Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. Matthew 2:1-8
Steps: 11, 12
God tells the story of the wise men coming from the East, following a star, seeking the baby Jesus – the King of the Jews. God sent them to Jerusalem to be sure to create a stir in the minds of the people and of the king. This time fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-17 and God wanted to be sure that everyone in Israel knew about the coming of Jesus. The wise men were excited about meeting the king but the people of Israel, and the current non-Jewish king were not excited about Jesus as the king but about their feelings of someone getting in the way of the progress of the nation. The people and the king did not know what the Messiah was going to do but it did not look good for their business. So the king found out where Jesus was to be born, according to the prophecy of Micah 5:2, so that he could send the wise men to find the baby and then he could do what he wanted to do, kill the potential opposing king before he could gather a following. Israel could have known the time of the arrival of the King sent by God, but they were not interested in someone who could disrupt their lives. They were content to live life out without God interfering with their plans.
Prayer for Today: God, forgive us for getting preoccupied with things and being unaware of Your plans for us. Please help us to have some interest in Your plans, for Yourself, and for us. Help us not to get irritated with the fact that You want to get us into recovery. Help us to choose to cooperate with Your plans for us. We need Your help, and we ask for it again today.
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