Do Wise Men Still Seek Him?
Each Christmas, Christians who send cards and sing hymns to celebrate the Lord Jesus birth will have all manner of art around the visit of the wise men from the east. They followed a special star they saw in the western sky, as they observed it out in the desert of what is now Iraq. The wise men were seekers of knowledge, science and wisdom. They were seekers of God, which is where the truly wise will go if they seek wisdom honestly. We wonder, do wise men still seek Him?
It Was the Darkest of Times for Ancient Israel
Going back six hundred years, it was the darkest of times for ancient Israel, as most of them were taken captive into Babylon. The captivity would be for seventy years, and then they would return in their hearts to God, He told them so. “Then you will call upon Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me if you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:12,13).
One who read and knew those words was a young man named Daniel. He was sought out by the king, who looked for “youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court” (Daniel 1:4). Having completed his training, Daniel joined a large cohort of scientists, politicians, astronomers, and even wizards, known as the Magi.
A Special Star
To be sure, a lot of them were magicians, conjurers and sorcerers, but there were many who were honest scientists and seekers of wisdom. They carefully kept records of all sorts of writings, and no doubt they saved the Book of Daniel. One thing that fascinated them in the desert sky was the stars. Six hundred years later, a bunch of them saw a special star. It was located above Bethlehem, though none of them knew that. They just knew in their hearts that they should follow it.
It was a long journey, but they knew it was the right thing to do, and they knew in general what it was about, because of the question they asked in Jerusalem. “Where is He who is born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2). Either they received word from the Holy Spirit or perhaps they also had the Isaiah scroll, which speaks of the Savior’s birth.
There Were Likely a Lot More Than Three Wise Men
With apologies to Hallmark cards, artists, makers of creches and most of the Sunday School pageants over the years, there were likely a lot more than three of them. We get that idea because they brought three sorts of gifts to the Lord Jesus, gold; frankincense; and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). Likely Herod would not have gotten so shook up over only three men asking where the Savior would be born! The wise men, the Magi, went to Bethlehem and worshiped the baby, the newborn King.
Do wise men still seek Him? “Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made” (Romans 1:28). You can look in the sky at the stars. You won’t see the star of Bethlehem. That one was special, but the stars point to the One who made them. “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). We cannot look at creation and not see the Creator. Creation is enough to let us know there is a God, an observable design requires a designer.
God Became Man
But God gave us a more specific revelation of Himself that the Magi found when they followed the star that led to the newborn Savior in Bethlehem. The Almighty, the Holy Creator is revealed to us all over, but we needed a way to understand Him in our terms. So, God became a man, right there at Bethlehem, Jesus Christ. “No one has seen God at any time, the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” (John 1:18). When a wise man, a wise woman truly seeks God, they need look no further than Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season.
Chasing Sunsets – Pastor Clay’s Devotions
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