John Kitto Evening Bible Devotions: July 11

Online Resource Library

Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | Download

John Kitto Evening Bible Devotions: July 11

Today is: Wednesday, May 8th, 2024 (Show Today's Devotion)

Select a Day for a Devotion in the Month of July: (Show All Months)

The Perplexity

Mat_1:18-25

There is no reason to suppose, that the peculiar condition in which Mary stood was made known to her betrothed husband until after her return to Nazareth. Indeed, as it is clear that she paid this visit almost immediately after the announcement made to her by the angel, there was little opportunity or occasion for such a communication; and it is quite likely that she particularly wished to consult the aged priest and his wife on the course which it became her to take under circumstances so strange and alarming. Besides, perceiving the connection which existed between her case and that of Elisabeth, she would naturally wish to defer the communication until the birth of a son to Zacharias should, in this connection, afford its corroboration to her own recital. Some say that the disclosure was made because, on her return, her appearance excited the suspicion of Joseph; but at a stage so early there is nothing to awaken a man’s suspicion; and we doubt not the information was given as the result of her reflections, and of the advice she had received respecting the course which it became her to follow. Indeed, we are not reluctant to suppose, that she may have been favored with direction from Heaven; for if such direction was given to relieve Joseph from his perplexity, why not to relieve Mary from that under which she must have labored?

The true state of the case from the beginning was then frankly made known to him. He was much startled, and greatly disturbed. His emotions were not of joy. To be indeed the father of the Messiah had been a gladness to him, under the notions which, as a Jew, he entertained; but to afford merely a nominal parentage to one for whom a heavenly origin was claimed, seemed a less distinguished honor. Indeed, this claim might have seemed to him to discredit the story which had been told him on the part of Mary; for it is certain that the general, if not universal expectation, looked for no other than a full human parentage for the Messiah in the line of David. That Joseph did disbelieve the account given him, cannot be affirmed. He may have had no more than doubts and misgiving, but such as one would not wish that his espoused should labor under. We may not blame him. It was a hard case. Unless so far as corroborated by what had happened to Elisabeth, there was no tangible evidence in the matter but that of Mary herself—the party mainly concerned; and there are minds, if such were not his, to which the thought might occur, that the whole of this had been invented to cover her dishonor. To repel this, rose his knowledge of her ingenuousness and truth—the purity of her sentiments and character—and more than all, the reverent piety which must have rendered an invention like this a blasphemy impossible to her. Still, supposing he had that faith in her truth which compelled him to believe the strange account she had given, was he prepared to encounter

“The world’s dread laugh,”

in taking to his home one who was in the way to become a mother before her marriage with him had been completed?

Joseph was a good and pious man, fearful of doing wrong, and anxious to do right; yet these things perplexed him, as he considered the question, whether he should complete this marriage or not. His regard for Mary, and his trust in her, urged him one way; his latent misgivings, and his regard for propriety, another; and the result might have been doubtful, had not the Lord’s mercy interposed to guide him aright—in answer, doubtless, to the many prayers which he offered for that guidance.

But it is needful to define more exactly the position in which he stood.

It was customary among the Jews for an interval of ten or twelve months to elapse between the betrothal, or formal agreement to marry, and the actual marriage. But from the time of the betrothal the parties became, in the eye of the law, man and wife, and were so spoken of, although, during the interval, there was no kind of direct intercourse between them: and even to be seen speaking together would have been regarded as a breach of decorum. These, however, were the usages of the higher classes, and were probably somewhat relaxed among persons of humbler condition in life—as is the case with the still more stringent regulations regarding the non-intercourse between men and women which at this day exist in the East, and which anciently imparted some color to the freer customs of the Israelites. In fact, in regard to most nations, the usages in these matters which become historically known to us, are those of what is called good society, and become practically relaxed as we descend the scale of social existence—partly from the circumstances of humble life throwing friends and neighbors more under each other’s observation—and partly from the impossibility of maintaining that seclusion exacted from, and only possible to, the wealthy and the great. Still, when such regulations do exist, they give the tone to the general sentiment of society: and we are willing to believe that the hesitation which Joseph felt and which is creditable to the sturdy honor of his character—might have been less, had it been more in his power than usage sanctioned, to receive his impression of circumstances which concerned him so nearly from her own truthful lips, and from the eloquent glow of her ingenuous countenance, rather than in the cold abstractness of another’s recital. For the evidence of the truth, however, it is well for us that he did hesitate, and felt the want of higher testimony than had yet been given to satisfy his mind.

So real in the eye of the law was the legal relation formed by betrothal, that a woman who proved unfaithful to her betrothed husband, was held an adulteress, and as such punishable with death by stoning. Note: Joh_8:5. Deu_22:22. This law was, however, at this time never enforced, either in the case of a fully married or betrothed wife; and, indeed, we find no instance in Scripture of its actual enforcement. The law of divorce, Note: Deu_24:1. whether so intended or not, had the effect of modifying the other law; for men were so generally satisfied with the relief this law provided, that the sterner law, not being resorted to, fell into desuetude: so that a husband might, if he pleased, pardon the wife’s offence altogether, and abstain from denouncing her before the Sanhedrin, but scarcely could, if he would, bring her to death. He usually divorced her—and, as a man could practically, in this corrupted age, divorce his wife for any cause, or for no cause, a woman was not degraded by the mere fact of divorce. The husband gave a bill of divorcement; and, in the case supposed, if he wished to be severe, and stated that he sent her away for adultery, she became a disgraced woman, and a public example. But if he mercifully omitted to state the ground of divorce, there was nothing that appeared against her, though local gossip was probably busy on such occasions.

These facts explain the alternatives which weighed upon the mind of Joseph. It is clearly intimated that he was disposed to cut the knot of difficulties, by which he was surrounded, by divorcing his betrothed wife. He was not, however, inclined to “make her a public example,” by stating the real cause in the bill of divorcement; but was disposed to arrange the matter “privily” and quietly, by refraining from assigning any cause for his proceeding. From this it will be seen, that those interpreters err who tell us that Mary was in danger of her life from any course that Joseph could take. They tell us rightly what was the law in such a case; but they neglect to inform us that this law was never enforced.

Joseph’s disturbed cogitations on this matter were, however, brought to a happy conclusion, by his being visited in a dream by an angel—probably the same angel who had appeared to Mary—telling him to dismiss all fear, and to take home his wife; for her condition involved no stain upon her—being caused by the Divine power, which was now about to give effect to the ancient prophecies which had for ages formed the hope of the nation. The unborn child was to be called Jesus (which means Savior), “for He shall save his people from their sins.”

We may be sure that it was with a glad heart that the good Joseph rose from sleep, relieved of the heavy burden of his thoughts. If his own dream was to be believed (of which he was able to judge), still more was Mary’s vision credible. The one confirmed and authenticated the other. The usual time for taking her home had already come; and he delayed not to afford her the protection which the formal completion of his marriage with her would supply. Hence, Jesus came to be formally recognized as the son of Joseph; and his early years rested under the shield of a poor man’s honor, until the time came for Him to assert the claims of his heavenly parentage.