THERE CAME WISE MEN
Matthew 2:1 ¶ Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Both the opportunity and the ability for these men of wisdom to come to give respect and honor at the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ was provided solely by the Father! John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
How can we be assured of this? What did these men inform Herod and all Jerusalem was their reason for arriving there? They clearly stated that we are come to worship him. Then these were most certainly drawn by the Father. For it is again the Father which “seeketh such!” John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
When there were no true worshippers in Jerusalem, the Father had long since set up for these ‘foreigners’ to do so! For even though the chief priests and scribes knew exactly where the Lord was to be born, not a single one of them were concerned enough to travel with the wise men to the place of his birth. Like religionists in this day, they were so satisfied with themselves as ‘Bible Scholars’ that they had no need of the Person of the Word! They were totally unconcerned with Jesus!
The Lord warns religionists of the improper relationship with the Scriptures. For one can become so emotionally attached to the Bible that they are blinded to the need of a relationship to the Word Himself! John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
So who were the wise men, and how had the Lord God prepared for them to come such a distance to bring judgment down upon Jerusalem and give true worship to the Son of God? As the scripture states, Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. For this had already been done!
The Lord Jesus instructs these unconcerned, yet highly religious Jews, that the Queen of Sheba’a long journey to attend Solomon’s glory would rise up in judgment against them. So this long journey of these ‘foreigners’ should also do to them! Luke 11:31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
But just who are the “wise men?” And how did they, being such a far distance from Jerusalem, come to be involved with the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ? Don’t forget that John 6:44 verse listed in the first column of this article. The simple answer is that they were drawn there by the Father. But how did He do so?
We first read of God’s work with the men of the East beginning with Abraham. For the Lord God promised in him that all the families of the earth would be blessed. Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
And we find the beginning of this encounter recorded in Genesis chapter twenty-five. Genesis 25:1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. All these were the children of Keturah. He had six sons and ten grandsons by Keturah. Then we read:
Genesis 25:5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. To protect the Messianic lineage of Isaac, Abraham sent all these sons to the east country.
And the next time we read of this, we see it regarding Jacob fleeing from Esau. Genesis 29:1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. 2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth. 3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place. 4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. 5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
For Rebekah, his mother had warned him to flee to that country to save his life from Esau. Genesis 27:42 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; So we find that not only Abraham, but now Jacob was to influence these men of the east.
And next we read of a very famous man, whom the Lord God dealt with most directly, whose circumstances still teach us concerning patience. And Job is called “the greatest of all the men of the east.”
Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
And we know that Job was sanctified by his fiery trials as the Lord God saw fit to allow Satan to afflict him. James 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
And we read of Job’s friends, also men of the east country, being sanctified and accepted by God due to Job’s sacrifice and prayers. Therefore we have Abraham, Jacob and now Job being dealt with by God regarding this process that shall end with men of wisdom coming from the east to worship the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then we come to a very special man, highly favored by the Lord, who actually lived among the peoples of the east when Jerusalem and Israel were captured and enslaved by Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 1:17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
And when the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar was shocked by the hand appearing and writing upon the wall as he partied, Daniel was called forth to interpret it for him. But take notice of how Belshazzar’s wife described Daniel among these men of the east. Daniel 5:9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. 10 ¶ Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: 11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
So now we have the involvement of Abraham and his sons by Ketura, Jacob and his marriage into the family of Laban, Job’s sanctification by fiery trials, and Daniel, who actually lived among the Peoples of the east, all involved in the preparation for men of wisdom to be brought into the presence of the Eternal Son of God, now come into his humanity as the son of man! 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Now let us look at Solomon’s influence upon this situation. For it is written that his wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country. 1 Kings 4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. 30 And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. 32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. 34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.
And we must not fail to take careful note of that last verse. For it states that this time God did not send his servant among the peoples of the east. But this time the peoples of the east, as well as all the kings of the earth came to God’s servant Solomon! And this sets up, not just the travels of the Queen of Sheba, and the wise men, but finally reveals what this was all about, as the Father seeks worshippers, (John 4:23,24), and draws all kinds of men to come worship his Son! (John 6:44)
For the Lord Jesus Christ is the personification of wisdom. Proverbs 8:12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. 14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. Proverbs 8:22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
Now consider the Lord Jesus’ words again concerning Himself and Solomon. Matthew 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. Colossians 2:3 In whom (in Christ), are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom,…
And to him do all the nations come. Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
For as Abraham instructed his servant, (who is a picture of the Holy Spirit, sent into the world to bring out a bride for the Son), she must come out from her father’s house, but his son must not be brought over into her realm! Genesis 24:4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. 5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? 6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. 7 The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without (any provision for) sin unto (a completed) salvation. He shall never again return as a sacrifice, but as Sovereign Lord!
Pastor Gene Breed
January 7, 2021