19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
The custom of the day was not a pretty one. When a husband or fiancé in this case, found out that his wife was pregnant and the possibility of it being his child was zero, he would bring her before the men of the town and press charges. This is before ultrasound, so I am not sure how the determination would be made. Maybe she would have to be five or six months pregnant. If she was found guilty, the Old Testament prescribes her sentence. They would take her to the edge of the town and stone her to death. Since she had not reported a rape, the conclusion was that she was a prostitute. So Joseph has a serious problem on his hands. He is engaged to Mary. And she is pregnant. Does he hand her over to her death, or does he marry her? It appears from the text there was a third option. Joseph would bring her into public, say what she did and then his obligation would be fulfilled. He would be free to marry someone else. This sounds very strange to our western ears. But today, women in Muslim countries are killed for doing less than this. We have seen videotape images of their executions. If Joseph did divorce her quietly, Mary’s life would be one of extreme hardship. No one would marry her, and in that culture it meant she would be without any financial support. The society would push her aside. She would have little choice except to become what she was accused of being: a prostitute. Of course many in the western world have made that same choice. Out of desperation some women follow that route in order to survive. Some women are forced into this line of work. Joseph spares Mary this horrible fate. Or should I say the Lord spares Mary this fate.
The Arnold Journey 