We know love as it happens between a man and a woman or as we have it as parents for our children and we know it can be strong and sometimes raises a passionate defense to protect our loved ones. The love of God for us is even stronger and is demonstrated to us through Jesus Christ in John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and took up residence among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth”. This God did to bring himself as a sacrifice for our sin in Matthew 1:21 “And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus was born “the son of God” (see 1 John 5:12) and was protected by God, and raised by Joseph and Mary fulfilling prophecy about him until he came into the fullness of His ministry on earth.
Let Us Rise Early
Set Me As A Seal Upon Your Heart
Song of Solomon 8:1–7
We understand the desire and passion that accompanies romantic love as is described in
Song of Solomon 8:6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death; passion is fierce as Sheol; its flashes are flashes of fire; it is a blazing flame.
and, as it goes on to say there is nothing that quenches it but to be with the one you love but you cannot buy this feeling, this attraction and desire to be together as in
Song of Solomon 8:7 Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned.
While this is difficult for us to separate because we are surrounded by sexual overtones in media all around us, there is a difference between the drive for sexual relations and genuine love. But if we can recognize what genuine love is, we can recognize the passion of God’s love for us. God said of Zion in
Isaiah 49:16 Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
Moses described God in
Deuteronomy 4:24 for Yahweh your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.
Paul recognized that as a minister of the gospel he had a responsibility toward “the bride of Christ” in
2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
The Lord has set his seal on us, his Holy Spirit, and desires our affection toward him in return. As Jesus said, in
John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
My Own Vineyard Belongs To Me
Song of Solomon 8:8–14
And David Became the Father of Solomon
She Will Give Birth to a Son
Matthew 1:18–25
Mary and Joseph were betrothed, and in their day, this was a strong bond, a commitment to be married where they began the preparation to share their lives together. And for a young Jewish woman, they would not have sexual relations until the day of their marriage. So, pregnancy was unexpected in
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
We get a sense for the strength of the bond of betrothal as Joseph is called “her husband” and he was required to “divorce her” to dissolve the relationship in
Matthew 1:19 So Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to disgrace her, intended to divorce her secretly.
Just as an angel of the Lord had spoken to Mary about this child, the Lord sent a messenger to Joseph telling him what had transpired in
Matthew 1:20–21 But as he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins.”
Mary believed and conceived and Joseph believed and became her protector and cared for her through her time of childbirth. There is little said about family and friends because what God was doing was unique and unbelievable to the natural mind. Sometimes God will ask us to do something that others don’t understand and it is for us to believe and agree and move forward even if it doesn’t seem to fit the cultural “norm”.
Where Is The One Who Has Been Born King of the Jews?
Out of Egypt I Called My Son
Matthew 2:13–23
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, not in Nazareth, the city of Joseph’s residence (see Luke 2:4–5). And, Jesus was presented to the Lord in Jerusalem in
Luke 2:22 And when the days of their purification were completed according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
but Herod, the King was now aware of the birth of Jesus and, in his fear of another coming to take his place, threatens Jesus life so Joseph, as father, husband, protector, receives direction from the Lord in
Matthew 2:13 Now after they had gone away, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him.”
Joseph and Mary had received gifts from the wise men so had provision to remain in Egypt until the death of Herod some ten years later (at twelve, Jesus was found in the Temple in Jerusalem see Luke 2:42–52) in
Matthew 2:19–20 Now after Herod had died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the life of the child are dead.”
so Joseph returned as the Lord led him to Nazareth in
Matthew 2:23 And he came and lived in a town called Nazareth, in order that what was said by the prophets would be fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Study Verses
- Song of Solomon 8:1–7 Set Me As A Seal Upon Your Heart
- Matthew 1:18–25 She Will Give Birth to a Son
- Matthew 2:13–23 Out of Egypt I Called My Son
Today’s Reading
- Song of Solomon 7:10–13
- Song of Solomon 8:1-14
- Matthew 1:1–25
- Matthew 2:1–23
