The God who warns gave the wise men a dream, so they didn’t return to Herod in Jerusalem. God directs Jesus’ life to accomplish His divine plan for salvation. Jesus came to a hostile world that wanted to take His life from the beginning. God Warned the Wise Men Herod was so ruthless that he …
The story of the visit of the wise men shows how they were investing in worship. They gave their time and treasure to travel to worship the baby Jesus, the new king of the Jews. Their worship was not just lip service nor a casual, token hour of worship. The Pattern of Worship of the …
Herod claimed that he, like the wise men, wanted to worship the newborn king. But false worship doesn’t fool God. Matthew 2: 8 Then he (Herod) told them (the wise men), “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and …
Worship is from the heart. Psalm 86: 11 Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart so that I may honor you. 12 With all my heart, I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever, 13 for your love for …
God’s intervention can be threatening. When Moses went to Pharoah to ask for the release of the Hebrew people, Pharoah felt threatened. God had to send ten plagues to force Pharoah to release the people. Something similar happened when the wise men inquired about the new king to Herod. Matthew 2: 3 King Herod was deeply …
The story of the wise men shows how God speaks uniquely to people. These men were most likely the scientists of their day and were trained in astrology. Most Greeks, Romans, and even Jews respected astrological predictions in this time period. [1] God has used many unique ways to speak to His people over time. …
Scripture promises that God goes ahead of us. Deuteronomy 31:8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.[1] So how did God go ahead of the wise men or magi of Matthew 2? Who Were the Magi? Matthew …
Most people don’t understand that our worship affects others. Many people choose a church for what they can get from a church service. By definition, worship is “the reverent love and devotion accorded to God or the ceremonies, prayers or other religious forms by which this love is expressed.”[1] So, by definition, worship is what …
In our youth-orientated culture, we rarely see the value of the older generation. This is unfortunate because the older generation has much-accrued wisdom. Many times, the potential contributions of older folk are ignored. At the time of Jesus, the Jewish culture highly respected their elders. As Mary and Joseph went to the Temple to obey …
It won’t be easy. Would you continue a task if you received this warning? If the mission isn’t important, probably not. But if the job is critical, you would buckle down and move forward despite the hardships. As Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph, they were amazed at what he said. Jesus will fulfill the prophecies. …