36. By Dreams They Were Led

Isaiah 9:1, Matthew 2:19-23 and Luke 2:39-40

Key verse: When Joseph and Mary had done everything required of them by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.  (Luke 2:39)

We have mentioned in earlier readings that God needed to use parents who would be obedient for the raising of His son.  We now see again how important this unquestioning obedience would be.  God, the heavenly Father, would provide what was needed for the physical care of Jesus and He began with obedient parents.  Joseph and Mary lived lives wholly surrendered to God’s will.  They had no agenda of their own any more.  Their call was to care for Messiah and they trusted God to do the leading.

In a dream Joseph was told to take Jesus and His mother to Egypt for protection, and he obeyed.  Now, in yet another dream, Joseph is being told to go home, back to Galilee, back to family, where there would be loving care and support for Joseph’s special son, Jesus. 

It’s important for us to recognize just what obedience to God looks like here.  

Joseph didn’t question God when he was told to go to Egypt.  He could have said something like, “Why can’t I just go home?  That’s away from Bethlehem.  They won’t look for Jesus back home in Nazareth.”  When Joseph was told to go home, he didn’t question by saying, “But the Messiah is supposed to come from Bethlehem.  Shouldn’t we go back there?” In fact, Joseph says nothing at all in the gospel accounts. We know he must talk. But none of his words are recorded in the Bible. He has dreams, and he obeys God. That's what we know about Joseph.

No, when God said, “go,” Joseph went.  Just as Abraham didn’t ask when God told him to go and sacrifice his son Isaac or just as David respected God when He said “no,” to David’s plan to build a temple.  God rewards obedience. 

Joseph and Mary are rewarded with the gift of being allowed to go home after a long and dangerous trek that may have taken three or four years.  God does not forget and He will reward our obedience as well.  “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy His safe pasture.  Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:3-4)

It also, just so happens that home for Joseph and Mary, is another opportunity for God to demonstrate his delight in intricate detail in the planning of His son’s life and ministry.  “There will be no more gloom for those who were in distress.  In the past, He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan.” (Is.9:1) Seven centuries earlier, this region had been torn away from the land of Israel as God’s punishment for their disobedience.  As you can see, by Isaiah referring to this area as “the land of the Gentiles,” it was not an area known for devout Judaism.  Rather, it was almost like Samaria in its reputation as far as the Jews were concerned. 

Yet, it was home for the holy family.  The land that had been humbled was now exalted by being the playground, school, and training ground for Messiah.  Only in God’s plan could a poor couple from Nazareth in Galilee have a baby in Bethlehem and then take a trip to Egypt before settling down to “Normal,” life back home in Nazareth again.  Only God could cause a couple to behave that way.  Only God could have laid such an amazing, unbelievable path for two people who surrendered their lives to Him.  Only God could inspire his prophets to say so many different things about the Messiah and then make them all come together in a most improbable way, to prove that he is God and He is able.

Whoever thought that following God was boring needs to reconsider their position.  Only God can plan the most amazing adventure you’ll ever take when you give it all to Him.  Only God can give your adventure so much purpose that you’ll hardly believe it yourself when you turn to look back at where you started and where you have gone.  Wow!

Hymn: “Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine”