Read Matthew 2:1-12; 1 Samuel 2:35-36; Numbers 24:17; 2 Chronicles 31:15, 16; Micah 5:2
Upon the birth of Jesus, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem looking for the newborn king of the Jews (It made since to go to the capital to ask the current king where he was). Naturally, having rich, foreign men who came dressed totally different from the population of Jerusalem would create a a major stir in the city with everyone asking one another who these men were and where did they come from. Herod, who served as vassal king to Rome, was very bothered by the question that the Magi showed up to Jerusalem unannounced and asking to see the newborn King because it alerted him to the fact that the prophecies concerning the Messiah which he had heard were coming to pass. To confirm his suspicions, he asked for the teachers of the law and the chief priests where the Messiah was to be born. Reading from the book of Micah, they told Herod that he would be born in the town of Bethlehem.
Calling the Magi, back to him in a private meeting, King Herod asked them when the star appeared to them exactly. He then asked them to find the child after which he would come to worship him. The Magi left and followed the star with joy until it stopped at the place where Mary and Joseph were staying. They saw her holding Jesus and presented her with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. No doubt they had planned to return to Herod to report that they had found the future King of Israel but the Lord came to them in a dream warning them to not return to Herod so they took another route home.
What one has to ponder that isn’t talked about like it should is how did the Magi know when and where to find Jesus? They had to have read the scriptures (i.e. Old Testament) to figure out what we did in an earlier post that the time the Messiah would appear would be deduced from reading the 70 prophetic week prophecy of Daniel 9:24, 25. While they would find out when the Messiah would appear (AD 27), this prophecy alone would not be enough information because it says when Jesus would be anointed as the Messiah but not when he was born! The Magi would need more information. They looked to 1 Samuel and found out that the King would also be a priest. Hebrew priests were anointed for service when they turned thirty years of age. Now they counted back thirty years from the time the Messiah would appear and get the exact year the King would be born. Reading Numbers they would know to look for the star that whole year to appear and when it did they knew it was time to head to Judah. And thus their efforts were rewarded as the star led them right to where the Savior lived!
Food for thought: When we retell and sing of the story of the Magi who came to see Jesus, we overlook how much these men risked by traveling so far to see Jesus (the song says there were three of them, but we really have no idea how many there were). What cannot be missed is that these men traveled a long way and risked their LIVES and possessions to go see Jesus! They could have easily fallen prey to robbers along the way. Travel in those times was very dangerous. But they had studied the prophecies for years and they knew they were blessed to be alive at the time of Jesus’ birth and they weren’t going to miss seeing him no matter what the cost! That also shows something that is sad too. The Jews had the same scriptures these men did and they had every opportunity to study as they did and show up at the house just as the Magi did. There should have been a HUGE crowd of Jews along with the Magi to worship Jesus but they weren’t! So foreigners showed a greater passion and adoration for the King of Israel while the whole nation who knew about His arrival for CENTURIES let the event go by without paying much attention to it! There are those who in the last days of this world’s history who will come from out of nowhere to come worship at the feet of Jesus while many of the professed people of God are going about their own thing and not putting God first! Christians today need to be seeking after God FERVENTLY with all our heart in mind so that we will be ready when He comes again!
Up next: The King reveals characteristics of His Kingdom……
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