WISE MEN: A JOURNEY OF FAITH

Misconceptions abound about the magi who visited Jesus. The old Christmas carol begins, We three kings of Orient are. But already in the first line it makes three errors. We don’t know how many made the trip to Bethlehem; only that they brought three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

And, they were not kings. This misconception comes from the early church teacher, Tertullian, who said, "The East considers magi almost as kings." Finally, they did not come from as far away as the "Orient"--the Far East. In the Bible "The East" could have been Arabia, Media, Persia (Iran), or Mesopotamia (Iraq).

The term often translated as wise men is magoi, which has come into English as magi. The ancient Greek historian Heródotus described magi as "a priestly caste among sixth century Medes." They were knowledgeable about the mysteries of various religions. Magi were specialists in medicine, astronomy, and other related fields. Some also practiced astrology, divination, and magic. By the time of the Prophet Daniel in the sixth century B.C., there was a special caste of astrologers and astronomers were referred to as "Chaldeans".

During the following centuries, magi roamed far from Persia to offer their skills and knowledge to receptive nations. By the time of Jesus they were common throughout the Mediterranean world. According to Philo of Alexandria, there were two kinds of magi. He praised the first group for their extensive research into the facts of nature, calling it "true magic." He viewed the second group as "venomous creatures" who preyed upon the people with charms and incantations.

The Jewish Bible helped our magi discern the approximate time and place of the birth of this King of the East. The first source came from the prophecy of Balaam: "I see him, but not now: I behold him, but not near: a Star will come out of Jacob, a Scepter will rise out of Israel." We don’t know for sure what the magi saw in the night sky—but whatever it was, they were convinced it referred to this and other ancient prophecies.

The second source of information available to the magi from the Hebrew Bible dealt with the prophecy of "seventy weeks", Daniel 9:24-27. As a young man, Daniel was deported to Babylon where he was instructed in the ways and wisdom of the Chaldeans. Yet Daniel was faithful to his God, who gave him a unique ability to interpret dreams. The magi were impressed because one of their many functions was to interpret dreams.

Daniel held a prominent position among the wise men of his day, so they likely studied his writings through the centuries. If so, they would have known about Daniel 9:24, Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. For the magi, this portion of Daniel's prophecy provided a timetable for the Messiah's arrival.

Still, there was no specific mention of where in Judah the king was to be born. When they arrived in Judah, they naturally went to Jerusalem, the capital. Certainly there they would find the newborn king. In Jerusalem the magi discovered another source of information. Again, it came from the Hebrew Bible, this time from the prophet Micah. 

King Herod felt threatened to hear about a possible rival king. He quickly summoned the chief priests and scribes, demanding to know where this king was to be born. They told him of the prophecy from Micah 5:2, But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Herod relayed this information to the magi.

There is an astonishing contrast between the magi and the chief priests in Herod's court. Why didn’t the presence of foreigners asking about a Jewish king capture the attention of the religious leaders? How could they be satisfied watching the magi leave Jerusalem for Bethlehem without going to check it out? They were too caught up in their own religious power and positions to pay more attention. Only the paranoid king Herod took them seriously. 

These noble magi represent the first Gentile worship of the Jewish King. The familiar saying, "Wise Men Still Seek Him," is still relevant. So, are you wise?