Just so I get this straight. You are saying that widowers would never re-marry or the Jewish parents of young women, to be exact, would never allow them to be married to a widower?
Again, this is no ordinary family. What seems inconcievable to me is that Joseph would have had sexual interest in the person who had become the Ark of the Covenant.
I am not really talking about what is lawful here. In some cases a woman could be treated more like a piece of property, if you wanted stick strictly according to the law. The book of Ruth is beautiful love story in one sense, but Ruth still had to be "redeemed" or purchased. It was a business transaction made in the "gate" of the city where all business transactions are made--in the public.
Hosea bought back his wife with money. He paid for her. She was put on the slave block.
Hosea 3:2 So I bought her to me for fifteen
pieces of silver, and
for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:
But is the one that will bare the Son of God be as a slave to another man, piece of property to sell at a man's whim? I think not!
It is ironic to me that the Catholic who puts Mary on a pedestal, honors her to the degree of worship, prays to her, calls her the queen of heaven, gives her the most exalted of all possible positions, "blessed above all women," would think that she would not have the "perfect" marriage/wedding, by "virgin marrying virgin." That is the preferred marriage for any parent.
When it comes time for my daughter it would grieve me greatly if she insisted on marrying an older man with children. Why would she want to marry another person's family? That doesn't make sense--not for someone who is probably 17-20, as Mary probably was.
In the OT a man was not to go to war if newly married but remain with his wife. How would that apply here? In The OT, we have many examples of believers displaying love between each other. But if Joseph is that much over you have a father/daughter relation, or a master/servant relation. Neither one is suitable. Mary would probably just be Joseph's servant taking care of all his children and tending for them.
The more I think of this entire situation the more problematic it becomes. Read through Luke two--the "Christmas story." If Joseph had any other children they would have been mentioned. All throughout their betrothal, their stay at the inn, their travel with the infant Jesus, their visit with the Shepherds, and then the wise men, there is never any mention of any other children. Only three people are ever mentioned: Joseph, Mary and Jesus.
From the Scriptures, where do these children from Joseph suddenly come from. Jesus was "the carpenter's son," as identified in Mat.13:55. And those were his brothers, not step brothers.
Normally a widow/widower would marry someone their own age.
It just doesn't fit.
It is only fitting for the Catholics because they start with a false premise and then they say: "Ok, how am I going to prove this premise true." But a false premise always remains false.
The question ought to be: What does the Bible say about Mary?
