What. A. Disaster. At least that’s what it seemed like at first. An unknown and unimportant peasant girl was “betrothed” to be married to a man named Joseph. A Jewish marriage was arranged by the parents with a contract called a betrothal. This ceremonial pledge was legally binding, and only divorce could break it. After the man offered the woman a special gift, both persons would go back to their respective families to live for a year. The purpose was three-fold: (1) prove purity (2) prepare house by groom and wedding clothes by bride (3) wedding plans by bride’s family. At the end of their special day, the groom would leave his house to get his bride from her parent’s house. Along the way back to their new “together” home, there would be a joyful procession! The festivities often lasted seven days. The guests witnessed that the marriage had been consummated as the blood-stained bed-coverings were shown to demonstrate bride’s virginity. (The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times by Ralph Gower (pages 64-69))
In modern Western culture, there is a clear distinction between betrothal and marriage. In the cultures of Bible times, the distinction was much less definitive. Betrothal in most eras of Bible history involved two families in a formal contract, and that contract was as binding as marriage itself. Betrothal then was more of a business transaction between two families than a personal, romantic choice. Dowry or bride price agreements were included, so that a broken engagement required repayment of the dowry. After betrothal, all that remained were three matters: the wedding celebration, the bride’s move into groom’s house, and the consummation of the marriage. (https://www.gotquestions.org/betrothal.html) So, when it appeared that Mary had “broken this arrangement,” there were massive implications to consider for both families.
In Jewish culture, it was a major social stigma to have gotten pregnant before your marriage while in a betrothal period. According to the Torah (Mosaic Law), it was considered adultery (Deuteronomy 22:20-24) and could result in a life of isolation, impoverishment, or in extreme cases being stoned to death. Not truly knowing what to do, Joseph who the Bible described as a righteous man, decided to “put her away privately” which meant annulling the marriage without making her a public spectacle. He was a gracious and kind man, and he didn’t want any evil will to be brought upon her. Then, God showed him that Mary was special and that she was meant to give birth to the Savior of the world. What Joseph thought was happening was the complete opposite. What a lesson for all of us in what appears to be happening in our lives!
Sometimes, God takes a seemingly bad circumstance, and he turns it into a glorious lesson. For us at Emmanuel, God said “no” to Lapeer, but he said “yes” to Grand Blanc. He closed a door, but then, he opened an even better one. No one saw that coming, including your lead pastor.
So, as we march into a new year, we may be facing some “worst case scenario” situations. Just remember, God is working even when you don’t understand what he is doing. For Joseph, when he saw Mary pregnant, it initially “shattered his world.” He felt hopeless. It’s in these moments, where if we are paying attention, God is going to show us his “extended plan” for our lives, and even our church. God is not bound by our circumstances, and what we are “going through” is only a small part of his complete plan for our lives.
If you read the rest of the story, you know that Joseph did indeed take Mary to be his wife. He became the “stepfather” to the King of the Universe. He was given an amazing privilege that he would have “missed out on” if he would have allowed his limited perception of the situation to guide his decisions. Thankfully, Joseph obeyed the voice of God in the midst of confusion. Sometimes, God is not going to give us clarity until we submit to his purposes. Be encouraged to know that God has the power to take your “worst case scenario” in a relationship, physical condition, school setting, work scenario, etc. and make it your “best case scenario.” We can only see a part of his plan at times. Trust him with the glorious parts that may still be hidden from your sight. Why? Because he is our great God, ready to do great things...when we least expect it! Merry Christmas!
In modern Western culture, there is a clear distinction between betrothal and marriage. In the cultures of Bible times, the distinction was much less definitive. Betrothal in most eras of Bible history involved two families in a formal contract, and that contract was as binding as marriage itself. Betrothal then was more of a business transaction between two families than a personal, romantic choice. Dowry or bride price agreements were included, so that a broken engagement required repayment of the dowry. After betrothal, all that remained were three matters: the wedding celebration, the bride’s move into groom’s house, and the consummation of the marriage. (https://www.gotquestions.org/betrothal.html) So, when it appeared that Mary had “broken this arrangement,” there were massive implications to consider for both families.
In Jewish culture, it was a major social stigma to have gotten pregnant before your marriage while in a betrothal period. According to the Torah (Mosaic Law), it was considered adultery (Deuteronomy 22:20-24) and could result in a life of isolation, impoverishment, or in extreme cases being stoned to death. Not truly knowing what to do, Joseph who the Bible described as a righteous man, decided to “put her away privately” which meant annulling the marriage without making her a public spectacle. He was a gracious and kind man, and he didn’t want any evil will to be brought upon her. Then, God showed him that Mary was special and that she was meant to give birth to the Savior of the world. What Joseph thought was happening was the complete opposite. What a lesson for all of us in what appears to be happening in our lives!
Sometimes, God takes a seemingly bad circumstance, and he turns it into a glorious lesson. For us at Emmanuel, God said “no” to Lapeer, but he said “yes” to Grand Blanc. He closed a door, but then, he opened an even better one. No one saw that coming, including your lead pastor.
So, as we march into a new year, we may be facing some “worst case scenario” situations. Just remember, God is working even when you don’t understand what he is doing. For Joseph, when he saw Mary pregnant, it initially “shattered his world.” He felt hopeless. It’s in these moments, where if we are paying attention, God is going to show us his “extended plan” for our lives, and even our church. God is not bound by our circumstances, and what we are “going through” is only a small part of his complete plan for our lives.
If you read the rest of the story, you know that Joseph did indeed take Mary to be his wife. He became the “stepfather” to the King of the Universe. He was given an amazing privilege that he would have “missed out on” if he would have allowed his limited perception of the situation to guide his decisions. Thankfully, Joseph obeyed the voice of God in the midst of confusion. Sometimes, God is not going to give us clarity until we submit to his purposes. Be encouraged to know that God has the power to take your “worst case scenario” in a relationship, physical condition, school setting, work scenario, etc. and make it your “best case scenario.” We can only see a part of his plan at times. Trust him with the glorious parts that may still be hidden from your sight. Why? Because he is our great God, ready to do great things...when we least expect it! Merry Christmas!