Joseph

“Because Joseph [Mary’s] husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” Matthew 1:19
We don’t know much about Joseph, the husband of Mary and legal father (although not the natural father) of Jesus Christ. We read about him in the early parts of the gospels, concerning the birth and childhood of Jesus, but it would seem that by the time Jesus’ ministry began, he had already passed away. So what do we know about Joseph, from the Scriptures?
Firstly, he was a righteous man. Not only does today’s verse tell us so, but we also see it in his actions. Society expected him to divorce Mary: she was found to be pregnant before they were married. In that culture, the espousal was much more binding than an engagement is today. An espoused couple could not simply call the wedding off, they had to arrange a legal divorce. In fact, for a girl to not be found as a virgin on her wedding day could be executed, according to the Law (Deut. 22:20-21). (Of course, in Mary’s case, she was indeed still a virgin, but other people did not know this.) However, instead of making a big deal, Joseph decided to keep it quiet, out of respect for her.
We also see Joseph’s obedience to God. Four times an angel appeared to him in a dream with a message from God, and each time he obeyed. (See Matt. 1:20, 2:13, 2:19, 2:22). He was in tune with God. These are attributes that we should be seeking to develop in our own lives today. If we aren’t obedient, God won’t use us – and He often stops speaking to us until we do the thing that He has told us to do. As we train ourselves to be obedient to God, our lives start to reflect Him and His righteousness.