You have had 2 weeks to to consider how intense this moment was. Magi have come from the east to worship the Messiah. The reigning King is afraid the Messiah has been born; yet the religious leaders merely acknowledge the location, choosing to show allegiance to Herrod rather than submit to this Messiah. Why didn't these leaders come to worship the Messiah along with the Magi? With all the signs playing out before them,they chose to do nothing. Their actions fulfill the prophesy of Isaiah 53,which states that the Messiah would be rejected by his own.
Than Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them the time the star had appeared,And he sent them to Bethlehem , saying" Go and search diligently for the child ,and when you find him,bring me word,that I too may come and worship him" (Matthew 2:7-8)
Notice that Herod summoned the Magi secretly.It is clear that he did not want anyone to know his plans. He did not want to draw anymore attention to this issue. He believed that the scriptures enough to know that the Messiah had been born, but he did not love God enough to submit to Him. Herod wanted to know when the star had appeared so he could get an idea of how old the baby was. If the star had appeared when the baby king was born, discerning the time of its first appearance would help him to know who to look for.Then Herod lied to the Magi,telling them to look for the Messiah so he could worship Him,when instead his only purpose was to eliminate any and all threats to his rule.(Matthew 2:16-18).He wanted the position that God said no one could ever have. Thus he was fighting against the rule of God.
Herod was not the only person to experience fear in regards to the coming of Jesus. In a certain sense, we all experience fear, because when we come face to face with Jesus the Messiah, we have to submit to Him. We can not rule ourselves,we cannot be in charge, and we cannot think that we can do what we want. We must submit to his sovereign rule. The truth threaten power hungry leaders. Herod had come face to face , not just with a one year old baby,but with the King of kings who would ultimately dethrone him and make him a servant
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tower high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.” (J.R.R Tolkien, The Return of the King )
I'm convinced that Satan loves to trap us in an endless cycle of "strategies" for self- improvement. Here's the spiritual habit you should focus on in 2015.
Losing weight, getting more education, and managing debt and stress top the U.S. government's list of most popular resolutions for a new year. Certainly, self-betterment in things such as health or finances is a noble goal. But issues in these areas are often mere symptoms of an underlying spiritual condition relating to whom or what we each believe we are—our identities. As a result we use money, education, work and so many other things as means to define ourselves and steer our own destinies.
I'm convinced that Satan loves to trap us in an endless cycle of "strategies" for self-improvement. In doing so, he keeps us on a treadmill where we consistently exert much effort, but get virtually nowhere. At the end of the week, month or year, too often we're in the same condition in search of yet another regime in which we can find purpose and meaning.
Ultimately Satan's strategy is to fill our minds with other voices that detract from the voice of truth that identifies us with Christ: a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), righteous (2 Cor. 5:21), chosen (Eph. 1:5) and accepted (Eph. 1:6). Satan knows that identity gives way to purpose and mission. That is, when you know who you are, you know what to do. So if he can confuse us about the former, then we'll be on a never-ending search for the latter.
There is, however, a single, simple spiritual method that Jesus used when faced with similar issues. And you too can apply its power in the same way to begin to silence the enemy, build confidence in your identity in Christ, and thus, change your life. Let's explore.
Jesus' Temptation Is Ours Too
At His baptism by John the Baptist, as Jesus arose from the water, the heavens were opened, the Spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove and the Lord spoke:
"And a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'" (Matt. 3:17).
Jesus's baptism account marks the first time recorded in Scripture that God publicly spoke an identity upon Jesus. Freshly baptized, God declared Him to be His Son. And even further He assured His Son of just how pleased He was with Him.
Immediately following, the Bible records that Jesus was sent out into the wilderness, where after 40 days of fasting, He was famished. Here, at His weakest moment, the devil came to tempt.
The story of Jesus's temptation is a popular one, which you've surely heard as the basis of more than one sermon. But what is less known, however, is what Satan was really after. Notice how he launches his attack against Jesus:
"If You are the Son of God, command that these stones be turned into bread" (Matt. 4:3).
God had just previously declared an identity upon Jesus. And now Satan approaches Jesus in His weakest moment to question what God had already assured, taunting, "If you are the Son of God ... ." Satan's temptation was aimed to cause Jesus to doubt who He was and what He had.
Isn't this the bulk of the issues we face and the beginning of so much of our own spiritual attacks? The Word of God contains a multitude of incredible assurances about who we are and what we have in Christ, and Satan comes to us with attacks, threats, lies and accusations that cause us to doubt it all.
Doing What Jesus Did
It's important to notice how Jesus didn't respond. He didn't yell and scream at Satan as if His volume would make any difference. He didn't run back to His disciples crying, "Please pray because the devil is lying to me." Nor did He begin the latest self-help fad. No, what Jesus did is so much simpler. Three times He put the power of the Word of God at work against Satan by countering him with it. He boldly declared, "It is written," effectively saying, "Shut up, devil!" This silenced Satan's attacks and caused him to retreat.
You can apply Jesus' model of spiritual warfare to whatever lies the enemy is launching at you today. Below I've listed a handful of Satan's common attacks countered by the truth found in some of my favorite Satan-silencing Scriptures. As you read them, be sure to speak these truths aloud.
Addiction
I will not let myself be overcome by evil, but I will overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21).
Anxiety
I don't worry about anything. Instead I seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and I trust that all of my needs will be met (Matt. 6:31-33).
Fear
God has not given me a spirit of fear or shyness. Instead I have power, love and self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7).
Guilt
I'm in Christ, and therefore I'm a new creation. My record of wrongs is erased, and I'm no longer defined by my past or mistakes, but I have a fresh new start (2 Cor. 5:17)!
Health
At the cross Jesus bore my sins on His body, so I'm free from sin and live in righteousness. Because of His wounds I have been healed (1 Pet. 2:24).
Stress
In my weariness I come to Jesus, and He gives me rest. I work with Him and learn from Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He refreshes my soul (Matt. 11:28-30).
Temptation
I submit myself to God. I resist the devil, and he must flee from me. I draw near to God, and He draws near to me (James 4:7-8).
(For a much more comprehensive list of Satan-silencing Scriptures to speak aloud, download my app, Shut Up, Devil!, free for iPhone and Android.)
The Bible contains truth to counter any of Satan's attacks. Locate a Scripture related to whatever you're facing, and then begin to speak it aloud throughout your day. Remember: The father of lies has no power when the truth of the Father is present!
Make It a Habit
Speaking Scripture activates a powerful, mind-renewing cycle because it allows truth to ingest in you, to get out of you, then back into you and so on. This transforms your life with confidence in what God has assured.
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17).
Make speaking Scripture a daily habit and you'll soon realize that you're no longer under attack, but you're on the attack. As I've experienced, you'll gain confidence in who you are and what you have, so that over time the issues and lies you once dealt with will no longer influence you.
Let God's Word be the only voice in your life that defines your identity and determines your destiny. Begin speaking it right now to begin to silence Satan and live victoriously.
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)
In my deepest, darkest moments, what really got me through was a prayer. Sometimes my prayer was 'Help me.' Sometimes a prayer was 'Thank you.' What I've discovered is that intimate connection and communication with my creator will always get me through because I know my support, my help, is just a prayer away.
