Day 8- The Dream Was Over and Reality Was At Hand
Matthew 1:24 says, “Then Joseph being aroused from sleep did as the Angel of the Lord commanded.” He took Mary to be his wife. He believed the Lord and he did as he was told.
Mary and Joseph were obedient in what the Lord was requesting of them. Mary said, “Nevertheless, Lord, at Thy Word.” And Joseph woke up from his dream and did as the Lord said to do.
Verse twenty-four is pretty much cut and dry, but verse twenty-five is a little more PG-13. Nonetheless, it is a powerful verse that is usually not talked about much, probably because of the sanctity of this passage and it being about the story of our Lord and Savior’s birth.
We can probably read into verse twenty-four and assume that Mary and Joseph are now husband and wife. But verse twenty-five starts out with five little words: “and he did not know her.”
The word “know” means getting acquainted with someone in a general sense, but it also means knowing someone in an intimate way. It is actually a Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse. The most intimate of relationships.
Notice that it says that Joseph didn’t “know” her until after she had brought forth her first born Son. Mary and Joseph were now husband and wife and they lawfully could have had sexual relations. Nevertheless, I believe that Matthew includes this in his writing to make a statement about Joseph’s character.
Joseph didn’t have to wait, but he did. This verse says that he didn’t know her “until” she brought forth her first born son. This would be her first born Son, which meant that she would have other sons and other children.
Therefore, Mary and Joseph would later have sexual relations and produce more children, but for now, Joseph waited until what God had planned—came to pass. Then when the Baby was born, he named Him, Jesus.
Take Away: Joseph honored God, he honored Mary, and he honored Jesus. You honor God by who you honor, and by what you honor.
