They were the Magi of the east. They were stargazers. It was their job to read the stars and tell the kings what the stars were saying and foretelling futures.
In our day we would call them astrologers.
One night a new star appeared, and they knew it meant a king had been born to the Jewish people. They pulled out their charts and historical scrolls and parchments. When the people of Israel had lived in their land as captives hundreds of years ago, they had told their Babylonian captors there will come a day when a great King would arise from among their people.
”“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.“
Numbers 24:17 NKJV
This was who Israel was waiting on and placing all their hopes on. “Look for a new star,”they would tell their captors. So for all these centuries, these Magi’s from the east passed this prophecy down through the ages. Every generation searched for a new star. Now can you imagine the excitement and the adrenaline rush for the first stargazer to see this new star.
They packed their bags and loaded up their caravan and off they went following THIS NEW STAR. They traveled over a 1000 miles on camels across the sand dunes just to meet this new KING OF THE JEWS and they even brought gifts.
We don’t know their names. The Bible doesn’t say because their names are not important. What is important is they went seeking THE KING. These astrologers were not brought up with the correct Jewish teaching. They did not follow the laws of God. They were pagens. Their religion was steeped in Eastern mysticism. They made decision based on the alignment of Vigo, Leo, and the age of Aquarius, yet they wanted to meet this new KING.
So they set out from the East with the Star as their only guide. They did not have the Torah or the prophecies of Isaiah, Micah, or Jeremiah. They were missing some data. The Star only guided them to a vicinity. So their first stop was the capital of Israel, Jerusalem, which only made sense if you are searching for a King. But they were looking in all the wrong places.
They stopped six miles too short. They made a wrong assumption. Their assumption was costly and deadly.
”Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”“
Matthew 2:1-2 NKJV
”When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”“
Matthew 2:3-6 NKJV
”Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.“
Matthew 2:16 NKJV
The Magi lacked some data and yet they continued their quest. These scribes and Pharisees had all the data and the missing prophecy puzzle pieces and yet they didn’t leave Jerusalem even after discovering the KING would be born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem, just 6 short miles from Jerusalem and they couldn’t be bothered to go and worship.
”And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.“
Matthew 2:11 NKJV
The word worship in this verse paints a picture of falling down and kissing Jesus’ feet. Herod on the other hand, sent an execution team out to kill every child 2 and under.
Here we have 2 differing heart conditions. The Magi were motivated by awe and worship. Herod was motivated by fear and evil. The scribes were culturally arrogant and lazy. They didn’t want to upset the apple cart.
Wrong assumptions make fools of us all. I know I have painted a certain picture of how I think Jesus should respond to certain situations in my life, and when He doesn’t act according to my plan…
“Well the Lord has left me. Or He just isn’t listening to me.”
But those wrong assumptions have caused me to miss what Jesus is actually doing in my life. Those wrong assumptions have caused me to stop short of seeking Jesus and continuing my quest to know Him more.
Jesus has an abundant life in store for all who seek Him. Do you want to join me in this journey? All you need is to be willing to fall down and worship.
Darkness cannot exist with light in its presence whereas light can exist in a dark environment. Whether you live with light or darkness is everyone’s individual choice. So choose the light!
I like “light can exist in a dark environment”