"Where is he who has been born king of the Jews "(Matthew 2:1–2 ). Part 1of a 3 part series.

                          Part 1

     The term Magi translated"Wise men" as we find it in Matthew, does not refer to Kings, as tradition often regards them, but rather to Astrologers or wise men.The text also says nothing about how many there were, nor does it give them names, as many early church traditions have done. In ancient Media and Persia, the Magi were a caste of priests who interpreted the signs of the heavens as well as dreams, similar to the wisemen in the book of Daniel.

     The text makes it clear that these men came from the east, probably referring to Babylonia, Media, or Persia all lands controlled by the Parthians.  The reason Matthew mentioned this seemingly small detail about the Magi's homeland was to point out that they came from the empire that had previously driven Herod out of Israel before he was appointed king. In other words, these men were coming from a place that posed a threat to Herod's position.

     

     Notice what the Magi said to Herod;

    

 "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him ".      ( Matthew 2:2)

     What a question to ask a man who called himself the King of the Jews! But how did the Magi know that Jesus was the king of the Jews?

     Given that these men were most likely from Persia or Babylon, they would have been familiar with the book of Daniel as well as with the rest of the Jewish scriptures, because many Israelites had been exiled to Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Israel.Daniel one of the boys captured by the Babylonians, eventually rose to become the leader of the Magi. Therefore the Magi would have been familiar not only with the writings of Daniel but also with all the Old Testament. One of the Old Testament books the Magi would've  read was Numbers. In Numbers 24; 17. Reference is made to a star in an oracle given by the prophet Ballam,who was asked by the king of Moab to place a curse on the Israelites. God prevented Ballam from cursing Israel and caused him instead to pronounce many blessings on them. One of the blessings was that a star would rise out of Israel and crush the enemies of God. Many theologians believe this passage refers not only to a near term defeat of the Moabites but also to a greater conqueror who would arise and vanquish all the enemies of God's people.

     This passage in Numbers is not the only place in the Old Testament were a star is mentioned. Numerous references are made throughout Scripture regarding the stars as signs from God. And Genesis 1: 14 when God created the stars., He said that they were not only to light up the evening day but also to serve as signs. So it should not be surprising that God would use a star in the sky to communicate to those astrologers that the Messiah had come. 

     The Magi also would have also been able to consult the prophecies of Daniel regarding the birth of the Messiah. Daniel 7–9 records many prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. As well as a detailed timeline for his arrival. The wisemen likely use these writings, along with the special star in the sky, to guide them to Israel and eventually to Jesus. No doubt they desire just to see the fulfillment of what the Scriptures foretold.

     It is clear from Matthews gospel that the Magi did not simply want to honor the birth of an important man, instead, they came to worship him, which means they regarded him as divine. Thus, God directed pagan religious leaders to travel hundreds of miles from the land of Herod's enemies to come and worship the Messiah He had sent to the world.

     The entire region of Israel knew the lengths that Herod would go to in order to maintain his position as king of the Jews, so when word got out that a contingent from Persia had arrived to honor another king of the Jews, Herod and all Jerusalem became troubled. Herod could hardly ignore the situation, because it may well have been that hundreds of Persian astrologers arrived at his palace with soldiers, horses, And glorious religious robes. The brilliant pageantry of the arrival would've been on grand display in Jerusalem to make  knowledge of the birth of a new king. What could have been more threatening for Herod? There can be no doubt that everyone wondered and feared how Herod would respond.

     Thus, God arranged for the Messiah to be born right under Herod's  nose (Bethlehem was only about 5 miles from Jerusalem ), and he received the international support that a true king should have received. Let's look at how Herod responded to the arrival of this group from Persia;

          And assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. (Matthew 2:4)   (cont. next posting)