He Accepted Divine Direction

SUPPOSE a perfect child was placed in your care and you were expected to rear him properly. What a challenge! How could any imperfect human do so? Only by accepting divine direction and applying it in everyday life.

That very thing was done by Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus. In contrast with detailed apocryphal lore about Joseph, the Bible says little concerning his humble role in Jesus’ early life. We know that Joseph and his wife, Mary, reared Jesus, four other sons, and daughters too.​—Mark 6:3.

Joseph was a descendant of Israel’s King David through the line of Solomon. He was the son of Jacob and the son-in-law of Heli. (Matthew 1:16; Luke 3:23) As a carpenter in the city of Nazareth in Galilee, Joseph had limited financial resources. (Matthew 13:55; Luke 2:4, 24; compare Leviticus 12:8.) But he was rich spiritually. (Proverbs 10:22) This certainly was because he accepted divine direction.

Without doubt, Joseph was a meek and humble Jew who had faith in God and desired to do what was right. The few incidents of his life recorded in the Scriptures show that he was ever obedient to Jehovah’s commands. This was so whether these were contained in the Law or were directly received by Joseph through angels.

A Righteous Man With Problems

What should a godly person do when confronted with a major problem? Why, he should ‘throw his burden on Jehovah’ and follow divine direction! (Psalm 55:22) That is what Joseph did. While he was engaged to Mary, “she was found to be pregnant by holy spirit before they were united.” Because Joseph ‘was righteous and did not want to make her a public spectacle, he intended to divorce her secretly.’ After Joseph thought matters over, Jehovah’s angel appeared to him in a dream and said: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife home, for that which has been begotten in her is by holy spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you must call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Upon awakening, Joseph “did as the angel of Jehovah had directed him, and he took his wife home. But he had no intercourse with her until she gave birth to a son; and he called his name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:18-25) Joseph accepted divine direction.

Augustus Caesar decreed that people register in their own cities. In obedience, Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem in Judea. There Mary gave birth to Jesus and had to lay him in a manger because no other accommodations were available. That night shepherds who had heard an angelic announcement of this special birth came to see the infant. About 40 days later, Joseph and Mary complied with the Law by presenting Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem along with an offering. Both of them wondered as they heard aged Simeon’s prophetic words about the great things Jesus would do.​—Luke 2:1-33; compare Leviticus 12:2-4, 6-8.

Though Luke 2:39 may seem to indicate that Joseph and Mary went to Nazareth right after presenting Jesus at the temple, this text is part of a condensed account. It appears that quite some time after the presentation at the temple, Oriental astrologers (Magi) visited Mary and Jesus in a house at Bethlehem. Divine intervention prevented this visit from bringing death to Jesus. After the Magi withdrew, Jehovah’s angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him: “Herod is about to search for the young child to destroy it.” As usual, Joseph heeded divine direction and took his family to Egypt.​—Matthew 2:1-14.

Upon the death of Herod, an angel appeared to Joseph in Egypt in a dream, saying: “Get up, take the young child and its mother and be on your way into the land of Israel.” Hearing that Herod’s son Archelaus was reigning in his father’s stead, Joseph was afraid to return to Judea. Heeding divine warning given in a dream, he went into the territory of Galilee and settled in the city of Nazareth.​—Matthew 2:15-23.

A Spiritual Man

Joseph saw to it that his family complied with divine law and were spiritually nourished. Each year he took his entire family with him to the Passover celebration in Jerusalem. On one of these occasions, Joseph and Mary were returning to Nazareth and had covered a day’s distance from Jerusalem when they discovered that 12-year-old Jesus was missing. Going back to Jerusalem, they searched diligently and finally found him at the temple, listening to and questioning the teachers there.​—Luke 2:41-50.

It seems that Joseph let his wife take the initiative in some things. For instance, when they returned to Jerusalem and found Jesus in the temple, it was Mary who spoke to her young son about the matter. (Luke 2:48, 49) While growing up as “the carpenter’s son,” Jesus received spiritual instruction. Joseph also taught him carpentry, for Jesus was called “the carpenter the son of Mary.” (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3) Godly parents today should take full advantage of similar opportunities to instruct their children, especially giving them spiritual training.​—Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-16.

Joseph’s Prospects

The Scriptures are silent about the death of Joseph. But it is noteworthy that Mark 6:3 called Jesus “the son of Mary,” not Joseph. This indicates that Joseph was then dead. Moreover, if Joseph had lived until 33 C.E., it is unlikely that the impaled Jesus would have entrusted Mary to the care of the apostle John.​—John 19:26, 27.

Joseph, then, will be among the dead who will hear the voice of the Son of man and come forth in a resurrection. (John 5:28, 29) Learning of Jehovah’s provision for eternal life, undoubtedly Joseph will gladly avail himself of it and will be an obedient subject of the great heavenly King, Jesus Christ, even as he heeded divine direction over 1,900 years ago.

[Picture on page 31]

Joseph gave Jesus spiritual instruction and also taught him carpentry