Difficult Decisions

Preached on 18 December 2022 in Christ Church, Billericay @ 8:00

Readings: Isaiah 7:10-16; Matthew 1:18-25

Introduction

This morning we are looking at the prophecy that a virgin will give birth to a child. Both our readings are the subject of some controversies. That’s partly because of the subjects they cover, but also because the language that the Isaiah reading is written in has words that do not easily translate into either Greek, or English.

I am going to look at both passages, to see what they mean individually and when they are taken together. There is a common theme between the two reading that’s only loosely related to the prophecy.

Ahaz’s problem

First, let’s start with the Old Testament. Ahaz has a problem. The two countries to the north of him have got together. That’s Aram and Israel (or Ephraim), in what we would now see as Sameria. They have joined forces, to help protect themselves against Assyria. Assyria is the regional power, and is constantly threatening the borders of its neighbours. Rezin of Aram and Pekin of Ephraim want Ahaz to join forces with them. If he won’t, they plan to take Judah by force, thus expanding their territory. Hopefully that will make them less of a target for Assyria.

In the time of King David, Ephraim and Judah had been one nation, so this alliance seems like the ultimate betrayal. No wonder, Ahaz was shaken.

Now he has an important decision to make. What is he to do?

Isaiah’s message

Isaiah has already been given a message for Ahaz, telling him not to be afraid, because the invasion he is expecting will not happen. Apparently this has not quelled his fear, so at verse 10 the Lord has another go at speaking to Ahaz.

Signs

He is offered a sign – any sign. This is a very unusual offer. When Hezekiah was offered a sign, he was given a choice, should the sun go forward or backward 10 steps. He chose backward because he though that was harder to do, and the Lord did it. Hezekiah had been a faithful king. Signs, when they are provided, are usually just given and no choice involved.

Ahaz refused

Ahaz has not been a faithful king. He is supposed to listen to the prophets and ensure that the people worship correctly, but he has not done that. His response to God’s amazing offer is “No, I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test”.

Do not test God

You will probably remember Jesus saying something similar during His temptation in the wilderness. They are both quoting Deuteronomy 6:16 “Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.” The context is very different. Jesus was speaking to Satan. The Israelites had tested God at Massah by getting ready to stone Moses because there was no water. (ex 17:1-7)

Here, though, Ahaz is being offered the sign by God. It seems that he knows just enough of the scriptures to try to deflect Isaiah from what God is saying.

The Prophecy

God will not be deflected from his purpose, neither will Isaiah. God will provide a sign. He will try to convince Ahaz to follow His instruction.

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Immanuel means either “God is with us”, or “God with us”. It’s meant to tell Ahaz that God is with him, protecting him and the rest of Judah from the threat they are so worried about.

To set a time frame to this, the following is given:

He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

How the prophecy worked

We cannot be certain how the prophecy worked in detail. There are debates about every aspect. This prophecy does not require a virgin birth, normal conception is possible for a current virgin. The virgin could be Isaiah’s second wife, or a recently married woman in the king's entourage, the name Immanuel being chosen as a way of expressing disapproval with Ahaz’s leadership. Either way, a son is born.

“Curds and honey” may refer to the good things that the boy will have – from the promised land – ‘a land flowing with milk and honey’ or the exact opposite – the only food available when the nation is devastated.

‘Reject the wrong and choose the right’ is undoubtedly the key, as children must be a certain age to do this. Commentators vary from two, twelve, or in the twenties.

It doesn’t matter that much, what we know is that within a few years, before they had time to overrun Judah and Jerusalem, Aram and Ephraim had been overrun themselves by Assyria. So the prophecy is fulfilled, at least for Ahaz.

Joseph’s decision

Now let’s move on to the New Testament reading. Joseph’s difficult decision comes as a surprise to him, rather than an escalating threat. Joseph either hears about the pregnancy, or sees evidence of it for himself, we are not told. It’s possible he went to collect his bride for the wedding, and spotted the problem then.

Now he has an important decision to make. What is he to do?

Righteous Man

Joseph is described as a righteous man, that being the case, to continue with the marriage is out of the question. According to scripture, Mary should be punished for her indiscretion. This could be a stoning, but that was rare in the 1^st century, or a divorce – either publicly or privately. This is Joseph’s preferred option. He is certainly a kind man. He wants to cause Mary as little trouble as possible while still doing the right thing for God and himself. So he decides on a quiet divorce, that way they can both get on with their lives sooner rather than later.

The Dream

Maybe he decided to sleep on it and see how he felt in the morning. While he was asleep, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. The angel told him not to be afraid to take Mary home as his wife. The social stigma of having a new wife already pregnant would be considerable, the assumption would be that the baby was his and that he wasn’t a very self-disciplined person. He would be seen as a sinner, and shunned by those claiming righteousness.

The decision

So, unlike Ahaz, Joseph is swayed by the message the angel delivered, and agrees to take Mary as his Wife. This makes him Jesus’s legal father on earth. So, Jesus is born of the house of David, just as required by various other prophecies. He then had no union with her until after Jesus was born – so maybe the pregnancy was quite advanced at this stage, or Joseph, being a righteous man, had a greater understanding of what was going on than was reported. After Jesus was born, though, they seem to have lived a normal life, the rest of the family being conceived by the usual method.

The problem with Prophecies

Matthew tells us that this took place to fulfil the prophecy that we read about in Isaiah. From a straight forward reading of Isaiah, it is easy to tick this prophecy off as fulfilled and done with. Judah was not defeated by Aram and Ephraim, but they were later defeated by Assyria.

That’s the problem with prophecies, not only are they sometimes difficult to understand, but it is also possible that they refer to things other than those that are being directly addressed when they are given. Matthew clearly sees something more in Isaiah than a straight forward reading provides.

Debate

As I mentioned before, there is huge debate about the prophecy in Isaiah, and about this report of the birth of Jesus. Does the word for virgin, really mean virgin in our sense, does it mean young woman. Most agree that it does not translate easily to either. The Greek word used ‘parthenos’ does directly translate to virgin – I’ve checked. So there is no doubt what Matthew thought.

God and Man

Anyway, it would be difficult to accept that Jesus was the son of God, if God had no involvement in His conception. So Matthew has set us up nicely for the next difficult theological debate – understanding the trinity.

Connection

I mentioned at the beginning that there is another connection between the two passages. It is related to the prophecy, and in particular to God speaking to us directly when we have difficult decisions to make, as was the case in both our readings.

Connection- Ahaz

Ahaz was approached by the prophet and offered a sign – any sign that would convince Ahaz that God knew what He was doing and was in control. Ahaz rejected the offer and moved his kingdom – the house of David, away from God’s rule. Judah was ultimately defeated by controlled by Assyria.

Connection- Joseph

Joseph, on the other hand, when finding his betrothed was expecting a baby, listened to what God had to say and accepted Mary as his wife. Jesus the son of God would be born anyway, that process was unstoppable. Joseph’s acceptance led him to all sorts of difficulties – the flight to Egypt and the return to settle in a strange town, come to mind.

Us

When we have big decisions to make, they often become turning points in our lives. It is important for us to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying at that time. That may be through someone filling the role of a prophet, through a sign, (although I doubt you’ll get a choice!) through a dream, through a scripture reading holding a new meaning to us, through a sudden change in circumstance, or even a dream. It may also come through a discernment process that leads to selection, or not, for some sort of ministry.

The important thing for us is to listen and accept the advice or direction that the Holy Spirit is providing.

Amen.

 

 

References

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-advent/commentary-on-isaiah-710-16-3

https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/old-testament-isaiah-710-16-commentary/

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-advent/commentary-on-isaiah-710-16

https://translate.yandex.com/?source_lang=el&target_lang=en&text=%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B8%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82

 

Youtube: https://youtu.be/vaxxvyLJLzs

 

Joseph, an obedient servant

Joseph @ the school Nativity - illustration
At the school nativity play a boy desperately wanted to play the role of Joseph. He didn't get the part – he was to be the inn keeper. Instead the part of Joseph went to his greatest rival in the class. He was very upset. All through rehearsals he was planning what he would do. On the first night of the play when Joseph knocked on the door, the Inn keeper opened it. Joseph asked if they had any room. The Inn keeper said “Of course, there's plenty of room, come in.”. There was a bit of a silence and you could see the confusion on Joseph's face. Finally he moved forward, looked in the Inn and said to the Inn keeper “Never mind, no wife of mine is staying in a dump like this!” Turning to Mary he said “Let's see what's round the back”. The nativity was back on track.
Introduction to Joseph
It seems that there's something special about playing Joseph. Sure, Joseph's part is probably seen as the staring role for boys in the Nativity play. Although he is in many of the scenes, his only lines are with the Inn keeper – who has a similar number of lines.
Perhaps there is something deeper going on. Could it be that playing the role of the father is still seen as important. Perhaps it is something about being the father of God that makes the role attractive.
Last week Jo and I went to the Baptists Church to see Star Wise – the story of the Visit of the Magi set in a science fiction genre. There the star ship captain, who represented the modern sceptic, got to play hide and seek with the baby Jesus. Quite a lot was made of it, as it was the point in the play where the Captain began to change his mind. What was it like to play with Jesus as a toddler?
I'm sure Joseph enjoyed playing with the young Jesus as much as any father enjoys playing with his son. The reality though is that in the Bible Joseph has a bit part. The focus is on Jesus – exactly where it should be, of course. Joseph doesn't have a single word recorded. He is a silent witness but we do have a record of his actions. As my mother constantly reminded me “Actions speak louder than words”. Lets take a look through Joseph's story to see what he did, to see what we can learn about him and from him.
1st Century BC marriage
When we meet Joseph he is already being described as Mary's husband. In the first century BC the Jewish marriage process was nothing like ours. The system was based on arranged marriages. Joseph's parents and Mary's parents would have made an arrangement between them. When Joseph was old enough and established enough to support a wife the wedding would take place. This would probably have been the first time the couple met. After the wedding celebration the couple would return to their own homes. The period known as betrothal had started. During this time Joseph and Mary would get to know each other and begin the process of learning to live together. From the point of view of the Jewish law they were married. If anything happened – such as the death of one of them the other would be a widow, or widower. The divorce law also applied.
One of the most serious sins a woman could commit was to be involved with another man during the time of betrothal. The penalty was death by stoning.
Deuteronomy 22:23-24
If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the girl because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.
We have no idea what Joseph thought of Mary – we cannot tell whether he was in love, or whether he even liked her, but the reading tells us that he was a righteous man (v19). So when it became clear to him that his wife was pregnant and he knew that he couldn't be the father, he knew he must end the marriage.
Joseph righteous
Joseph was righteous – meaning that he kept the Law as best he could. So he could not complete the betrothal. He could not be married to someone who did not start out a virgin, and especially someone in a relationship with another man.
By Jesus time the practice of stoning was not so common, although it was still an option. He could have called for the full force of the law to be applied and made a public denouncement of Mary. Being righteous does not mean you lack compassion. Psalm 112:4 links the characteristics together:
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
Well Joseph was certainly in a time of darkness – perhaps as dark as it gets. His decision was a compassionate one. He will just get Mary out of his life by getting a certificate of divorce and then start again on finding a wife. After all there was plenty of evidence.
The plan is made, but before it can be put into action God intervenes.
V20 “... 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.”
Is this one of the things we can learn from Joseph – always act on your dreams? Does God still guide through dreams?
There are some significant differences of opinion. One preacher says “If you remember your dreams then God is trying to speak to you” I can't agree with that. Most of the dreams I remember are nightmares that wake me up and make getting back to sleep difficult. They are disjointed and frightening and do not seems as though God is there in any way.
Others will tell you that the promise in Joel 2:28-29 that Peter quotes in Acts 2:17-18, is not for our time, but for the time of the apostles or the time after Jesus return.
Here's what Joel says:
“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”
Neither position really makes sense to me. It's true, of course that God will not and cannot act in ways that He has said He will not act in. It's also true that the prophesies are hard to understand, and can be looked at in several ways.
All I can say is that in the one or two cases where my dreams may have come from God the message has not contradicted my understanding of scripture and has reminded me to help people or pray for them.
Joseph clearly knew the difference between a dream sent by God and an ordinary nightmare. To him this message is clearly from God – it fits with prophecy:
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Remember the words from the dream:
“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. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Who is the father?
OK, the baby is God's and that's very important, but there is still an earthly cost to consider. Families with bastard children were considered to be evil. They had broken the law and would be shunned. It would affect Mary as she brought up the family, and it would affect Joseph and his business. People may have thought that they just couldn't wait. People may have asked who the real father was. Channel 4 made a whole program on a rumour that starts around 150 AD that a Roman soldier called Panthera was the real father. There was speculation even before Jesus was born, and there has been ever since.
If Joseph had heard and believed the rumours things would be very different. Mary would have been divorced and unmarryable. Jesus could not have been David's descendant and the prophesies would not have been fulfilled. If Joseph heard the gossip he certainly didn't give it any value.
Joseph is not only a believer, but he is also faithful and obedient. Once he knows that the message is from God, he obeys. I'm sure he considered the cost. Righteousness goes deeper than simply following instructions. For Joseph righteousness means being open to follow God's commands as they arrive, it means knowing God's voice and following what it says.
Jesus says in John 10:3-5
“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
I wonder if he got that idea from Joseph?
We see how obedient Joseph is after the visit of the Magi, where another dream tells him to take his family to Egypt. In Matthew 2:13-14 Joseph wakes from his dream and the family leave immediately.
If you are to know someone’s voice then you must spend time with them. Dogs are generally reckoned to be more intelligent than sheep. Some of you will know we got a dog in June. He was about 18 months old, and it took him a few weeks to get used to our voices. Even a couple of months ago he wasn't entirely sure and went chasing after someone else whistling for their dog. If it takes the dog months, how long will it take the sheep.
Conclusion
Joseph is an excellent example of the character God is trying to develop in each of us.
If we are to be obedient to God, in the way that Joseph was obedient we must get close to God and listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to us. We will then be prepared to understand not just the message, but the urgency of it too. That way we can respond accordingly. We also learn from Joseph that our response to situations in the world must be loving and compassionate, just as God is loving and compassionate with us.
Joseph has a lot to teach us, not bad for the Bibles Silent Witness, Joseph son of David, the man who taught God.