Some Key Words (10/23/04)

Angel (angelos [32]):

Messenger. It declares the office, not the nature of the office holder. Used of bishops, and of God's appearance in the form of man, as well as created spirit beings. | from aggello: to bring tidings. A messenger. An angel, a pastor. | One who is sent. A spirit sent by God to do His will, or to announce His purposes to man. Specific angels have specific responsibilities. The angels of the churches should not be taken as indicating bishops, but rather the angels charged with guarding those churches.

Appeared (fainetai [5316]):

to shine. To appear, be made conspicuous. To be seen. To be thought to be. Something may appear, shining bright, and yet not be seen by any. A phenomenon, which is what this word indicates, is a manifest appearance, a physical reality not to be confused with imaginations. That which shines must exist. | from phos [5457]: from phao: to make manifest by shining a light; luminousness, brightness. To shine, to show. | To bring into the light, show, cause to shine. To be resplendent. To come into view, appear, become evident. To be exposed to view. To become clear, or manifest. To be seen in thought - a judgment or opinion.

Tricked (enepaichthee [1702]):

| from en [1722]: of a fixed position, or of instrumentality. A relation of rest. At, by, on, and paizo [3815]: from pais [3816]: from paio [3817]: to hit singly, or to sting like a scorpion; a boy, as one beaten; to play with, as a boy might. To deride, or mock. | To play with, trifle with, mock, delude, deceive.

Enraged (ethumoothee [2373]):

| from thumos [2372]: from thuo [2380]: to rush, as indicated by breathing hard, or blowing out smoke. To sacrifice by fire, to immolate; passion seen in heavy breathing; To enrage. | To provoke to anger, to cause one to be incensed.

Bethlehem (Beethleem [965]):

| | "house of bread"

Ramah (Rama [4471]):

| from Ramah [OT:7414]: from ramah [OT:7413]: from ruwm [OT:7311]: to rise or raise; a height, the seat of idolatry; "hill." |

Afraid (efobeethee [5399]):

To terrify. To be terrified. | from phobos [5401]: from phebomai: to be made fearful; alarm or fright. To be alarmed. To be awed. | To scare away. To be scared away, put to flight, struck with fear and seized with alarm. To hesitate in doing for fear of harm. To reverence.

Warned of God (chreematistheis [5537]):

To do business with, have dealings with. To speak under divine influence. To declare things revealed by oracle. | from chrema [5536]: something useful, necessary, of valuable. To speak an oracle, understand by divine revelation. | To manage public affairs, do business, offer advice. To respond to those seeking an oracle. To speak divine command or warning. "To teach from heaven." To be divinely instructed. To serve as God's mouthpiece.

Nazareth (Nazaret [3478]):

|| Perhaps meaning "a shoot or sprout." Perhaps meaning "guardian or sentinel" or "watch-tower". About three days' distance from Jerusalem.

 

Paraphrase: (10/23/04)

13 The night after the magi's visit, Joseph dreamed, and an angel spoke to him in this dream, telling him to take his family into Egypt swiftly, because Herod would have the Child killed. 14 Joseph obeyed this word before the night was over, heading immediately for Egypt 15 where they would remain until after Herod's death. This fulfilled the prophetic word: "I called My Son out of Egypt." 16 Herod was utterly incensed when he realized that the magi had slipped away. He considered what he had learned from them, and moved swiftly, ordering all of Bethlehem's boys under the age of two to be killed. 17 This also fulfilled prophecy, for Jeremiah had written 18 of Rachel's weeping for the children that were destroyed. 19 After Herod's death, Joseph once more heard from the angel in his dreams, 20 telling him it was time to return to Israel. 21 Again, Joseph was quick to comply, 22 but as he came into the lands of Israel he learned that Herod's son reigned in his place in Judea, which made him fear to go forward. Once again, God spoke in his dreams, and he took the new instructions and headed for Galilee. 23 There, he settled his family in Nazareth, fulfilling yet another prophetic word: "He shall be a Nazarene."

Key Verse: (10/24/04)

Mt 2:17 - Thus was Jeremiah's prophecy fulfilled.

Thematic Relevance: (10/23/04)	Matthew's particular concern with showing Jesus in continuity with Hebrew teaching is particularly clear in this section. Everything points back to the prophets, and thereby the prophets point forward to this One who was come.
Doctrinal Relevance: (10/23/04)	True prophecies are fulfilled prophecies, or shall be so. Here is also further anchoring of the Christ in real, tangible history. The events Matthew notes were not likely to go unnoted. A verifiable timeline emerges.
Moral Relevance: (10/23/04)	If there is one thing to take from this passage, it is that we should be instant in obedience. Hesitation on Joseph's part could easily have put them in the vicinity of Bethlehem precisely as Herod's command was carried out. Instead, they were safely by and en route to Egypt before Herod could act. Even in his fear upon returning, Joseph shows faithful obedience. He didn't turn around, he sought further instruction, and God blessed his faithfulness with the instruction he needed.
Questions Raised: (10/23/04)	How long was the stay in Egypt? Why were they not returning to Nazareth anyway?

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People Mentioned: (10/24/04)

Joseph

Worth mentioning that ISBE works out its own theory of how Luke and Matthew correlate on the birth narrative, reaching the conclusion that Mary and Joseph had returned to Bethlehem at some later point, and that it was during this visit that the magi arrived. I must point out, though, that there is nothing that states specifically that the magi found Jesus in Bethlehem. ISBE also provides a bit of a timeline for the events of this passage, placing Jesus' birth in 6BC, the trip to Egypt in 5BC, and Herod's death in 4BC. As for Joseph, the article suggests he was a bit out of touch with matters divine, except for those which immediately impinged upon his own thoughts. I.e. - apart from the dreams, he was pretty much oblivious to what was happening. It is also noted that in Joseph we see justice (for he was a just man) mitigated by mercy. While this is not pursued in the ISBE, I would note that this makes his life somewhat prophetic in regards to what God was doing on the grand scale.

Herod

[Fausset's] An Idumean, i.e. - Gentile by birth, although Jewish by faith. The family made Jewish religion a tool of government. "Thus a descendant of Esau tried still to get from Jacob the forfeited blessing." Made governor over Galilee when about 20 years old, and quickly expanded his control over Syria as well, eventually appointed joint tetrarch of Judea alongside his brother. His concern for preserving his own power led him to murder members of his own family, both wife and sons. He suffered from a disease the effected his stomach and his bowels, which only added to his cruelty. His command to destroy the children of Bethlehem is seen as 'the consummation of his guilt before God,' and shows him to be among Satan's foremost troops in opposing the Lord. "Ambition was his ruling passion." The Temple in Jerusalem was not his only construction effort. He also rebuilt the temple of Apollo at Rhodes, as well as introducing many Roman 'cultural' events into Jewish life. There is some suggestion that his efforts in rebuilding the Temple covered his destruction of the official genealogies of the priesthood.

Magi

This was pretty thoroughly explored in the previous section. Let me just add, at this point, that the same term used to describe these wise men from the east is used to describe one Elymas Bar-Jesus, in Cyprus. This one is described as a sorcerer, a magician, and a false prophet. It must be noted that, though the magi from the east were blessed to attend upon the King of kings, their learned arts were not thereby declared acceptable in God's sight. One other comment worth making concerns the effect of the magi's question upon Herod. Fausset's notes a story that would have it that Herod had heard prophecies regarding the duration of his reign, and it is clear both from Scriptural and non-Scriptural sources that he was obsessively concerned with establishing his power and his legitimacy. When the question came forth: "Where is the one born King of the Jews?" it could not help but remind him that he was not Jewish by birth, but came of Idumean stock mixed with Arab blood. It was the slap of reality, stinging his carefully constructed mask of legitimacy - a forceful reminder that he was but an interloper on the throne God would fill.

Jeremiah

In the New Testament, only Matthew speaks of this prophet by name, twice noting him as the author of a prophecy which the events around Jesus fulfilled (Mt 27:9-10 - Jeremiah had said that they would take the silver, the price set for that One by the sons of Israel, and give it for the Potter's Field. So it was done with the coins Judas returned to the priests.) , and once indicating him among those whom people thought perhaps Jesus was (Mt 16:14 - Some say John the Baptist. Some say Elijah, others Jeremiah, others identify You with others among the prophets.) The Chronicler notes that Jeremiah composed the Lamentation at the death of Josiah (2Ch 35:25). He further notes that Zedekiah would not heed the words Jeremiah spoke (2Ch 36:12). To him is attributed to prophecy of seventy years' exile, which was fulfilled when Cyrus of Persia decreed that God's people ought restore His house in Jerusalem (2Ch 36:21-23). It was this prophecy of Jeremiah's that led Daniel to commit himself to prayer and fasting, for he could see that the time was rapidly reaching completion (Dan 9:2-3).

Rachel

[M&S] 'sheep.' Wife of Jacob, mother of Joseph and Benjamin, who died near Bethlehem in Ephrath (Ge 35:16-19 - En route from Bethel, while still some ways from Ephrath, Rachel entered severe labor, and bore Benjamin. However, she died in the process, and was buried there, near Bethlehem.). It is her status as mother of Joseph that gives the more immediate cause for Jeremiah's prophetic use of her name. The more immediate event Jeremiah had in view as the exile of the northern tribes under Assyrian domination, for among those ten tribes were Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph. The greater fulfillment, however, comes with this passage, with the massacre Herod caused to occur so near the gravesite of Rachel.

Archelaus

[ISBE] succeeded his father as ruler of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea, but was removed from office by Rome in 6 AD. Born to Herod by his third wife, a Samaritan, he inherited his father's violent temper. His inheritance of the throne was contested in Rome by brother Antipas, and by a fair contingent of Jews, incensed by his brutal repression of an uprising, in which thousands were killed. However, Rome upheld his claim to the throne at that time, and he returned to Judea with a vengeance. So severe was his rule that Judea and Samaria found themselves united in their opposition to his rule, sending a joint embassy to Rome which succeeded in removing Archelaus from power. Failing in his attempts to defend himself in Rome, he was stripped of power and possession, and exiled to Vienna. [Fausset's] Raised in Rome, he was accused of treason by his brother Antipater, but was apparently exonerated before Herod's death. Though he succeeded his father to the throne, he was not given the title 'king,' but only of 'ethnarch.' He reigned only ten years, ending in 6 AD. The slaughter which led to the first Jewish embassy to Rome seeking his removal concerned the Temple. His father Herod had caused the Roman eagle to be set up over the gates of the Temple, which eagle had been torn down for the offense that it was. Herod had ordered the two leaders executed. At the following Passover, with Herod dead and Archelaus in power, many spoke kindly of these two martyrs, at which Archelaus had the Temple precincts cut off by his cavalry, and within the Temple compound, he caused 3000 men to be killed for their sympathies. It is likely this event that led to Joseph's concern about returning to Israel as God commanded. Antipas was the expected heir to the throne. Archelaus came as a relative unknown, but this first act of his reign did not bode well. [M&S] The events at the Temple occurred before he had been confirmed in his throne by Rome. The Jews sent an embassy of fifty men to seek some other to govern the region, but they failed of their purpose. Confirmed in his office, he removed Joazar from the office of high priest, and put his brother Eleazar in that office, on the excuse that Joazar had condoned the attempt to remove him from power. His cruelty was not reserved for the Jews alone, but was also shown toward the Samaritans. Like his brother Herod Antipas, he married his brother's wife in violation of Jewish law, for his brother yet lived, and she had borne children by him.

 

You Were There (10/24/04)

What had he gotten himself involved with? This must have crossed Joseph's mind many times. The simple life of a country carpenter was all he had desired, but he was caught up in what has been the greatest drama yet played out on the stage of history. I can only imagine how his thoughts might have run as he was repeatedly moved to change course by the power of his dreams.

In keeping with tradition, he had worked hard to provide a house for himself and his bride to be. He had established a reputation for himself, so that by his labors he could provide for the family that he had every reason to expect. Then had come the sudden departure of his betrothed, and after so many months absence, she returns to town obviously pregnant. How his hopes and dreams must have been shattered by this! He had agonized over the proper response to this revelation, and in the end heard from God that his proper response was to go forward with the marriage, for Mary, despite the evidence of his eyes, had not been unfaithful.

It speaks volumes about Joseph that he accepted the testimony of this dream. It speaks even more loudly of his character that his devotion to this wife of his was clearly both instant and complete. Having heard God's word on the matter, his heart was wholly given to this woman and her child. How tenderly he cared for her as they journeyed to Bethlehem as Roman law required. They must register with the household of David so that their taxes might be properly assessed. The time was hardly convenient for travel, for Mary was well along in her pregnancy, and it was three days of difficult travel to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Yet, he would obey, and he would officially record Mary as his wife, and her child as his legal and legitimate son.

It has been suggested that Joseph was not particularly well attuned to what God was doing, that he was rather benighted when it came to the events swirling about him. I must disagree. I find it utterly impossible that he should hear such a direct message, "the Child she bears is the Son of God," and not recognize the import of that message. No, I think he was entirely aware of who this Child was.

Now, he was again being guided by dreams. It is interesting that throughout his story, Joseph is always hearing from God in dreams, never the personal visits such as Mary and Zacharias had experienced. What does it say of him? I think that it need not mean more than that he was a working man. His days were filled with labor, and labor of a sort that required an engaged mind. He was, perhaps, more logical than these others to whom angels were appearing. It was not that he disbelieved in such things, else his dreams would not have had much impact on him. It was simply that the hours of rest were the hours during which he could set aside the cares of life and hear more clearly from his God.

The dreamer dreamed dreams, much like his namesake, and the things he heard in those dreams set his course through life. Having settled in with his family, he now hears the command of God in Nazareth. "Leave it all behind. Leave it now, lest Herod succeed in killing the Child." Herod's reputation was well known. That he would seek to destroy this more legitimate claimant to the throne was not only believable, it was inevitable. Having met the magi, and heard their tale, it would not require much to convince Joseph that his family's safety depended on instant obedience to this divine guidance. His obedience was indeed instant. He did not even suffer the night to pass, but packed up wife and son, and left while the night was still upon the land. How it must have hurt, leaving behind all he had worked to build up. Here was a house he had doubtless built with his own hands. Here was his livelihood established, his future secured as best it could be, and in an instant all is set at naught. There is no time to pack. There is no time to leave instructions. There is only get up and go.

In Egypt, they would not be alone. There would be Jewish communities into which the family could be assimilated easily enough. Hearing no further instruction, he obeyed the instruction he had: "remain there until I tell you otherwise." Not knowing how long that might be, Joseph quickly set about reestablishing himself. He must provide for his family still, which would mean finding odd jobs to do in the community until his reputation was once more sufficient to bring in the business he needed. As he pursued this course, there was doubtless some relief, as well. No more was his family harassed by rumors. No longer did they dwell under the cloud of the curious, who wondered whose Child it was that he harbored in his house. Here, they were accepted as the family they were. This had to be a relief to the whole family.

Finally, perhaps a year later, perhaps a little longer, the dreamer dreams again. It is time to return home to Israel. There is no question of disobedience in Joseph's mind. Again, he must uproot what he has established for himself. Again, he must subject his family to the dangers of travel in the deserts of Egypt and the wilderness of the Negev. The dream that stirred him to action once more informed him that Herod was dead. It had said nothing, however, of who was in his place. Nor was news swift enough in transmission that he would have heard of the succession and its events down in Egypt.

One thing, though, might easily suggest itself to this husband and father. In Egypt, they had been accepted as family. There had been no suspicion or rumor. The same had been true during their stay in Bethlehem. There would be the support of family there, and none of the baggage from their past. Besides, what was there to return to in Nazareth? It had been a year or more. Surely, their property had been put to use by some other. Surely, the carpentry that had sustained Joseph's family had gone to some other carpenter by then. It would seem, then, that wherever he settled, it would be starting over yet again. Might as well settle where they could be happier. In Bethlehem it would be. Why, they had been celebrated there. They were more than accepted by the people of his father's tribe! Yes, this is where he would set out for. God had not specified otherwise.

However, as he draws nearer to Israel, news is heard from the capitol. It is not Herod Antipas who has succeeded to the throne but Archelaus, and news of his reign is not comforting. He appears to suffer the same lust for power that was his father's. It cannot be safe to bear the King so close to this dangerous man! It cannot be safe to settle in the comfortable setting of Bethlehem. Once more, the dreams come to guide this dreamer. As painful as it may be, the instructions are to return to Nazareth, to settle there. The pains of the past must be faced, it would seem. The difficulties of dwelling amidst the small-town gossips must be accepted, for it was here that God would plant His Child, and here that His Child would grow to be the Son of Man.

Some Parallel Verses (10/24/04)

2:13

Ac 5:19 - During the night, an angel opened the prison gates, and led them out. Ac 10:7-8 - When the angel had left, the centurion called for two servants and a soldier from among his attendants who was also devout, and sent these to find Peter in Joppa. Ac 12:7-11 - Suddenly, there was an angel in the cell with Peter, lighting the area by his radiance. He awoke Peter with a slap, telling him to get moving, and as he spoke, the chains fell from Peter's hands. "Get dressed, put your shoes on, and follow me," said the angel. Peter did as he was told, and followed the angel out of the prison, although he was still convinced he was only dreaming. They passed the guards and came to the outer gates. These opened seemingly of their own accord and they were on the street. The angel left as soon as they had cleared the prison gates, and Peter finally realized that he was not dreaming, but that the Lord truly had sent His angel to rescue him. Mt 2:12 - The magi were warned by God in a dream, and therefore found another way back home, rather than reporting to Herod.

2:14
2:15

Hos 11:1 - When Israel was still young, I loved him, and I called My son out of Egypt. Nu 24:8 - God brings him out of Egypt, and He is for him. He is strong like the ox, and He will destroy those nations that oppose him. They will be shattered by His power [Balaam]. Ex 4:22-23 - Tell Pharaoh what I have to say. "Israel is my firstborn, so let My son come serve Me. But you have refused Me this, so I will kill your firstborn."

2:16

Mt 2:1-2a - After his birth, while Herod still reigned, magi came to Jerusalem from the east seeking the One born King of the Jews. Isa 59:7 - They are quick to pursue evil, anxious to kill the innocent. They think of nothing that is not iniquitous, and their highways are filled with devastation and destruction.

2:17
2:18

Jer 31:15 - A voice in Ramah! Laments and bitter tears! Rachel weeps for her children, refusing all comfort for they are no more.

2:19

Mt 1:20 - An angel spoke to him in his dreams, and told him to go ahead with his marriage to Mary. He said, also, that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

2:20
2:21
2:22
2:23

Lk 1:26 - In the sixth month, Gabriel was sent to Nazareth to speak to Mary. Lk 2:39 - When the Law of the Lord had been satisfied, they returned to Nazareth in Galilee. Jn 1:45-46 - Philip told Nathanael of what he had seen. "We have found Him! The one Moses wrote of, the one the Prophets spoke of! He is no other than Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph." Nathanael was not convinced. "What good could possibly come from Nazareth?" he responded. Philip's only answer was, "Come and see." Mk 1:24 - What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Will you destroy us now? I know who You are! You are the Holy One of God! Jn 18:5-7 - They said they sought Jesus the Nazarene. "I AM," said Jesus. Judas was there as well. When Jesus said, "I AM," they fell back and dropped to the ground. Seeing this, He asked them again who it was they were looking for, and they replied as before that they were seeking Jesus the Nazarene. Jn 19:19 - This inscription was put on His cross: Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.

 

New Thoughts (10/25/04-10/31/04)

One question that goes unanswered in Matthew's text is that of how long the family remained in Egypt. There is also the ancillary question of where in Egypt they remained. To this latter question, I would suggest that Alexandria would be a reasonable guess, as it had a Jewish population of long standing already by that time. In an interesting aside, I'll note that the Septuagint was translated in Alexandria at a time shortly after Jesus and family would have been in the city (3-2 BC). As to how long their stay was, it requires a bit of calculation and a bit of guesswork to determine.

There are a few historical facts that can help to establish a decent framework for that guess, though. First, there is the death of Herod. This, according to the historians, occurred in 4BC. Furthermore, it was noted that Archelaus, who succeeded Herod to the throne, was pretty much an unknown until the events of the Passover subsequent to Herod's death. Until those events, Joseph would have no particular cause for concern as to which son had succeeded the father. From what I read in Josephus' account, it would seem Herod's death was not very long before that Passover, so allow me to suggest that the two events were of the same year. It would also seem that Archelaus' trip to Rome followed quickly on the heels of that action. There is then mention of a revolt in Jerusalem around the time of Pentecost, while Archelaus was still gone. The commotion and unrest in Israel at the transition of power was such that news of it would not be long in spreading. It strikes me, then, that the call on Joseph to return to Israel was likely received before Pentecost. This would also explain why by Matthew's account he was headed not back to Nazareth, but towards Jerusalem. Luke's record of the ensuing years show the family to have been devout in observing the feasts of Israel. It seems likely they had been forced by God's command to miss at least one Passover, perhaps others of the feasts as well. Their release in time to return for Pentecost celebrations would doubtless add to the joy of their journey.

What remains is to determine when they went to Egypt to begin with. So, we have the fact that these magi had seen a star rising. We can presume that the star rose on the day of his birth, and we can presume that these magi, seeing the significance of the event, were not overly long in departing to meet this King. However, a trip of seven months' duration - over a year's duration given a round trip - would require some days of preparation. Let us assume then that they arrive in Jerusalem perhaps eight or nine months after Jesus' birth. Allow perhaps another week thereafter before they arrive in Nazareth, and we have definition of the time of departure. I don't imagine that Herod waited over long after they had left the city before he began to wonder what had become of them. His orders regarding Bethlehem may well have been coincident with the magi's visit with Mary and Joseph. What remains unclear is how long after the event of the slaughter Herod passed on. There are estimates in at least one source that a year may have passed between the two events.

It strikes me that I am not going to arrive at any answer other than the estimate seen in that source. I am also reminded this morning that this is one of those technical distractions that can be such a pitfall when pursuing a real Bible study. Were I to discern the exact length of their stay, to what purpose would it be? How would it change anything in me for the better? I must say, at this point, that it would serve no purpose other than to excite the mind, and such excitement would leave me little changed. Let me, then, lay aside that particular question.

Another thought that came to me as I was preparing to resume this portion of study this morning was that even in the announcements God was making of His Son's arrival, He was already speaking out against the man-made legalities of the Pharisees. He was speaking out clearly enough, but He was choosing to speak through sources that the Pharisees had declared untrustworthy. He declared the birth of His Son through shepherds, whose testimony the Pharisees considered of no bearing in matters of the Law. He declared His Son through the magi, Gentiles and worse to the minds of the Pharisees, hardly to be even heard when it came to the Law and the Prophets. He declared His Son through the widow Anna, but she was a woman, a daughter of the tribe of Asher, that tribe which was satisfied to remain in Babylon. She was from the back country over in Galilee. Yes, they heard from two or three witnesses, but in each case, they found their own reasons for rejecting the witnesses. The reasons they found were not found in God's Law, but in their own. Thus, from the outset, they are found invalidating God's Law by their own traditions (Mk 7:11).

Woe to us if we do not recognize our own capacity to do likewise! Woe to us if we fail to learn from the example of the Pharisees, for we are not so very different. Every one of us has in himself the potential, nay the habit, of creating our own rules to supersede and ameliorate the difficulties of Holy Law. Each one of us is perfectly capable and well-practiced in prevaricating such that in the midst of our sins we can deem ourselves righteous. This is no different than the failing of the Pharisees, who seeing the impossibility of complying to God's Law, rather than professing their weakness, created a lengthy codex of achievable goals, and declared that righteousness. So blinding is such a course that we will not even recognize it when we have allowed our codex to so degrade as to begin declaring good evil and evil good!

The Codex of the Achievable is by no means a tome known only to the Pharisees. It exists in every denomination and non-denomination within Christianity today, although I doubt you'd find a one that will confess to it. The best of churches is yet an imperfect thing. Every one of us, the little temples within the church, has our own list of things that we deem critical to a Christian confession, and for the most part, these things find their basis more in their achievability than in their sanctity. By and large, such lists are composed on the basis of societal norms rather than God's Law. We can feel good about ourselves because we live up to our standards, and we can feel even better when we can note those around us who don't do so, and pride just wells up within us and resumes his throne in our hearts, destroying us even as we rejoice in our righteousness.

Beware! The pride of accomplishing the achievable causes blindness! Think about it. The Pharisees were so proud of themselves, so content in having found a set of rules they could comply to, and so pleased with themselves when they saw all those others around them that could not comply even with the Codex of the Achievable. Soon, the pride that ruled their hearts had whispered to their minds that they were clearly the experts on things religious. Thus did the sad ruler of their hearts take to himself the domain of the mind as well. So proud were they, so certain that they were the final word on God's Word, that they instantly rejected every religious thought that did not proceed from their own mouths. Where did that lead? It led to them rejecting the very witness of God. God sent His chosen witnesses to declare an end to the long wait for Messiah, but He did not choose to declare these things to the Pharisees directly. He spoke through His chosen agents. The Pharisees would, at the end of Jesus' earthly ministry, reject Him on the basis that God would surely have told them if Messiah were here. He had told them, but their hearts and minds were devoted not to Him, but to tyrant pride.

God protect me from the blindness of pride. Protect me, Holy Father, from the dangers of creating my own achievable law. Forgive me, oh my Lord, for those occasions where I have fallen into the game of judging others to improve my own self-estimate. Cleanse me of that habit, Lord, and free me to live by Your Law and no other. Burn that codex I have created for myself! If there be any good in me, any righteousness in me, it's You anyway. If there is to be pride in this life, let it be in Your presence within. God, bring to that place where I boast of nothing but You. Bring me to that place where all the praises that come to me go to You. Be blessed in any blessing that is mine, Lord, for I have not deserved it, You have. If there is recognition given me, remind me, Holy Spirit, that You have given me everything that I am, and let me be heard to praise Your name! Oh, Jesus! Keep these ears open to Your voice, keep these eyes open to Your vision, keep this heart open to Your love, and keep this will of mine devoted to Your purpose. Show me how to love all Your children as You love them, for they are my family as I am Yours. Allow me to rejoice in each one's victory, and to cover the multitude of perceived sins by Your love. Cleanse me of any judgmental spirit, for I know it remains in me to judge. If that spirit must remain, Lord, then keep it focused on me. Train me to judge myself and none other, lest I find myself in the end judged and found wanting.

Another question that arises as I look at Matthew in the light of Luke's account is this: why wasn't Joseph headed for Nazareth to begin with? That was, after all, where he and Mary were from. I can think of several possible reasons for this. Perhaps the most speculative of these suggestions is that they departed for Israel near the time for one of Israel's holy days, when attendance at the Temple was pretty much mandatory among the faithful. The family showed, after all, a strong attention to being present for Passover, at least. The record is silent as to other major Temple days, but it's certainly not unbelievable that they would generally be present for those as well. This may be plausible, but I am not convinced that it is the real reason.

I would suggest instead that since they were returning, their choice would naturally be to return to that place which was more comfortable for them. They had two choices that would be reasonable to consider. The first was, of course, a return to Nazareth. Both had family there. The house Joseph had prepared for his family was there. His reputation as a carpenter was still there, and reestablishing a livelihood should not prove any great challenge. Then there was Bethlehem. David had family there, as well. It would have the benefit of being far closer to Jerusalem. This would be advantageous not only for holy days, but also for supporting his family. Jerusalem would doubtless provide much greater opportunity for a carpenter such as he. He might even be able to contribute his skills to the ongoing work on the Temple itself.

These two choices presented themselves, then. However, they presented themselves with more than economic issues to consider. There were things of much greater weight to be considered. The family had lived, however briefly, in both of these locations. What had the experience been like for them in each place? In Bethlehem, they had been simply husband, wife, and child. There was no history to be explained. In Bethlehem, they had not only been accepted, they had been celebrated. So, too, in nearby Jerusalem. The experience they had shared in their month or two in that region had been almost thoroughly pleasant in nature.

In Nazareth, on the other hand, Mary's pre-wedding pregnancy was a matter of public knowledge. During their months in town, though they had the blessings of their own house and Joseph's ability to provide, there was this constant background chatter to deal with. How often were they called upon to explain? How many expressed their surprise at Joseph for taking such a one as wife? How many times had Joseph had to reiterate that the Child was his legal son? Even if the questions weren't voiced, they lurked in the background of every relationship this family would establish there. It would remain an ever-present cloud on their familial joy.

Given the contrast of the two experiences, I think it would be a natural choice for Joseph and Mary to choose Bethlehem over Nazareth. However, though the one seeking Jesus' death was himself dead, there was still an issue with settling into the more comfortable setting. The new man on the throne was apparently no more stable than was his father. As Mary and Joseph approached the southern borders of Israel, news of the Passover slaughter was undoubtedly approaching them. Met with this news, Joseph would have great cause for concern. What should he do? Should he even return to Israel, given this situation? There was only one thing to do in light of this news, and that was to seek God on the matter. He had commanded the return. Where, then, would He have them to settle? In this seeking, I don't think Joseph came with an attitude of informing God of this apparent defect in His planning. Neither do I think he came with uncertainty, questioning whether his dream had been for real or not. He had experienced such dreams often enough to be certain of that issue. No, I think he came with an earnest recognition of his helplessness without God. He knew the import of this Child he was entrusted with, and knew not how to fulfill his assigned duty in this situation. So, he appealed to the God of all knowledge to provide the wisdom he lacked. He came earnestly, respectfully, and in complete trust, and God was pleased to honor this one who honored Him.

The answer he received, however, could not have been altogether welcome. However, in God's answer I believe there is a lesson for us all. Our natural tendency is to seek the comfortable setting, to seek the place where societal stresses are at a minimum, to seek out the path of least resistance as it were. But, God recognizes that it's not safe for us to settle into our comfortable place. The comfortable place is a place where we let down our guard, where we feel at ease. It is a place where we are most susceptible to forgetting Him in Whom we live, and move, and breathe. Joseph's dilemma presents, in microcosm what Israel's experience presents in epic form. Indeed, it reflects the warning given to Israel when first they approached the land of promise. When things are all going your way, when the land is producing, and your wealth is increasing, beware! You are at great risk of forgetting your dependence on Almighty God!

History proved the truth of that warning. Israel's entire record was one of experiencing blessing, and in that experience forgetting the Source of all blessing. Then came righteous discipline and hardship, in which the memory of God was refreshed, and faith and belief made strong once more. The comfortable is not safe for us, for we dwell yet in tents of fallen flesh. We are so prone to the belief that if things are going well, God must be happy with us, and if things are going poorly, we must have offended Him. But, it's not that way. God is pleased to discipline those He loves, because that discipline is good for them, shapes their growth, and brings them into a greater likeness to His own perfect image.

If His discipline is lacking from our experience, it is not because we've arrived, it's not because we no longer need His discipline. Far from it! No, if He disciplines those He loves, the absence of His discipline can only express the absence of His love. He has given us up, and left us to our own devices, and nothing could be more terrible. Oh, it feels good. With bit and reins removed, there is joy in the shaking of our heads, there is joy in racing off in whatever direction suits us at the moment. But, the end result will not be joyful at all. Where He has given up for us, the outcome is as certain as it is where He has chosen to adopt.

God help me to recognize my danger in comfortable places! How natural it is to seek out that comfort. Yes, and neither do I suggest that You refuse us such comforts. No, You are pleased to bless Your children, just as You are pleased to discipline us. You are our Father, after all, and what Father willingly subjects His children to nothing but want? My, how You are tying things together this morning! I love it when You do that! I hear You tying together the message of Hebrews which Table Talk has been covering, the message of 1John which we have been covering in home group, and the message of this passage, and You are presenting such a beautiful balance as You do so! Thank You, Father. Help me to properly capture what You are saying now, lest forgetfulness causes it to be lost to me.

This is it! Hebrews, in the passage Table Talk has been covering, reminds us that discipline is not a sign that God doesn't love us, but is the very real expression of His love. That is critical to remember, especially after prayers for a revealing or changing of our hearts. Yes, it will hurt. There is no such thing as pleasant discipline. If it were pleasant, it wouldn't be discipline! But, far from signaling God's great displeasure with us, it signals His parental concern.

By the same token, our Father in heaven is pleased to bless us with good gifts. Indeed, the Scriptural declaration is that every good gift comes from Him, and His gifts are always perfect, just as He is always perfect. If Daddy God has seen fit to so bless us, can it be right for us to reject that blessing in the name of righteousness? I think not! If His gifts are perfect, on what basis shall we reject them? How can such a rejection be anything other than a declaration that His gifts are not perfect, after all? No! His blessings are to be accepted for what they are - good gifts perfectly chosen for us. They are to be enjoyed as the blessings they are.

John brings the final balancing factor to this equation. Don't love the world. Don't become so enamored of the gifts that God is all but forgotten. When He is richly blessing you, carry as a constant meditation the warning He gave Israel, but which Israel forgot. When things are all going well for you, you will be tempted to forget Me, and you will be at greatest danger of following instead after other gods. In our day and age, these other gods are not quite as obvious as they were then. They no longer call themselves gods, no longer call their temples temples. Yet, they remain idolatrous gods just the same. Don't love the world, John says. Beware the boastful pride of life! Therein was another fresh insight last night. That pride - boasting of accomplishments that are not ours to claim. Kind of covers it all, when God tells us we can do absolutely nothing without Him anyway. The pride of life is a hollow pride, for it seeks to claim as its own doing what it could never do on its own.

Alright, let me bring this back to the current thought. It is utterly acceptable and honoring to God that we should enjoy the gifts He so gladly gives. It is, however, reprehensible and dangerous if we become so engrossed in His gifts that we neglect to pursue Him. It would be an awful child, rightly despised by all, who in the presence blessings from his father denied that his father was his father. It would be the greatest of insults for such a one to claim some other as his father, as the source of those blessings. When we allow ourselves to be misled by our own self-confidence, when we give our all not to God but to our employment, when we are so wholly devoted to our own children's upbringing that we no longer have time to seek our own Father - oh! What danger we are in! We are worshiping at the altars of idols! We are lusting after the world's recognition, and serving the world's desires!

It is possible to know employment as a blessing, to work at those jobs in a fashion that glorifies God who provides us this means of provision, and to do so without falling into the worldly servitude to ambition and profit. It is possible to raise our children in an atmosphere of blessing, to provide them with pleasurable experiences and activities, without falling prey to the misguided submission at the altars of perfect parenting. It is possible to participate in the world, to be provided for by the things of the world, without serving the things of the world. It is possible to partake of the world that is, after all, God's creation, and partake of it in full recognition of our Creator. It is possible to recognize our employments as God's gifts, and to pursue them as such. It is possible to recognize our children as God's gifts, as being entrusted to us for a time and for a reason.

It is possible to be in the world, but not of the world. What does that mean? I think that in part it means something along the lines of Paul's admonition about meat sacrificed to idols. The meat isn't the problem. The use of that meat in sacrificial fashion isn't really a problem for us, either, so long as it wasn't our offering. It is meat, and nothing more. It is useful for sustenance, and if used for sustenance, it is in no way a sin for us, at least not of necessity. The things of this world are useful for us when used properly, when taken in the proper perspective. The things of this world are acceptable for our use when those things are presented to us by our loving Father. It is the attitudes, the mindset, the motivations that stir the world that we must not take to ourselves. The danger is not in the thing sacrificed to idols, it's in performing the sacrifice. The things which the world worships are not the issue, it's our joining them in that worship.

That said, I cannot emphasize sufficiently the warning of God in the midst of blessing. He may choose to settle us in a comfortable place for a time. Indeed, He gives us our rest in green pastures, provides quiet waters from which we might drink deeply without danger (Ps 23:2). In those times of blessed rest we must be vigilant lest that present security leads us to forget we are sheep, leads us to ignore our Shepherd. For, as surely as He promises those times of rest, we can also count on experiencing those walks that lead us through the very shadow of death (Ps 23:4). We can be just as certain of His promise that we will be persecuted (Jn 15:20, 2Ti 3:12). If we become too comfortable in our periods of rest, we will find ourselves unwilling to follow when next He leads us out of the fold. If, in our comfort, we are no longer willing to hear His voice, we will find our safety become a trap and a snare. Let us be on our guard lest we be found amongst those who shrink back, when the call requires us to walk through the dark valley.

Why is it this way? Why does God choose this course for His children? It's a matter of comfort versus growth. Comfort does not produce growth. It may produce increased girth, but fatness is not to be equated with growth. Growth is a matter of strength, and building strength requires exercise. Exercise is a function of opposition, of resistance. It is that opposition to our exertions that causes our exertions to be stronger and more effective. It is no different in spiritual matters. Faith untested is not strong faith. We can declare our trust in God as often as we like, but until that trust has been required of us, until trust in Him is made a matter of life and death in us, we cannot know the truth of our declarations.

Here's the thing. God already knows how true our profession of faith in Him is. He knows because it is He who has given it to us, if it is truly ours. It is we who need the certainty. Why do hard times come? There may be any number of reasons. Certainly, they may come as discipline, training us away from our errors. They also come to strengthen our faith and trust, as I have said. In all of this, though, they come that we might know ourselves, that we might know our true heart condition. This is strength against the attacks of the enemy! He loves to attack us with doubts, to lead us into questioning our own belief. He wants us to think our salvation as yet unsecured. It is the adversities that we have faced, the trials God has brought to our paths and has led us through, that teach us the strength of our own convictions. These are the lessons that teach us that truly, "we are not of those who shrink back, but of those with preserving faith" (Heb 10:39). It is this cause that allows us to give God thanks even in the midst of great trial. It is not the trial for which we ought to thank Him, though. That is perverse. No, it is not the trial, it is the growth and the confidence that the trial brings to us. This is what gives God glory, and this is what ought to be cause for thankful praises to His name.

Matthew, it is generally accepted, was deeply concerned with displaying the connection of the Gospel to the traditional beliefs of the Jews. Things had changed, but it was change along a continuum. It was not some radical new heresy, it was a fulfillment of all that had been said before. This is why he sought to display Jesus' lineage, providing a connection to Abraham and to David. This is why he is constantly reminding his readers of the prophecies which were being fulfilled before their eyes in this Jesus. The prophecies were well known, and their Messianic ramifications understood by the majority. These were not hidden themes, requiring great cleverness to tease out of the text. They were things generally understood as speaking of the One who would come.

It occurs to me, of a sudden, to wonder if perhaps Matthew was the one with Cleopas on the Emmaus road (Lk 24:13). After all, it is this pair who enjoyed the particular blessing of hearing from Jesus, as He explained all those things in Scripture that concerned Him, beginning with Moses and the prophets (Lk 24:27). That would certainly explain Matthew's insight into the connections. Be that as it may, though, one thing is clearly demonstrated in the events of Jesus' life and ministry: Everything about Him pointed back to the message of the prophets. More properly, and more importantly, the message of the prophets, the message of the entirety of the Old Testament, and, indeed, the message of all creation through all time was pointing forward to this One. He is the point.

In particular, there is the matter of Jeremiah's prophecy. The particular verse which Matthew is concerned with here might not clearly relate to the Savior of the world, yet a look back at the context from which it is taken shows the connection. Jeremiah is speaking, indeed, of the regathering of the remnant. "He who scattered Israel will gather him, He will be as a Shepherd to them" (Jer 21:10). He as redeemed them (v11), and they will be satisfied with His goodness (v14). It is immediately upon this context that the word about Rachel weeping is placed, and no sooner does that word come out then we are returned to hope. "There is hope for your future. Your children will be restored to their rightful territory" (v16). It's all one message. Jeremiah did not suddenly change his topic, indeed, it is the Lord's voice that speaks throughout, and He is not one to suffer from scattered thoughts! Even in Rachel's tears, the message is one of hope and a future. Yet, the connection would not become clear until centuries later.

This was the prophecy Daniel was studying in exile. This was the word of hope he recognized in Babylon, although he foremost saw its application to his own day. The exile was not forever. The children of Israel would return to their land, and seeing the time of restoration drawing nigh, Daniel committed himself to prayer and fasting (Dan 9:2-3). Oh! That the day might come soon!

When Jesus came, His people were by and large residing in the land that was promised to them, yet they were not living in the Promise. They had for the most part given up on the promise. They had become a people without hope. No, that's not entirely true. They still had their hopes, but their hopes were no longer set upon a solid foundation. The record shows that many came who fit the peoples' idea of what Messiah ought to be, and they were quick to chase after these would-be saviors. But, their idea of Messiah was no longer based on the picture God had given of Him, it was based on their own hopes and dreams. God had promised a Shepherd, but they wanted a King. God had promised a Servant, but they wanted a Leader. They could not reconcile these two images, and so they missed it when He came. Still, they wait for Him. Oh! For the day that their eyes are opened to recognize their Lord!

We, too, dwell in an age of expectancy. We, too, find our hope in Him, both in His very real, factual, presence in history, and in the Promise yet to be fulfilled, that He will come once more to thoroughly and permanently establish His kingdom on an earth restored, an earth from which the ravages of sin have been eliminated. Even so, Lord! Come quickly!

All of this points up one thing: the prophetic is not about overexcited imaginations. It's not about ecstatic utterances, and it's not about hallucination or delusion. It's about very real matters. Joseph, we read repeatedly, was given the messages he needed in dreams. There are sufficient numbers today who would lay claim to understanding the language of dreams, who would have us to know that they can interpret those dreams for us. Nor is this reserved to the mystics. The sciences also wish it to be known that they understand what our dreams are about. However, there is one thing they altogether miss. There are dreams, and then there are dreams.

Joseph was a dreamer. In this, he shared in the nature of his namesake. It is clear that he also shared that one's recognition of when a dream was more than just a dream. Not every dream bears the imprint of God's hand upon it, not every dream speaks to us with His voice. More often, a dream is a dream and nothing more. But, there are those times when He truly is making a point. There are those times when He is speaking clearly to our thoughts in that one period of the day when our thoughts are not so cluttered that He can't get a word in edgewise. Joseph knew the difference. He knew the difference, and He knew that, when it was one of those dreams, attention was necessary.

He not only recognized when a dream had met the criteria of a phenomenon, he also recognized that when God spoke, he'd best listen. I use that word 'phenomenon' for the very simple reason that this word comes to the English language from the word Matthew repeatedly connects with Joseph's dreaming. "Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream." That word 'appeared' shares with our 'phenomenon.' Consider the usage of that word in English. It is, according to Merriam-Webster, "an observable fact or event." That is the fundamental definition. It is, that dictionary continues, "known through the senses rather than by thought or intuition." It is "a fact of scientific interest" capable of description in scientific terms. None of this is to suggest that a phenomenon is a common thing, the norm of experience. It is often used to speak of matters most rare, of something unique, exceptional. Yet, it is never properly used of vain imaginations. It speaks, as Zhodiates' definition of the word notes, of "a physical reality not to be confused with imaginations."

What an amazing thing, this is. There are dreams, and then there are dreams. So much of our dream life is truly nothing but imaginations. There are those who hold that our dreams are the mind of man trying to sort out the problems left unsolved by the day. Maybe so. There are those who would have us know that our dreams are more than likely a reaction to dietary matters, perhaps too much pizza. Maybe so. Indeed, both of these things are quite likely true for some portion of our dreams. Others may be caused by disease, or medication, or even addictions. There are also those that are clearly connected with whatever we have been stuffing our thoughts with prior to sleep, a movie, a book, some other thing that has previously engaged our imagination and left it running as we passed into slumbers. These dreams can appear very real to us, as we are experiencing them, yet we awake knowing it was nothing more than a dream.

When God speaks in dreams, it is something altogether different. Does this, then, suggest that in those dreams that are truly His message to us are physical realities that somehow we participate in? I don't think so. But, there is that about them which is altogether real. If ever you've had one of these dreams, you know the difference. The typical dream passes from memory with the awakening of the body, but these… years later, the memory remains intact. They are dreams with a purpose. They have something to say because He who is our Purpose is speaking.

I have had such dreams as these, yet I cannot say that I have dreamed like Joseph dreamed. I have not, at least so far as I have recognized, known the visit of an angel in those dreams. The point I am laboring here is that these are matters of reality. Joseph wasn't charting his course by the effects of diet. He wasn't overloading every dream he experienced with great significance. He knew the Lord's voice for he was of the Lord's sheep. No other voice could cause him to shift his course. He knew the difference between his opinion, and God's Word, and it was God's Word and God's Word alone that could cause him to uproot his household and go. He knew the difference between imagination and reality, and it was the reality of the messenger that caused him to heed the message.

He also knew to react with all alacrity to the message. In each case, we read that having received his directions in his dreams, he arose and did as directed. Indeed, in departing for Egypt, it would seem he was so swift in complying to his directions that he woke his family that they might be under way before dawn. It's possible that his actions in returning from Egypt were no less instant.

This is the greatest message of the passage at hand, that we should, like Joseph, be instant in obeying the voice of our Lord and Shepherd. He may not speak to us in dreams as He did Joseph. He may not speak to us through blatantly obvious angelic visitations as He did with Mary and Zacharias. He may simply impel us towards a particular course of action as He did with Simeon. The means He chooses to convey His will is not the issue. How we will choose to react to His will is. When we recognize His hand in things, when we understand that He is directing us in a particular way, what is our reaction to that? Do we immediately begin to pursue what He has requested, or are we seeking a delayed start? "Yes, Lord, I'll do that just as soon as I…" Oh, how we love to barter with God! We'll be pleased to serve Him, so long as it comes after serving ourselves. We'd be happy to give Him more of our time, but it will have to wait until we have more time for ourselves. Maybe during retirement, we could work that out.

It must be said that if our procrastination does not lead us to completely forget the command, if at the end of it all we do as we were commanded, all is not lost. Jesus' own teaching makes that plain enough. The son who initially refused to work, but later came to assist was more to be praised than the son who was instant in saying he would do what was required of him, but failed to do it. "Yes, Lord" is meaningless if our actions don't line up! Likewise, the reaction of our flesh is of little note if our spirit reasserts its rightful rule, and brings us into compliance. Better late than never! It is good to have complied, but the greater blessing is reserved for the one who is instant in responding, "Yes, Lord," and is consistent in obeying over the long haul, through the death valley experiences and the richness of blessing.

This is exactly what I see play out in Joseph. He is both instant and complete in his obedience. He was told to accept Mary as his wife, and he was instant in doing so, in spite of all earlier doubts. He was instant in doing so, and he was from that instant complete in taking her as his wife. He took up the commanded role of husband with alacrity and with a devotion that would demand of him things above and beyond the normal call of marital duty. Even in the last bit of this passage, in the decision to return to Nazareth, there is nothing but instant and complete obedience displayed. He did not question his previous instruction, he did not question God's wisdom in issuing that instruction, he simply sought clarification. Had God told him to continue on toward Bethlehem, he would just have surely complied with that direction as with the command he did receive. It was not a matter of distrust in him. It was only recognition of his own limitations, in his need for God.

Lord, I have known times when I was instant in heeding Your direction, and I have also known those times when I delayed. I am quite certain that there have been times when in delaying I have managed to completely forget what it was I was supposed to do. Forgive me, Lord. This is not the way I would prefer to be. I wish I could say that it was not the way I choose to be, but it clearly is. Oh! But, it ought not to be! This is a place that needs Your renewing touch, Lord! I have known, as I said, those times where I have heard Your voice in warning, and have immediately reacted. I have seen the reason for those warnings almost as immediately. How is it, then, that there are these other matters in me which deny You that instant accession? God, for all the intelligence You seem to have blessed me with, there sure can be a lack of sense, can't there? Oh! That You would bless me with a store of Your wisdom, that I could respond as I know I ought to when Your voice is ringing in my ears! That I might heed Your command as instantly when it's uncomfortable, as when it's easy.

I know, Father, that there are those places that I have not allowed You to truly have Your way. I cannot understand why not, other than to say it's hard. It's hard to let go the reins. It's hard to set aside the habits of a lifetime. I must cling to the simple truth that without You, it's not just hard, it's impossible. But, if I will but abide in You, impossibility simply will not apply. Therein is any strength I may lay hold of, in abiding in Your presence. I know the place, Lord, show me the way. Show me, Holy One, how to balance the demands of church, of home, of work, such that I can still find time to meet You in that place of stillness. Show me, Holy Spirit, how to rest in Your presence, that I might find the strength of my weakness, that I might find the power of submission in me, to accept Your command as I ought in all things.

One last thing I would like to make note of. This actually applies more to the previous passage than to this one, but it needs to be recognized. The magi, these foreign infidels, were blessed by God in a most astounding way. They were blessed to become the first among the nations to bow before the King. They were blessed to recognize and acknowledge that here, in this little Baby, was the rightful Ruler of the nations. To Him they bowed down as servants to their Master. To Him they presented the tributes of a subject state. In the course of all this, they were led by God every bit as much as Mary and Joseph. His leading of them came by means they were accustomed to, by signs in the heavens, by the arts of their learning, however wrong that learning may have been.

It is that last bit that is critical to our understanding. God blessed them. God used their learning, their concepts of how things worked, to guide them to His Truth. In this, He was not blessing their learning, nor was He blessing their concepts. That He should sovereignly choose to bless these magicians, these diviners, these devotees of false religion, does not in any way suggest that He was blessing the magic arts, that He had changed His mind about practitioners of divination. It was not God's stamp on the 'all religions point to God' mentality. He condoned nothing in His choice of these men. Indeed, far from condoning their choices, He was overcoming their choices. He freely chose to operate in ways they could understand. In doing so He was understood, and in being understood, He overcame the limitations of their understanding, corrected their misconceptions with the Light of Truth.

We must take care that we never mistake God's addressing us in ways we can understand and accept as necessarily implying His being pleased with those ways. He is pleased to reach out to us in whatever fashion it may take for us to lay hold of Him, but we must be very careful about judging ourselves by what He has been willing to do to save us. We must recognize the situation when He has led us out of our own understanding into the clarity of Truth. We should be ever thankful that He was willing to do what He must to draw us to Him, but we must also be ever vigilant to allow Him to define Truth, not allow our misinformed truth to define our concept of Him.

In the end, I think the degree to which the magi were blessed depends on matters that are not told to us in the story of their visit. Oh, they were blessed indeed to be in the presence of the King, to be the first to declare themselves subject to His rule. The question, though, is what became of them thereafter. All we are told is that they returned to their homeland. Did they recognize, in those brief moments, the futility of their religion, of their astral portents? Did they abandon their arts in the face of this Lord to whom they had submitted? Did they live out the submission they declared there in that house in Nazareth? If not, then their blessings were a fleeting thing, and served them poorly. I think, however, that our God is greater than that. It is not His fashion to so toy with His subjects. It is more in keeping with His good and perfect character that these men, so far off base at the start, were so changed by their Redeemer that all things became new to them. Why, after all, should we think He would treat them differently than He has treated us?

Well, with this passage we shall have heard the last of several players in the unfolding Gospel. Since they will no longer appear in the scenes of this account, it is time for us to pay our respects to them for good or for ill. That things might end on a positive note, I will save Joseph for the last, and begin with two kings of Judea, a most unfortunate father and son.

Meeting the People - Herod (11/1/04-11/6/04)

Meeting the People - Archelaus (11/7/04-11/9/04)

Meeting the People - Joseph (11/10/04-11/13/04)