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The news had not reached Nazareth. Joseph only heard of it because he was delivering furniture to the nearby town of Tzippori.
He pushed his donkey as hard as he could. He had to tell Mary. When he arrived home, he found her enjoying the waning afternoon sun. She was nearing the end of her pregnancy, and moving took more effort than she liked, but she slowly arose as Joseph came running toward her.
“You will not believe this,” he said, panting. “The Roman Emperor, Caesar, has ordered a taxing of all people. We have to go to the city of our birthplace. Mary, we have to travel to Bethlehem,” he exclaimed.
Grabbing her husband by the shoulders, she looked him in the eye and said, “Once the child is born, we will gather him up and make the trip.”
Joseph shouted, “You don’t understand. We have to go now. We can’t wait for the child to be born. Oh, why is this happening now,” he shouted in frustration.
“I am sure the Lord has his reasons,” she said.
The prophecy of Micah had not been revealed to them that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
They did not realize that Caesar’s order had to come at that precise time to have Mary in Bethlehem at the time of her child’s birth.
Because Joseph was a righteous man, he took care of his wife during this challenging time. After all, this child was certainly not his, but he believed the word of the Lord that came to him as his dream.
He understood how difficult a four-day trip on the back of a donkey would be for his wife. He realized they would need to pack extra things to be prepared if the child came during their trip.
It would have been easy to blame the ungodly Roman Emperor for making them take such a trip at this time.
But, being the righteous man he was, Joseph laid it before the Lord and made preparations.
The timing of God is always perfect and rarely understood. Joseph’s reaction to the news would be expected. Yet timing is something God controls—especially things outlined in his word.
We could miss God’s purpose if we miss the moment because of our human reaction. Mary served as a calming presence during Joseph’s challenge.
This is why companions are essential in our walk with God.
The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes says the two are better than one because if one falls, the other helps pick them up. If one is cold, the other can provide warmth.
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