times, God will choose to bless you and give you an indication of what is happening and what you need to do about it. In the case of Joseph, the Lord God chose to do that through instructions in a dream. For you, God may use some other way of getting your attention.

Why does God do this? At times, it is to save us from ourselves; something we thought we just had to have, do, or be. Other times, it is to protect us from traps that the enemy has set for us.

Mary and Joseph experienced these types of redirections from God.

FOR ADDITIONAL READING: Is it okay to be mad at God?

FOR ADDITIONAL READING: Does God still speak to His people?

God’s Light & Love Is Revealed On Our Path

There is so much wisdom we can glean from Matthew Chapters 1 and 2.

When you have decisions and don’t know what to do, turn to God knowing that He will listen to your prayers. If you reach out to God, He will listen and answer. We see that throughout Scripture. Here is one such example. Look at the following verse (given in 2 different versions):

“I will call on Him as long as I live because He has turned His ear to me” (Psalm 116:2, NLT).

“Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:2, NRSV).

If you are feeling anxious because you don’t think God hasn’t answered when you felt it was needed, wait patiently. Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and God rewards patience.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1).

Notice Joseph thought he only had 2 choices to pick from. But with God’s input, he saw a third option. God does that. He reveals things we can’t even imagine. He sees what we cannot possibly see, and He has a way of clearing out the clutter of our messy emotions.

Joseph was only given one or two steps (directions) to take at a time. Yet, he determined to obey God with what little he knew. This story could have turned out so differently. Joseph could have discounted his God dreams as ordinary dreams from an anxious mind instead of supernatural encounters. He could have let his fear make his decisions for him. But Joseph didn’t. He let the power of God’s input take precedence in his life, even if it didn’t make sense.

Friend, there is something we can learn from Joseph that we need to let sink deep into our spirit; If we demand and refuse to move until God explains His decisions, we will have a very long wait. Because God doesn’t owe us an explanation for the how or why. In fact, He doesn’t even owe us the next step. He is gracious, kind, and loving, but, He is God, and we are not.

I’m sure throughout these few short years there were times Joseph was at the end of his rope not knowing what to do next. I can’t say that I blame him. I am sure I would have been a hot mess. But Joseph did the one thing that I pray you will do the next time you find yourself in the middle of a situation that you just can’t make sense of. I pray you will turn to the Father’s Holy Word and trust that His light will shine into your situation revealing your next step. Joesph didn’t have the blessing of God’s word readily at his fingertips. We do. Often, God reveals through his Word.

FOR ADDITIONAL READING: How Does God Speak To Us?

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you, and learn from me. For I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

— Matthew 11:28-30

Let’s Pray

Father God, there are so many decisions to be made. Some are more critical than others, but only you know how we should turn each time. Help us not to fear bad news but to realize it is an opportunity to see you in action, all for your glory and honor.

We need your wisdom and knowledge, Lord God. We need to open our ears to your voice. Please help us to discern your will in our situation. Thank you for letting me see that what I think of as my life falling apart is actually you putting the pieces into their proper place.

Father God, thank you for your guiding light and your easy yoke. One lights our path, and the other makes our burdens light for the journey you call us on. Thank you for revealing your will and our next step. Help us to be satisfied with one step at a time when our flesh demands the entire picture.

Lord, thank you that you have a purpose and a plan to use each one of us in your Kingdom. Thank you for allowing us to fellowship among your people, reminding each other to turn to you and to trust in you.

Father, you alone are worthy! In Jesus’ mighty name I pray, Amen!

What I learned from this chapter

An interruption in our plans doesn’t necessarily mean we have been doing something wrong or ungodly. Sometimes it just means God has other plans.

God doesn’t always move in the way we think He will move. Just because something seems unexpected or unusual doesn’t mean it isn’t of God. Prayer and carefully watching for His direction will reveal His truth. But when God does reveal our next step, we must be ready to move.

Sometimes, we follow men and God has to redirect us to get back on the path He has created for us to follow. It is so reassuring to know that He doesn’t just shrug his shoulders and watch us get lost. Without fail, God is there to guide and comfort us. Without fail, His will be done.