Matthew
shared what happened when the “wise
men”,
“heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw
in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the
young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding
great joy. And when they were 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 unto him gifts;
gold, and frankincense, and myrrh”,
and in chapter two and verse twelve of his book, Matthew shares how
the “wise
men” were
“warned
of God in a dream” where
we read:
And
being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod,
they
departed into their own country another way.
The
verse reads, “And
being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod,”
Matthew began with the words, “and
being warned”
which means “and being advised, consulted and given a divine
command” “of
God”
or “by the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the
Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “in
a dream”
or “in a mental imagery” “that
they should not return”
which means “that the wise men were not to turn or go back” “to
Herod”
or “to Herod whose name means heroic” and was “the name of a
royal family that flourished among the Jews in the times of Christ
and the Apostles. Herod the Great was the son of Antipater of
Idumaea. Appointed king of Judaea B.C. 40 by the Roman Senate at the
suggestion of Antony and with the consent of Octavian, he at length
overcame the great opposition which the country made to him and took
possession of the kingdom B.C. 37”. Matthew shared how the “wise
men”
were instructed by God in a “dream”
not to go back to Herod like he previously requested.
The
verse goes on to say, “they
departed into their own country another way.”
Matthew added the words, “they
departed”
which means “the wise men withdrew, left and turned aside” “into
their own country” or
“into the region, territory and land” “another
way”
which refers to “through a different course, traveled road and
journey”.
Matthew shared how the “wise
men”
obeyed God's direction and went back to their “own homeland” by
another pathway.
When
we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how God was
involved with these “wise men” before and after they were
lead to Jesus. Though they came to worship and give gifts to the
“young child” who was the “King of the Jews”, after
doing so God told them not to “return to Herod” even though He
requested they do so. God was watching over His plan to send a
“Savior and Lord” into the world, and everyone who yields their
life to Him shall be “saved”, and like the “wise men”
they can be assured this worthy King shall not only lead them in this
life, but also extend to them age abiding life forever and ever.
Next
time Matthew shares how,
“the
angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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