Watching Wisdom Works Wonders

Another part of the way that Joseph showed his REVERENCE for God was in his Rectitude. Oh, the righteousness of this man. He was a devout man both in his inner heart and mind and in his outward actions, and Jesus noted. There was something holy about Joseph in his daily walk as he served Jehovah in daily living and as he did his daily work in the carpenter shop. His word was his binding contract and what he said he would do-he did, because he was a righteous man and had a deep REVERNCE for God. His righteous living and daily conversation with the Heavenly Father in his Rectitude was not missed by the all seeing eyes of his Son. We do not know too much of what Joseph said to his Boy as Jesus was maturing at home, but Joseph was a wise man and he taught his Son much by living in front of Him a noble and godly life. And, Jesus watched.

The third part of the deep REVERENCE that Joseph had in his daily living had to do with his Regularity of serving God. Every year, the family went to Jerusalem to worship. I also believe that the family went every Sabbath to the Synagogue to worship and Jesus noted the Regularity of His earthly father’s godly living. There is something good to say about a Christian dad who builds a pattern of serving the Lord. That consistency leaves an indelible imprint on the mind of the children and all who know him as they watch and know the routine of a saint of God who makes church a part of his Sunday ritual. There is something good about a dad who sets aside a time daily to talk with the Master and who reads His word. The consistency speaks volumes to the onlookers as it did to Jesus as He observed His earthly father’s consistency, his Regularity, in his worship and REVERENCE for God. Fathers take a page from the notebook of Joseph’s teaching manual-remember your children are watching you. And, if you are truly wise, you will be working wonders in the lives of the ones to whom you have been entrusted to raise.

** REALITY: I note that Joseph’s faith played a big part in the raising of Jesus. He certainly watched a wise earthly father going about his daily living serving people in his carpenter’s shop and at the same time serving Jehovah with regular devotion. I also believe, that Joseph was wise in his rearing of Jesus due to the REALITY of daily living. This daily living was more than just going to his shop every day except the Sabbath; it meant going the extra mile when God directed Joseph to do some unusual things.

The first part of Joseph’s wise teaching of Jesus was in his Resignation to the will of God. There was the first instance of marrying his betrothed wife and giving Jesus a respectable home. But there were the other times when Joseph resigned himself to follow the leadings of God and move to Egypt, set up shop again, then move back to Nazareth, Israel. As the family had to discuss these events when Jesus was maturing, our Lord had to see the wisdom of His earthly father as he obeyed the promptings of God to pick up and move. Jesus saw first hand what it costs humans to faithfully follow God. Our Lord had to admire His earthly father as He listened to the times when Joseph simply said, “Yes” to God and did as he was told to do. One wonders if this wise teaching from His earthly father helped Him in the Garden when He prayed, “Not my will, but Thine be done?”