Righteous and Not Afraid-Advent 11, 2021

Joseph was told “Don’t be afraid to take Mary home” (Matthew 1:20). Why would he be afraid?

Fear is as old as the Garden.
So is shame.
They’re joined at the hip because of sin.

After Adam and Eve both ate of the fruit of the tree God commanded against eating from, “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (Genesis 3:7).

Shame, embarrassment, having been found out, no hiding that one has violated God’s commands? Yeah, right there with shame is its sibling called fear. Adam and Eve learned–in a flash–the consequences of having been commanded one thing, rebelled, and done another. They no longer had open fellowship with God. They were afraid of Him.

Genesis 3:8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Flash forward. Joseph was a righteous man, Scripture tells us.

Matthew 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, 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. 21 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.”

Questions for further study:

In the Interlude between fellowship with God in the Garden as King and the birth of the One who is King of the Jews, there was a dead-end series of human judges and kings and importantly, the Law, to help govern human behavior and to give one a right standing with God. Joseph was a righteous man. Why might he have been afraid? How does earning it depend on us?

Why does God see fear and shame the way He does? For insight, read 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

Why is it notable that from God’s perspective, neither Mary nor Joseph should be afraid or ashamed, even if the world wouldn’t see it that way?

In our culture, have you ever noticed how people who do wrong are always trying to cover it up? In what ways do fear and punishment transcend whether one believes in God or not? In what way does it testify that God is real and His commands are eternal?

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Advent 2021 began Sunday, November 28th and continues to Friday, December 24th as we explore the multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King. By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Interlude” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

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Last year’s Advent Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.