Grains of Sand

Pixabay From favoured son to foreign slave. Not exactly a success story. But then God has never measured success the same way we do. Genesis 39 only contains twenty-three verses and it takes Joseph from slave to prison—not exactly “upwardly mobile.” Just when it seems that things are improving Joseph is faced with a moral dilemma. His master’s wife demands services that don’t appear on his job description (39:7) and dishonour His God. To maintain job security, most people would be tempted to do whatever it takes. But not Joseph. Integrity is Joseph’s watchword. He will not betray Potiphar (39:8). And he will not betray God: “ How then can I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? ” (39:9). As payment for doing what was right, Joseph ended up in prison. Somehow that doesn’t seem fair. What notable in this brief passage are these statements: “ …the Lord was with him and…the Lord gave him success in everything he did ” (39:3). That was Potiphar’s house. A little later this: “ …the...

Pixabay Lovingly, he caressed the smooth surface of the oak. He had carefully cut it, shaped it, and planed it until it lay finished before him—the most beautiful cradle. It was fit for a king. Joseph remembered the stories of old, the story of Abraham sitting under the great oaks at Hebron when the Lord appeared to him. Joshua had prepared a memorial stone and placed it under an oak near the holy place to mark the covenant between Israel and God. An angel had presented himself to Gideon seated beneath an oak. Absalom had met judgment under an oak. Israel’s history was rich in references to the mighty tree. And now, this particular piece of oak would cradle the Son of God. Joseph suffered a moment of doubt. The Son of God? Was any cradle he could make, a lowly worker in wood, worthy of God, the King of kings and Lord over all? But that appeared to be the plan. He’d never forget the appearance of the angel, assuring him that Mary had told the truth—the child...

Pixabay I am shamelessly borrowing the passages from our pastor's sermon of yesterday—which only tells you that what he said hit me! The sermon series Pastor Parks is working on is about angels, and the message yesterday revolved around Joseph and the three appearances that Gabriel made to the man who would become the adoptive father of the Messiah and Saviour of mankind. " ...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit' " (Matthew 1:20). " When they [the wise men] had all gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him' " (Matthew 2:13). " After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egyp...

Google Images Very little is said about Joseph, the earthy father of Jesus, in the Scriptures. In fact, very little is said about Mary either. But here in Matthew 1 we discover a little about the character of the man whose God-given responsibility was caring for the child, Jesus. Mary was “ pledged ” to Joseph (Matthew 1:18) which was as good as being married. So when it was discovered that she was pregnant, and not with Joseph’s child, the man had options to consider. The law said that Mary could be publicly stoned to death for her betrayal of the man to whom she was promised. Many men, to defend their honour (or satisfy their jealous and/or vindictive nature), would have been happy to throw the first stone. But not Joseph. “ Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public shame, he had in mind to divorce her quietly ” (1:19). A legalistic man would have had Mary stoned. A righteous man viewed her with compassion and wished to do her as litt...