Have you ever wondered what type of person God would use for the most important job on earth? I believe that the job under this description would have to be the job of raising Jesus, the Son of God. Much has been said about Mary and, rightly so, Jesus. But, not much has been said about Joseph. Maybe that is because there is not much said about him in the Gospels. But if we read with our spiritual eyes with an open heart, we will see the kind of person God uses.
In Matthew 13:55, Joseph was called a carpenter and he passed it down to Jesus, in His youth. (Mark 6:3). According to, “Harper’s Bible Dictionary”, a carpenter in those days was more than a furniture maker. He worked on buildings, farm implements, and other construction jobs. It was hard work from failing trees for lumber to mason work on buildings. They had to be rugged people. Joseph was rugged but not vulgar. According to Matthew 1:19, Joseph was a “just” and upright man.
Joseph had a reputation in life and business. People knew they got their money’s worth when they hired him. But more importantly, with this justness he had compassion. When he learned of Mary’s pregnancy, he forgave her and sought to conceal her shame and return her to her parents without making a big scene. He had every right to accuse her and have her stoned. But, he chooses forgiveness. Doesn’t this remind you of someone else? In John 8:3, we read about Jesus forgiving the woman caught in the act of adultery. Compassion is a trait of the person God uses.
When Joseph was told by an angel that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, he took Mary as his wife and obeyed the instructions delivered to him from God. (Matthew 19:20-25) He stayed in Nazareth until ordered by the government to leave and go to Bethlehem for the census. He obeyed the law as long as it did not contradict God’s Word. As it turned out it was God at work through a pagan government. Joseph left his home with faith in God to take care of them. I do not believe Joseph packed up all his tools and took them on the long trip to Judah. (Luke 2:1-5) Obedience to the governing authorities is also a trait of the person God chooses. Faith in God when we obey and don’t know the future is a trait of the usable person. If we can’t obey the authorities we see, how can we obey the Lord we don’t?
After Jesus was born Joseph kept the little family in Bethlehem for up to two years. He supplied them with a house to live in. He had to buy more tools and go to work to take care of the family. In doing his job I am sure he had to follow the instructions from his employers or clients. Maybe he was out working when the wise men came knocking. Matthew 2:11, states that only Mary and the baby were home when they came. But, when this little visit put them in danger and it was time to move, Joseph stayed until he got more instructions from God. (Matthew 2:13-15) They moved to Egypt as instructed until he received another word to return to Israel. And again was warned about danger and was instructed to go back to Nazareth, not Jerusalem where a king should be raised. Here we see that a person must be able to hear God’s voice. God may not speak to them through an angel or with an audible voice, but they must be able to obey the guiding of God in their spirit and from the Word of God.
In conclusion, a person God will use in his work here on earth must be:
· Compassionate
· Obedient to earthly government
· Faith in God when in obedience to people
· Be responsible for what God has given you
· Able to hear from God through His Word and in your spirit
· Able to follow instructions from God and it is important to follow instructions from those over you.
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