Joseph: man of integrity

 Joseph: husband of Mary, mother of Jesus.

What a good man Jesus had as an earthly father! He – Joseph – was visited by angels!

Matt. 2:13: “And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”

Joseph had the sacred duty of keeping Mary and Jesus safe. So he did as he was told. He was obedient!

 How arduous was that journey to Egypt? Google (AI overview) gives me this info:

The distance from Bethlehem to the border of Egypt in biblical times was about 75 to 80 miles (120 to 130 kilometres) southwest, while a longer journey deep into Egypt (such as to the Nile or Alexandria) spanned roughly 300 to 350 miles (480 to 560 kilometres).

Why was Egypt safe? More from Google:

Key Reasons Egypt Provided Safety

• Outside Herod’s Reach: King Herod ruled Judea and ordered the Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem out of fear that the newborn "King of the Jews" would threaten his throne. Egypt was governed separately, meaning Herod’s soldiers had no authority there.
• Large Jewish Community: Egypt—particularly major urban centres like Alexandria—hosted a massive, long-established population of Jewish people living in relative peace and safety, making it easier for the family to find community and integrate.
• Roman Infrastructure and Travel: Both Judea and Egypt were controlled by Rome and linked by established coastal trade routes (such as "the way of the sea"), allowing Joseph to travel relatively straightforwardly despite the urgency of the flight.

 And Joseph’s other angel:

Matt. 2:19-21: “But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, /Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. /And he arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. /But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither, notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream (another angel?), he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: /And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Now. The seeker of the origin of that phrase, “He shall be called a Nazarene”, may find this a bit of a puzzle. I will leave it to that seeker to search for himself.

It would seem that Joseph, perhaps unconsciously, knew of that prophecy. He certainly knew the precious child he was blessed to care for.

Joyce Voysey

Herod the Great and the wise men

Matthew chapter 2 mentions both "Herod the king" and "wise men from the east".

A little research shows that this Herod (there were several) may have been Herod the Great, who was credited with rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem around 19BCE (it was subsequently mostly destroyed in 70AD) and other colossal building works such as the magnificent harbour, Caesarea Maritima. Herod's title was granted by the Roman Senate, the Roman, Pompey, having conquered Jerusalem in 63BCE. Herod identified himself as a Jew, but his decadent lifestyle - including the murder of family members who interfered with his plans - alienated him from his Jewish subjects.

The term "wise men" pops up throughout the Bible - some 54 times in fact. The "wise men from the east" are only mentioned in Matthew's gospel. They could have come from Persia (modern-day Iran), Babylon (Iraq), or Arabia. They did not get along with Herod! Their message about visiting in order to worship the "King of the Jews", whose star they had seen "in the east" was definitely not welcomed by Herod the Great. Here was a threat he must eliminate.

However, the "chief priests and scribes" related the prophecy "And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, ...out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel" (Matt. 2:6), citing Micah 5:2,4. 

One writer suggests that the lesson for today's readers is to "Let us seek to hold fast and protect both Principle and Idea from usurping mortality." (See F.E. Mason, CSB "Bible Lessons" Christian Science Journal Sept. 1888.)

Julie Swannell

A virgin shall conceive

What if we turned to the Bible like we do our phones? 

Open it to any page and the ideas are intensely incisive. They make us slow down, and require thoughtful responses.

Matthew's Gospel ("gospel" comes from the Greek, euangelion, meaning good story or good news) was probably written around 65-70 AD. Just think forward 70 years from 2026: 2096! What will a writer in 2096 be noticing about our times?

This gospel begins with a carefully negotiated lineage of Christ Jesus - 14 generations from Abraham through to Jesse's son David, 14 generations to "the carrying away into Babylon" (the Babylonian exile); and another 14 generations to Christ. (See Matthew 1:17). At this point, we have been introduced to roughly 50 ancestors, as well as Jesus' mother Mary.

I love the way the next paragraph (1:18) begins with "now". The preliminaries are over. Now we begin the real story. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise..."

By verse 22, Matthew is assuring his readers that "all this was done, that it might be FULFILLED which was spoken ... by the prophet" (emphasis added). Is the writer referring to Isaiah 7:14 - "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel"?

Julie Swannell