law

Joseph was not a zealot. Not a priest or prophet or saint. 

Joseph was a righteous man, a man of the Law. (Matthew 1:19)

If we stop right here for a moment we can gain an enormous God-view of the Jewish people and how the five hundred years prior to the birth of Jesus had changed them. We often ask what was God doing during that time. We have the rich history of the era but it isn't in our Scripture. Instead, we have centuries passing until we find a righteous man and woman caught in an ethical bind. 

God watched as his Law and past history wove to create his people Israel. It took five hundred years for enough people to learn to live by his principles that they became normal life, and it was good. The Law was stable, satisfying, and not too much of a burden. 

The Law had been tempered slightly by human grace, as Joseph had the option to divorce Mary quietly. But the Law had fulfilled its duty: provide for an aware people who would listen to the Messiah, especially if he was perfect in his obedience of the Law.

Joseph, the carpenter, was a righteous man. He was God's goal for a person living in this fallen world. Joseph was at peace with his world, his work, his God and his life. Joseph had shalom. 

Men today can take great solace in Joseph's example of steady faith in the revealed truth. He is a model for the average guy who is called to make only one or two decisions in his life that are out of the norm. Joseph chose Mary over convention and raised Jesus as if he were his own. Joseph disappears from the narrative after Jesus reaches age 12 having fulfilled his duty to raise Jesus in the Law until his confirmation in the faith at age 13. We remember Joseph as a righteous man with an important role with Jesus: Protect this child, teach this child, love this child, nurture this child in the Law. He did his best and it was credited to him as good.

Joseph shows us that God watched as His plan unfolded for the Law: to create a people used to living in the path of righteousness ready to hear the words of the Savior. Joseph shows us that you don't have to be perfect to be Perfect in the eyes of God. Just faithful.

Oh, by the way, Joseph had shalom in Egypt too.