As Caleb sat that evening in his favorite chair, after a long couple of days, he looked at his grandsons, Uriel and Seth, then smiled at his daughter in law, Sarah. “So tell me, have these boys of mine been patient the last couple of days, waiting for us to gather again?” As Sarah heard the words she smirked. “If you are talking about your grandsons, then yes, they have been good. But if you are talking about your actual sons, then patience has been the farthest thing from them. All I have heard about for the past two days is who was it that brought the gifts to Jesus!”
Caleb smiling to his son, began to hear Asher speak. “Abba(Hebrew for father), it is just that so many different things are said and heard about who came to visit Christ that day. Who was it? Where were they from? And how did they know about the Messiah?”
As Caleb smiled, he spoke to his son. “You ask the same questions I once must have asked a million times. And praise the Lord that brother Matthew was patient with me, and did not run each time he saw me! Matthew told me that some time after Jesus was born, Magi arrived in Jerusalem from out of the east. And as they came into the city, they began to ask where was the Child who was born King of the Jews? Letting all know they had seen His star in the east and had come to Israel so they could worship Him. But as Herod and the people of Jerusalem saw their arrival, they were greatly troubled, and fearful of what they saw.(Matthew 2:1-3).”
Caleb continued, “Matthew identified these men as Magi, which we are all familiar with today. If we look east of Jerusalem, it is only one empire our eyes will see, for as far as we could possibly see. The empire of Parthia. We have all grown up knowing how powerful of an empire this is, and how strong the military force is they hold. I can remember hearing the stories about the battles between the Parthians and Romans, and how Rome suffered one of its worst defeats at the hands of their fierce cavalry. Although a king rules over Parthia, the Magi are a part of their governing body, as they not only oversee the rule of the land, but hold the responsibility to choose the king himself. These men hold incredible power, as you all know well, as all the world knows! And it is because these are men of such great power that much of the world refers to them as kings.”
Caleb then began to talk more about the Magi. “With the prominence these men hold, when they travel outside of Parthia, they are always accompanied by a large force of cavalry, often over a thousand riders in full gear, riding atop of the most beautiful and powerful of Persians steeds. Knowing Parthia’s history with Rome, and seeing such a large force ride up suddenly on Jerusalem, you can see why Herod and the people of the city were troubled.”
Looking at his family as they were completely gathered in front of him, Caleb then went on to say. “Now that we know who these men were, let me explain to you what Matthew told me of why they came. Israel’s history with the Magi goes way back. As Jerusalem was captured and taken into captivity by the Babylonians, Jeremiah told us that the chief of the Magi was there(Jeremiah 39:3). A few years later, the Writings and the Prophets tells us that a Jewish man named Daniel interpreted the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar, and was appointed as the head of all the Magi(Daniel 2:48). With Daniel sitting over the Magi, should it be any surprise to us that they would know the Lord’s promises of a coming Messiah, and that He would be both God and man(Daniel 7:13-14)? And did not Daniel tell us the timeframe upon which the Messiah would come(Daniel 9:24-27)? Words the Magi would have known well.”
As Caleb continued, he brought in his own personal connection. “To this day, countless Jews still live and prosper in Parthia, and have become a large part of the Parthian government. As you have heard me mention, I have a cousin who lives there, and his son ranks high in a government position. The influence that came from Daniel, Esther, and others, have led many there to seek the Lord God. So it should be of no surprise for us to see top and powerful officials from this nation coming to Israel at the time the Messiah was born! And it should be of no surprise that the Lord would lead these God-fearing men to where the Messiah would be!”
Caleb, in seeing how all this made sense to his family, then went on to tell about all that happened while the Magi were in Israel. “On hearing why the Magi were there, Herod called in the High Priest and all of his associates(Matthew 2:4-6). And as he did, he asked them where the Messiah was supposed to be born. On hearing Herod's words, the priests told him that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, and quoted to him Micah, who told us. ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.(Micah 5:2)’”
On hearing Caleb’s words, Asher spoke up again. “So, Herod did not even know what the prophets had foretold? Was Herod not familiar with the Writings and the Prophets?” As Caleb heard Asher’s words, he began to quickly answer. “You must understand, my son, Herod was a political leader, and politics was his focus. Messiah was not seen from Herod as an interest, but only as a threat to his own power. This was not only the case with Herod, but with many of the religious leaders. Notice in their reply, my son, they held the information, but what they did not have was the interest. This did not lead them to rush to Bethlehem to see the Savior, but instead led them to accompany Herod's deception, as I will now tell you.”
Caleb then went on to say, “Herod then deceptively called the Magi in to see him, claiming he wished to help them as he asked of them when the star had first appeared to them. And with each deceptive word, Herod sent the Magi on to Bethlehem, and asked them to report back to him about where they had found the Child, so that he might go and worship Him also(Matthew 2:7-8). But as these wise men departed, the Magi never promised to return to Herod, probably sensing that Herod had motives far beyond all he was telling them. I believe they looked into the eyes of Herod, and saw a reflection of his father, the Devil(John 8:44). The truth is, the Magi would have gotten far better advice if they had run into the perceived unreliable and unintelligent shepherds(Luke 2:8-20), than they had had in Herod and the priests.”
With great excitement, Caleb then began to tell them about what happened next. “As the left Herod, the star that had guided them, appeared in the sky again for them, leading them directly to the house the Savior was in. And as the Magi saw the star, they could be heard rejoicing with the greatest of joy as they realized all they had anticipated, all the Lord had promised, would soon be seen by them(Matthew 2:9-10).” Asher again began to speak. “Abba, forgive me, but what was this star? Was it a star we can see in the sky today?” As Caleb heard his son’s question, he paused to gather his thoughts. “My son, this was not a star, it was the star. His star. This was not a star we see in the sky each night, or some of the things we see each night coming together. This was no coincidence, but was the hand of the Lord moving, and something only He could ever duplicate(Colossians 3:2-4).”
As Asher nodded in understanding, Caleb went on to tell them the rest of the story. “As the Magi arrived at the house the Messiah was now in, they fell at His feet and worshipped Him(Matthew 2:11). As some of the most powerful men in this world could be seen that day bowing before Him. As they did, they reached for their treasures so they could present them to Him. And they laid at His feet gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
Again, Asher began to interrupt. “Abba, I am so sorry, but I find myself with so many questions! How old was Christ at this time? And why would they present these, of all gifts, to Him?” As Caleb heard Asher speak, he began to chuckle. “You are definitely your father’s son, as you have almost as many questions as I once had! Matthew never told me His exact age at the time the Magi came to visit, but I do know from his words that Jesus was no longer a newborn(brephos in Greek), but was now an infant(paidon in Greek). And as we look at these gifts, we see how they could have been no other. Gold, one of the most precious of metals, and ordered by God to cover the very seat He would rest on when in the presence of His chosen people(Exodus 25:10-17). We see the divinity of Christ in the gold they brought. Frankincense, a sweet, fragrant resin that was burnt as the anointing oil in the Lord’s presence(Exodus 30:34), and was used in the sacrifice offering in the Temple(Leviticus 2:1-15, 6:15). In frankincense, we see in this the holiness and righteousness that only Christ could bring, and His willingness to be a sacrifice for all mankind. And last but not least, Myrrh, a spice used in embalming. As you know, myrrh is also used as an analgesic often mixed with liquids as a way to ease pain, as it was offered to Christ as He was about to be crucified(Mark 15:23). In myrrh, we see the ultimate price that Christ paid, as He suffered greatly and gave His life for all who would come to follow Him. My son, only those who were given wisdom and sought discernment in the Lord’s Word would have known the importance these three gifts would soon hold in the life of this precious Child.”
As Caleb spoke, he soon found himself speaking again. “One more thing you should all know. As the Magi were set to leave Bethlehem, the Lord warned them in a dream not to return to Herod, so the Magi left to go home another way. This confirmed for them the deception that Herod had sought, as he attempted to use them(Job 5:13).”
As the whole family thought about all they had just heard, Sarah began to speak. “Abba, as I have listened, it all now makes perfect sense. How the life of Christ would begin, His life would also end. Not just in the gifts, but in all the actions. From the deception of political leaders, to religious leaders who did not care to know the truth. Even to all the people, who would walk by Him each day and did not give a second thought to who He was. But like the Magi, those who believe, would be drawn to and led by the Light that shined in the darkness.” As he heard her words, Caleb smiled and pulled his daughter in law, Sarah, as close to him as possible. “I pray my son never forgets what a blessed man he is that the Lord gave you to him as his wife!” And as Caleb fought back the tears, he spoke one last time to the family that night. “Tomorrow night, I will tell you all what happened with Herod, and how the Lord would send an angel to speak to Joseph once again.”
As Caleb and his family come together again tomorrow, I pray your family will also be joining them!
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