TINGIM Joseph long datfala naet long Bethlehem. Taem hem putim nara basket long baksaed bilong datfala donkey, masbi hem tingim datfala gogo wea bae olketa duim for kasem Egypt. Hem tingim bae olketa go long ples bilong olketa difren pipol wea garem difren languis and difren kastom and hao nao bae smol famili bilong hem deal witim datwan?

Hem no isi for Joseph talem disfala nogud nius long waef bilong hem Mary, bat hem mas duim nao. Hem storyim wanfala dream long Mary wea wanfala angel talem hem message from God. Angel hia sei: King Herod laek for killim dae smol son bilong tufala! So olketa mas lusim Bethlehem kwiktaem. (Matthew 2:13, 14) Mary hem barava wari. Mary and Joseph no minim nao why eniwan laek for killim dae smol pikinini bilong tufala. Nomata olsem, from tufala trustim Jehovah, tufala redyim evri samting for go.

Taem Joseph, Mary and Jesus go kwaet nomoa from datfala taon, pipol long Bethlehem sleep and no savve wanem nao gohed. Taem Joseph leadim famili bilong hem and hem start for daylaet maet hem tingim wanem nao bae happen. Hao nao bae hem protectim famili bilong hem from Herod? Hao nao bae hem provaedem need bilong famili bilong hem? Waswe, hem savve gohed for duim disfala waka for lukaftarem and teachim disfala spesol pikinini wea God givim hem? Joseph mas deal witim olketa hard samting wea bae kamap. Taem iumi storyim wanem Joseph duim for deal witim olketa hard taem hia, datwan bae helpem iumi for lukim why olketa dadi distaem and iumi evriwan mas followim faith bilong Joseph.

Joseph Protectim Famili Bilong Hem

Winim wan year go finis long hom bilong Joseph long Nazareth, Joseph engage for maritim dota bilong Heli. Joseph savve Mary hem wanfala gud gele wea faithful. Then Mary sei hem babule! Joseph ting for divorcem Mary kwaet nomoa, mekem pipol no story nogud abaotem Mary. * Bat long wanfala dream wanfala angel explainim long Joseph, holy spirit bilong Jehovah nao mekem Mary for babule. Datfala angel sei son wea born bae “sevem pipol bilong hem from sin bilong olketa.” Hem strongim Joseph taem hem sei: “No fraet for tekem waef bilong iu Mary go long haos bilong iu.”—Matthew 1:18-21.

From Joseph hem raeteous and man wea obey, hem duim samting wea angel talem. Hem redi for duim barava important waka for lukaftarem and teachim wanfala boy wea hem no bilong hem, bat wea barava spesol long God. Then for followim law bilong king, Joseph mas tekem waef bilong hem wea babule for go long Bethlehem for registerim nem bilong tufala. And long Bethlehem nao datfala pikinini hem born. *

 Joseph no tekem famili bilong hem go bak long Nazareth. Bat olketa stap long Bethlehem wea no farawe from Jerusalem. Olketa no garem staka samting, bat Joseph mek sure Mary and Jesus garem wanem tufala needim and for no safa. Gogo olketa go stap long wanfala smol haos. Then seke nomoa laef bilong olketa hem change moa, distaem maet Jesus hem winim wan year nao.

Samfala man wea studyim star, maet from Babylon long East olketa kam. Olketa lukaotem nao wanfala pikinini wea bae kamap king bilong olketa Jew. Olketa followim wanfala star for kam long haos bilong Joseph and Mary. Olketa man hia showimaot respect long famili bilong Joseph.

Maet olketa man hia no savve, bat samting wea olketa duim hem putim laef bilong datfala pikinini Jesus long danger. Datfala star wea olketa followim leadim olketa for go firstaem long Jerusalem and no long Bethlehem. Taem olketa kasem Jerusalem, olketa go talem long datfala nogud King Herod, olketa lukaotem wanfala pikinini wea bae kamap king bilong olketa Jew. Datwan mekem datfala king jealous and barava kros.—Lukim article “Samfala Ask Olsem . . . Hu Nao Sendem Kam Datfala ‘Star’?” long page 15.

Bae iumi lukim hao Jehovah no letem eni nogud plan bilong Herod for spoelem datfala pikinini. Hao nao hem duim datwan? Tingim, olketa man hia kam givim present long Jesus. Joseph and Mary mas sapraes tumas for garem olketa expensive samting olsem gold and tufala naes paoda. Plan bilong olketa man hia hem for go talem long King Herod olketa faendem datfala pikinini long Bethlehem. Bat insaed wanfala dream, Jehovah talem olketa for go bak long hom bilong olketa followim difren road.—Matthew 2:1-12.

Bihaen olketa man hia go, Joseph kasem disfala warning from angel bilong Jehovah: “Getap, tekem pikinini hia witim mami bilong hem, and ranawe go long Egypt. Stap long there go kasem taem wea mi talem iu for kam bak, bikos Herod hem lukaotem disfala pikinini for killim hem dae.” (Matthew 2:13) Olsem iumi storyim long start bilong disfala article, Joseph kwiktaem obey. Laef bilong Jesus nao barava important winim eni nara samting, so Joseph tekem famili bilong hem go long Egypt. From olketa man wea studyim star givim olketa expensive present long tufala, famili bilong Joseph garem samting for iusim long gogo bilong olketa.

Samfala kastom story sei, datfala gogo bilong olketa for Egypt hem difren from wanem Bible talem. Olketa story hia sei, Jesus duim samfala mirakol, olsem hem mekem olketa for kasem Egypt kwiktaem, hem stopem olketa man for steal, and hem mekem olketa date palm tree for bend mekem Mary savve pikim frut bilong  olketa. * For tok stret, datfala gogo bilong olketa for Egypt hem no isi.

Olketa dadi and mami savve lanem staka samting from example bilong Joseph. Hem willing for leavim waka and lusim olketa material samting for protectim famili taem laef bilong olketa stap long danger. Hem tinghae long datfala important responsibility wea Jehovah givim long hem for lukaftarem famili bilong hem. Distaem, olketa dadi and mami trae for protectim pikinini bilong olketa from olketa nogud samting wea savve spoelem or killim olketa dae. Iumi tinghae long olketa mami and dadi wea disaed strong for duim samting for protectim olketa pikinini, olsem Joseph hem duim!

Joseph Provaedem Need Bilong Famili Bilong Hem

Luk olsem famili bilong Joseph no stap longtaem long Egypt, bikos datfala angel talem long Joseph, Herod hem dae nao. So Joseph tekem famili bilong hem go bak long hom bilong hem. Wanfala Bible profesi talem Jehovah bae “kolem kam bak son bilong [hem] from Egypt.” (Matthew 2:15) Joseph duim samting for mekem datfala profesi kamap tru. Bat bae hem tekem famili bilong hem go wea?

Joseph mas barava careful, bikos Archelaus wea changem Herod, hem wanfala raf and nogud man olsem Herod tu. God talem Joseph for tekem famili bilong hem for go bak long Nazareth long Galilee, wea hem farawe from Jerusalem and Archelaus. Long there nao Jesus hem growap.—Matthew 2:19-23.

Famili bilong Joseph olketa stap gud, bat laef hem no isi. Bible sei Joseph hem wanfala carpenter. Disfala word hem minim man wea iusim timba long waka bilong hem. Hem minim man hia katem and karem timba, draem timba for wakem haos, kanu, olketa smol bridge, trailer, olketa wheel, olketa yoke, and eni kaen tul for waka long garden. (Matthew 13:55) Diskaen waka hem no isi. Long bifor, olketa carpenter savve duim waka bilong olketa front long haos or long wanfala workshop wea stap klosap.

Joseph iusim staka difren kaen tul. Maet samfala tul hia hem from dadi bilong hem. Maet hem iusim square, plummet, chalk line, hatchet, saw, adze, hammer, mallet, olketa chisel, drill, difren kaen glue, and maet tu-thri nila bikos olketa expensive.

Tingim, Jesus lukluk long hao dadi wea adoptim hem duim waka. Hem lukluk gud long evri samting wea Joseph duim. Masbi hem lukim hao Joseph hem strong and savve tumas hao for iusim olketa tul bilong hem. Maet Joseph lanem boy bilong hem hao for iusim skin bilong fish wea olketa draem, for smoothim raf timba. Maet hem lanem Jesus long olketa didifren kaen timba wea hem iusim, olsem sycamore fig, oak, or olive.

Jesus lukim wei wea Joseph hem wanfala strong man wea savve katem tree, sawim timba, and hammerim timba for join go long nara timba. Bat hem lukim tu Joseph hem man wea kaen  and tingim hem, mami bilong hem and olketa brata and sista bilong hem. Luk olsem Joseph and Mary garem big famili nao, samting olsem sevenfala pikinini. (Matthew 13:55, 56) Joseph mas barava waka hard for lukaftarem olketa.

Bat Joseph luksavve important waka wea hem mas duim hem for lukaftarem famili bilong hem long spiritual wei. So hem iusim taem for teachim olketa pikinini bilong hem abaotem Jehovah God and olketa law bilong Hem. Hem and Mary evritaem tekem olketa pikinini go long sinagog for herem taem olketa readim and explainim Law. Bihaen datwan, maet Jesus garem staka kwestin wea Joseph traem best bilong hem for ansarem. Joseph tekem famili bilong hem tu long olketa festival long Jerusalem. Maet hem tekem Joseph and famili bilong hem tufala week for go long Pasova long Jerusalem and kam bak, wea hem samting olsem 225 kilometer.

Olketa Christian dadi distaem tu mas lukaftarem spiritual need bilong famili bilong olketa. Olketa savve wei for teachim pikinini long olketa spiritual samting hem winim eni nara samting olketa savve duim. Olketa waka hard for tekem pikinini long olketa Christian meeting and olketa assembly. Olsem Joseph, olketa dadi savve best wei for helpem olketa pikinini, hem nao for duim olketa samting hia.

“Barava Wari Fogud”

Taem Jesus hem 12 year, Joseph tekem famili go long Jerusalem olsem hem savve duim evri year. Hem taem bilong Pasova and evriwan hapi bikos staka famili wakabaot and story tugeta long road for go long Jerusalem. Taem olketa klosap kasem Jerusalem, olketa singim olketa psalm. (Psalms 120-134) Taem olketa kasem Jerusalem, masbi datfala taon fulap long staka pipol. Bihaen Pasova olketa famili hia wakabaot go bak long hom bilong olketa, and maet Joseph and Mary tingse Jesus hem wakabaot witim olketa nara relative bilong olketa. Bat bihaen olketa wakabaot for wan full day finis nao, olketa just luksavve Jesus no kam witim olketa.—Luke 2:41-44.

Tufala wari fogud and kwiktaem go bak long  Jerusalem for lukaotem Jesus. Tingim, tufala wakabaot long datfala taon and singaotem nem bilong boy bilong tufala. Tufala mas barava laek for savve wea nao boy bilong tufala. Long mek thri day maet Joseph start for feel olsem hem no lukaftarem gud datfala spesol son bilong Jehovah. Gogo tufala go long temple and lukaotem hem long there. Tufala go long wanfala rum wea olketa bigman wea barava savve gud long Law olketa sidaon and Jesus tu hem sidaon witim olketa. Tingim, masbi Joseph and Mary hapi for lukim Jesus!—Luke 2:45, 46.

Jesus lisin gud long olketa bigman hia and askem staka kwestin long olketa. Olketa sapraes long savve wea boy hia garem, and olketa samting wea hem storyim. Bat Joseph and Mary sapraes long Jesus. Joseph no talem eni samting, bat Mary nao hem sei: “Pikinini bilong mi, why nao iu duim olsem long mitufala? Mi and dadi bilong iu lukaotem iu long evri ples and mitufala barava wari fogud.”—Luke 2:47, 48.

Disfala short story long Bible helpem iumi for minim waka bilong olketa dadi and mami hem no isi. And nomata Jesus hem wanfala perfect pikinini, hem no isi tu for Joseph and Mary. For garem pikinini long disfala world wea staka problem stap savve mekem mami and dadi “barava wari fogud.” Bat from olketa dadi and mami savve Jehovah hem luksavve hem no isi for olketa, datwan comfortim olketa.

Long temple nao hem ples wea Jesus feel olsem hem klosap long Dadi bilong hem Jehovah and wea hem savve lisin and lanem staka samting abaotem Jehovah. So hem talem stret long mami and dadi bilong hem: “Hao nao iufala lukaotem mi? Iufala shud savve finis, mi mas stap long haos bilong Dadi bilong mi ia!”—Luke 2:49.

Joseph waka hard for teachim son bilong hem for lovem Jehovah God. Masbi staka taem nao Joseph ting raonem olketa toktok hia wea Jesus talem and datwan mekem hem hapi tumas long Jesus. From Joseph hem kaen and lovem Jesus, datwan mekem Jesus for fren gud witim Joseph, nomata hem wanfala boy nomoa long datfala taem.

Sapos iu wanfala dadi, iu garem privilege for duim samting for helpem pikinini bilong iu luksavve wanfala dadi hem lovem and protectim olketa pikinini bilong hem. Sapos iu garem olketa step-pikinini or iu adoptim samfala pikinini, followim example bilong Joseph and tingim evri pikinini olketa spesol. Helpem olketa for fren gud witim Dadi bilong olketa long heven, Jehovah God.

Joseph Gohed Faithful and No givap

Bible storyim tu-thri nara samting moa abaotem Joseph wea hem gud for iumi ting raonem.  Bible sei Jesus “hem gohed for obeyim” mami and dadi bilong hem. Hem sei tu: “Jesus start for big nao and gohed for garem gudfala tingting. God barava hapi long hem and olketa man tu hapi long hem.” (Luke 2:51, 52) Wanem nao iumi savve lanem abaotem Joseph from olketa toktok hia? Iumi lanem Joseph hem gohed for lukaftarem famili bilong hem, dastawe datfala perfect boy bilong hem respectim and obeyim hem.

Iumi lanem tu, Jesus gohed for garem gudfala tingting. Joseph nao helpem son bilong hem for kamap olsem. Wanfala toktok bilong olketa Jew long datfala taem sei olketa rich pipol nomoa olketa wise, bat olketa carpenter, farmer, man wea wakem samting from metal, olketa no savve wanem hem stret and wanem hem no stret and olketa no fit for judgem nara pipol. Taem Jesus big finis hem showimaot datfala toktok bilong olketa Jew hem no tru. Taem hem smol boy, hem evritaem herem dadi bilong hem, wea hem wanfala carpenter nomoa, teachim hem long olketa samting wea Jehovah sei hem stret and no stret.

Iumi savve lukim tu wei wea Joseph lukaftarem gud Jesus for hem healthy, and hem strong. And Joseph trainim son bilong hem tu for duim gud waka bilong hem. Jesus hem no son bilong carpenter nomoa bat olketa kolem hem “datfala carpenter.” (Mark 6:3) So datfala training wea Jesus kasem from Joseph barava helpem hem. Hem gud for olketa dadi followim example bilong Joseph taem olketa lukaftarem pikinini bilong olketa for stap healthy, and for trainim olketa for duim waka.

Taem Jesus hem kasem 30 year and hem baptaes, Bible no storyim nao Joseph. Luk olsem Joseph hem dae finis taem Jesus start for duim ministry bilong hem. (Lukim box “Wanem Taem Nao Joseph Hem Dae?” long page 13.) Bat Joseph hem showimaot nambawan example long wei wea wanfala dadi protectim famili bilong hem, provaedem need bilong olketa, and wea gohed faithful go kasem taem hem dae. Hem gud for olketa dadi and iumi evriwan for followim faith bilong Joseph.

[Olketa Footnote]

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Wanem Taem Nao Joseph Hem Dae?

Iumi savve taem Jesus hem 12 year Joseph hem laef yet. Taem olketa young boy long Jew kasem 12 year, hem nao taem wea olketa savve lanem samfala samting from waka wea dadi duim, and taem olketa kasem 15 year dadi trainim olketa nao long datfala waka. Luk olsem Joseph hem laef yet for Jesus kasem training olsem. Bat waswe, Joseph hem laef yet taem Jesus hem kasem 30 year and startim ministry bilong hem? Luk olsem nomoa bikos long datfala taem Bible storyim mami bilong Jesus, olketa brata and sista bilong hem, bat Bible no storyim Joseph. Wantaem Bible sei olketa kolem Jesus “son bilong Mary.” (Mark 6:3) Bible sei, Mary disaedem samting seleva and no askem hasband bilong hem. (John 2:1-5) Long datfala taem, olketa widow nomoa savve duim datwan. Then taem Jesus hem redi for dae, hem askem aposol John for lukaftarem mami bilong hem. (John 19:26, 27) Jesus bae no duim datwan sapos Joseph hem laef. So luk olsem, Joseph hem dae taem Jesus hem young man nomoa. From Jesus hem first boy long famili, masbi hem nao lukaftarem carpenter waka bilong dadi bilong hem and famili bilong olketa go kasem taem hem baptaes.

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Joseph no tingim hemseleva bat hem duim samting kwiktaem for protectim pikinini bilong hem

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Joseph waka hard for provaedem need bilong famili bilong hem

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Joseph hem evritaem tekem famili bilong hem go long temple long Jerusalem for worship

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Joseph trainim son bilong hem for kamap wanfala carpenter