Man Says, God Sees

Psalms 123

A single teenage girl pregnant having an otherwise untarnished character. And the guy she was supposed to marry who also has unquestionable character rather than having her stoned or dumping her chooses to marry her even though he insists it's not his baby. Good thing this census came up. We don't need either of those liars, that kind of trash in our town.

Why are all those stinking smelly shepherds wandering through town in the middle of the night? And who is taking care of the sheep? Of course they're checking out all the stables. They are so weird!

Yes, they may be intelligent and intellectual, but they're off on some highly questionable religious quest to a land they've only heard of, never been to because they saw the stars representing a woman, the largest wandering star and a king star being in the very middle of her. And the twelve stars over her head indicating the people she represents. And the stars forming that dragon underneath. They think it means a great king, a King of kings has been born. It's going to take them months to get to wherever they think they're going. Hope you find what you're looking for.

Who do these men think they are traveling all this way to demand from us where the king of the Jews will be born. They have seen his star? Yes, we know the Holy Writings, and so if anyone would be made aware that OUR prophecy was being fulfilled it would be US! Hopefully they'll take the ruler's advice and go find what they claim is so important. It's only a short distance down the road.

They didn't come back? To embarrassed to tell of their failure. What a bunch of rejects! Every one of these a bunch of losers.

That's how the people of the world usually think today. And that's how they thought thousands of years ago with even greater social consequences including being shunned, disowned, or death. Psalm 123 could well have been the outpouring of the hearts of any of these individuals.

A song of degrees.

I lift up mine eyes to thee, that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until he have mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have suffered too much contempt. Our soul is filled too full of the mocking of the wealthy, and of the despitefulness of the proud.

Psalms 123:1-4 GNV

When we think of the thoughts and how others view specific individuals or specific groups it is only right to see all these events from their Creator's eyes. See how He addressed each of these situations, how He saw them very differently. Maybe it is even best for me to work backwards.

Of the group of wisemen who saw indications of a Jewish king being born other than bringing the new born King presents we are told the only interaction which is obvious protection from God:

And after they were warned of God in a dream, that they should not go again to Herod, they returned into their country another way.

Matthew 2:12 GNV

In God's great providence His interaction with these men was don't go to Herod again. God knew they were wise enough to find their way back to their homes without going near Jerusalem. They were worthy of His protection.

Next working back were the shepherds. They were the only ones to hear the angelic choir. We aren't given any indication that these angels were 'sent' as was Gabriel was to Mary and then to Joseph. But we are told quite specifically "the Angel of the Lord" and "glory of the Lord shone round about”. Throughout the Old Testament the reference to the Angel of the Lord was often considered a Christophany, a pre appearance of Christ by many. That presents yet another discussion I'm not pondering at this time. The fact is this Angel of the Lord and the glory of the Lord cannot be present without God's own presence. In this case God obviously chose the shepherds, those who were enshrouded by the smell of their trade, possibly the only ones who would feel comfortably at home in a stable were who God thought would best be able to fully gather the greatness of who they were to see. It is obvious within the next two years of their publishing abroad everything that happened, the angel, the multitude of the heavenly hosts, and finding the baby as described, wasn't enough to catch the attention of the scholars who would tell Herod and the wise men that the Messiah would be born in that same Beth-lehem. So it mattered not what anyone else thought, these shepherds were seen to be the best who God wanted to specifically tell to go search out His Son. The heavenly host choir wasn't as much for the shepherds as it was that the birth of Christ could not be contained.

For good reason I consider Mary next in how God saw her.

And in the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And the Angel went in unto her, and said, Hail thou that art freely beloved: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Luke 1:26-28 GNV

and

And it came to pass, as Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe sprang in her bellie, and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And she cried with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, because the fruit of thy womb is blessed. And whence cometh this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe sprang in my bellie for joy, And blessed is she that believed: for those things shall be performed, which were told her from the Lord.

Luke 1:41-45 GNV

Others who had also seen the miraculous as told them by God recognized it was God's direction and providence working much more than they were told. It definitely confirmed God was doing this work. Because of this it is very easy to understand after hearing what the shepherds had to say about how God announced it all to them:

But Mary kept all those sayings, and pondered them in her heart.

Luke 2:19 GNV

So why Joseph last? Other than what God tells of him being a just man:

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was thus, When as his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But whiles he thought these things, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, the son of David, fear not to take Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. And all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which is spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is by interpretation, God with us. Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the Angel of the Lord had enjoined him, and took his wife. But he knew her not, till she had brought forth her first born son, and he called his name JESUS.

Matthew 1:18-25 GNV

But in taking Mary to him what did Joseph do. He kept Jesus from being killed in Mary's womb. To be with child not by her husband especially before the marriage ceremony was punishable by being stoned to death. Joseph was raised from sleep in the middle of the night and in taking Mary to himself protected Mary, and thereby Jesus from death.

Within a couple years after we are told:

After (the) departure (of the wise men), behold, the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the babe and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there till I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the babe, to destroy him. So he arose and took the babe and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt,

Matthew 2:13-14 GNV

Again, in the night Joseph is given the great responsibility of protecting Jesus from death, and their departure was immediate

And years later:

And when Herod was dead, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the babe and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the babe's life. Then he arose up and took the babe and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in stead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: yet after he was warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galile,

Matthew 2:19-22 GNV

Every time God spoke to Joseph in a dream, twice when God saw that Joseph was seeking wisdom in his decisions, and every time the move Joseph made of these four times that God spoke to him Joseph immediately took action to protect Jesus. Joseph was a just man that God knew would obey immediately. He would risk his life and do what was necessary to protect Jesus the Son of God.

Of all of these, the wise men, the shepherds, Joseph, and Mary only the wise men chose to come of their own accord. God saw who the wise men were and how they acted on what He showed them in the heavens. The others God spoke directly to them. Of Mary God saw as highly favored of the Lord. Joseph was seen by God as a just man willing to do whatever it took to save the life of Mary and Jesus. And the shepherds God saw as a very ready acceptant men expecting their Messiah, not for who they were, but for who He would be no matter how He came. These all were prepared to accept what they were unprepared for in their lives. Like Abraham of old they went forward not knowing where they went. And they cared not what others had to say, but how God saw them and what He alone told them to do. Though they may not have thought along this line at the time they certainly lived out what hundreds of years later Adiniron Judson would say as he saw God's hope in his life:

"The future is as bright as the promises of God."

Merry Christmas to all.