The Angel of the Lord Appears to Joseph Matthew 1:20

Matthew continued to share how there were three separate “fourteen generations” which were involved in Jesus' coming, and he referred to Jesus' birth by the Holy Spirit and through Mary before she and Joseph “came together”. “Joseph” was “not willing to make” Mary “a public example”, and in chapter one and verse twenty of his book, Matthew shares how, “the angel of the Lord appeared unto” Joseph where we read:

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

The verse reads, “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, ...” Matthew began with the word, “but” which means “moreover and” “while he thought on” or “during the time Joseph brought to mind, revolved, deliberated and pondered” “these things” or “the situation and circumstances with Mary”, “behold” which means “lo and see”, “the angel” or “the messenger, envoy and one sent” “of the Lord” which means “ the One whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah” “appeared” or “became evident, came to and was seen and exposed” “unto him” which means “to Joseph” “in a dream” which means “in mental or spiritual imagery”. Matthew shared while Joseph was “pondering” his situation with Mary, the Lord sent His “angel” to him in a “dream”.

The verse goes on to say, “... saying, Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” Matthew continued with the word, “saying” which means “uttering, declaring and proclaiming”, “Joseph” which refers to “the husband of Mary whose name means let him add”, “you son” which means “offspring, descendant and posterity” “of David” or “belonging to David whose name means beloved and the second king of Israel”, “fear not” or “do not be afraid, put to flight, hesitate or treat with deference” “to take unto you” which means “to receive, assume the office or associate with” “Mary” whose name means “their rebellion” and was “the mother of Jesus” “your wife” which means “Joseph's spouse”: “for” or “because, since and on account” “that which is conceived” which means “the one who is engendered, arisen and procreated” “in her” or “within Mary” “is of the Holy Ghost” which refers to “is from the pure, morally blameless and religiously and ceremonially consecrated third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit who is coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Son”. Matthew shared how the “angel” told “Joseph” not to be “afraid” of taking Mary as his wife because the baby within her was from the Holy Spirit of God.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how God intervened in Joseph's plan to secretly put Mary away. The “angel” convinced Joseph, who must have thought much differently, that God was responsible for the baby within Mary. God had a plan to bring forth His Son and Messiah Jesus because people “sinned” and were out of fellowship with Him, and because God desires to “save” every person, He convinced Joseph through the “angel” about Mary's baby. Let all who read these words yield their lives to the One who fashioned and kept His plan in tact that everyone might live with Him eternally.

Next time Matthew shares how the angel told Joseph, “she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.