Matthew 2:19-20 NASB1995 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.”
Throughout the Bible, we see that God does not hold back from sharing the sins of His people. This shows us that God is just and He is also forgiving. Because of this, the Bible always points to the only one who is truly righteous in and of Himself, which is God. Some of the most well-known and highly used leaders revealed their own sins to highlight the mercy of God. Moses shared his sin which he committed at the Rock of Meribah. Joshua reveals his sin of not consulting God in the matter of the Gibeonites. David had sex with another man's wife. Solomon married women who didn't follow God. Thomas didn't believe. Peter denied Christ. Paul persecuted the Church. I haven't even mentioned Gideon, Samson, Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Jacob. The list goes on and on. However, there is one man in the Bible that we don't know much about. What we do know is he was obedient to God even when it made things hard on the earth for him.
I am speaking of Jesus' earthly father. The one who did not biologically father Jesus but was an Abba (daddy) to him. His name is Joseph and in the first two chapters of Matthew, we see him be obedient to God even when it probably made his life extremely difficult and it didn't bring him any righteous recognition. I imagine there was talk and embarrassment when he found out his fiance was pregnant, and he knew he wasn't the father. In fact, it says he planned to send her away in secret to avoid her being disgraced. God, however, said no. Marry her and do not have relations with her until after the baby is born. Joseph was completely obedient! When told by God to go to a foreign country to protect the child, he immediately obeyed. He went not knowing how he would make it but trusting God with complete faith. In our text when God said it is okay to go back, Joseph picked up his family and left again. Then once again God tells him to move and he is obedient. Joseph is not listed as a king or placed in the "hall of faith" (Hebrews 11), but he did exactly what God told him to do. He was given the responsibility of taking care of the Savior when He was in the most vulnerable state of human life.
Joseph was fine being nothing more than obedient to God.
If there is a person in Scripture other than Jesus who shows us how to live, I would say it was a man who just truly desired to be obedient to his God. This man's name is Joseph.
May we live not needing our name to be remembered.
May we live not needing to be recognized.
May we live being happy to simply be obedient so God will be glorified.
Joseph means God will add or give.
May God add to His Glory through the obedience of people who need not be remembered. May those people be us.
Love Bro.