Joseph Dream

One man wey don tire finally sleep, e don make up im mind. And for di quiet of di night, one voice tell am: no fear.

For Nazareth, Joseph heart dey heavy. Mary, di young woman wey e promise to marry, dey expect baby, and Joseph know say di child no be im own. E be good man. E wan keep God law, and e wan protect Mary from shame. So e don decide to end di betrothal quietly, without any noise for public. Matthew talk say while Joseph dey think about dis tins, dey turn dem for im mind again and again, something happen. E sleep, and di Lord talk.

One angel of di Lord appear to Joseph for dream. And di angel call am with one big name. Joseph, son of David, no fear to take Mary as your wife, because di pikin wey dey her belle na from di Holy Spirit. Son of David. Dem remind Joseph, di village builder, who e really be: part of di royal family line wey God promise to bless. And di tin wey e fear pass, dem explain am for one sentence. Mary no betray am. Dis child na from God imself.

Di angel continue. Mary go born son, and you, Joseph, go give am im name. Call am Jesus, because e go save im people from dia sins. For Hebrew, di name Jesus na Yeshua, one form of Joshua, wey mean di Lord dey save. Di name na di mission. Then Matthew enter to explain. All dis happen, e talk, to fulfil wetin di Lord talk through di prophet Isaiah, many hundred years before. Virgin go get belle and she go born son, and dem go call im name Emmanuel. Matthew tell us wetin e mean: God dey with us.

Then morning come. Joseph wake up. And di way Matthew describe wetin e do next simple well well. Joseph do as di angel of di Lord command am. No argument. No asking for sign. No delay. E carry Mary go house as im wife. E know say people fit talk. E know say some people no go ever believe di story. E still do am. Matthew add say Joseph no come together with Mary as husband and wife until she don born her son. And when di baby come, Joseph name am, exactly as dem tell am. E call im name Jesus.

Matthew readers go notice one echo. Long time before, for Genesis, another Joseph, one son of Jacob, dey famous for im dreams. And di family list wey Matthew put for di beginning of im gospel name dis Joseph papa as Jacob too. For Matthew first two chapters, God guide people through dream five times: four times to Joseph, and one time to di wise men.

Joseph dream dey Matthew chapter one, verse twenty reach twenty-five. One quiet man wey no talk plenty, and na wetin e do di moment wey e wake up show us im faith. Christians don read Isaiah words, God dey with us, for long time as di heart of Christmas. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When you know wetin God dey ask you, how quick you dey do am?