The Magi: An analysis

Matthew 2 (Alexandria Bible)
1. But after Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.

There is no little speculation who these Magi (or Wise Men, as they are commonly called) are or where they came from. They are sometimes associated with astrologers; but that label has somewhat negative connotations contemporaneously, owing to its frequent modern use for the superstitious practice of fortune-telling. However, they were not pure astronomers either, in that they did associate meaning with astral phenomena, which we will see shortly.

According to Zodhiates (The Complete WordStudy Dictionary), they were priests and wise men among the Medes, Persians and Babylonians and were considered both great and powerful. They specialized in the study of astrology and enchantment. The Chaldeans called them wise (σοφοσ - sophos).

The Greek word for "east" (ανατολη, anatolḗ) means "that region or those parts of the heaven or earth where the solar light first springs up and appears, the east..." (Zodhiates). Interestingly, there is an area in the high plateau of what is now eastern Turkey that is known in historical and archaeological circles as Anatolia. It is hypothesized by Gavin Menzies (The Lost Empire of Atlantis) as the original location of a people who emigrated to Crete at the beginning of the Bronze Age and became the foundation for the Minoan civilization.

2. saying: "Where is he that has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising, and have come to worship him.

The first question we must ask from verses 1 and 2 is: Why did they come to Jerusalem? There are several reasons. 1) They were new to the area. 2) They were looking for a king. Somehow, this star was new, and its location had something to do with Israel and it's rulership. 3) Jerusalem was the seat of the Jewish government. Therefore, it seemed logical to assume that everyone in Jerusalem would know about this event and would direct them to its location.

The problem was that the Jews were thinking in the natural, especially Herod (whose name, ironically, means "heroic"). Apparently, none of Herod's wives had given birth recently, or he would have killed the child or children, as he had consistently done to date.

3) And hearing it, king Herod was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him.

Herod thought he had covered all his bases. It freaked him out to think that he might have missed one. The people of Jerusalem, on the other hand, were fearful of a pogrom that might ensue, and in fact did, as we shall see.

4) And he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, and inquired of them where the Christ should be born.

Herod starts trying to line his ducks up before he meets with the Magi. He's afraid of losing his power and authority and will even go so far as to thwart the arrival of the promised Messiah to keep it.

5) And they said to him: In Bethlehem of Judea; for thus it is written by the prophet: 6) And thou, Bethlehem, land of Judah, art by no means the least among the princes of Judah; for out of thee shall come a Governor, who shall rule my people Israel.

So, now Herod has a direction: a little southwest of Jerusalem. But that still encompasses a broad area, because it could include the surrounding area as well as the city itself. For the word "rule," one can also substitute "shepherd" or "pastor."

7) Then Herod, having secretly called the Magi, inquired of them strictly the time at which the star appeared;

He will use this information later (vs 16) to kill every male child below the age corresponding to when the star appeared. Herod is nothing, if not thorough.

8) and sending them to Bethlehem, said: Go make strict inquiry for the young child: and when you have found him, bring me word, that I also may go and worship him.

Truly, John the Baptist calls Herod's son, Herod Antipas, a "sly old fox." Apparently the apple didn't fall very far from the tree. So Herod the Great tries to use these "naive, unsuspecting" Wise Men and sends them on their way.

9) and after hearing the king, they departed; and lo, the star which they had seen at its rising, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

However, having used natural means to find the newborn king, the Magi now revert to their normal practice of using the heavens as their guide. Psalm 19 begins "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows forth his handiwork."

10) And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. 11) and coming into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother; and falling down they worshiped him; and having opened their treasures they offered to him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Here is the scene we erroneously recreate at Christmastime as having happened at the manger. Epiphany, the high church feast of the Magi, occurs in January. In fact, the actual occurrence could have happened up to two years later. Remember, they went to Bethlehem to register for the census for Roman taxation. Given the history of bureaucracies throughout the ages, that could not have happened overnight. Add to that the state of transportation and communication in that time, and two years to complete a census of the whole world does not seem unlikely in the least.

12) And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew into their own country by another way.

God was protecting his plan. In the next section, Joseph himself will be warned in a dream to take Mary and Jesus and get the heck out of Dodge. God is always in control.

Engaged!

Matthew 1:18 (ESV)
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

Betrothal, or engagement to be married, was a serious event in the Jewish culture. The Greek word used here is μνηστευθεισης (mnēsteutheísēs, G3423) and means literally to "give a souvenir" (engagement present). The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature describes Jewish betrothal as follows:

"Among the Hebrews this relation was usually determined by the parents or brothers, without consulting the parties until they came to be betrothed. The engagement took place very early, as is still the case in Oriental countries, though it was not consummated by actual marriage until the spouse was at least twelve years of age. The betrothing was performed a twelvemonth or more before the marriage, either in writing, or by a piece of silver given to the espoused before witnesses, as a pledge of their mutual engagements. Sometimes a regular contract was made, in which the bridegroom always bound himself to give a certain sum as a portion to his bride. From the time of espousal, however, the woman was considered as the lawful wife of the man to whom she was betrothed: the engagement could not be ended by the man without a bill of divorce; nor could she be unfaithful without being considered an adulteress. Thus Mary, after she was betrothed to Joseph, might, according to the rigor of the law, have been punished if the angel of the Lord had not acquainted Joseph with the mystery of the incarnation."

I remember my mother telling me that in the German Lutheran culture, engagement to be married was an equally serious event. She said that if an engaged couple broke off the engagement, they had to go before the entire congregation and ask for forgiveness. Today, it seems that many couples call each other "fiancee" in an apparent attempt to legitimize the fact that they are living together in fornication.

There's a unique spiritual significance in the Biblical concept of betrothal for us. Jesus is revealed in scripture as the bridegroom and we are His bride. However, the marriage ceremony has not yet taken place. That happens, in Jewish culture, when the bridegroom comes to get his bride at an unannounced time. Sound familiar?

Jesus left us a souvenir: the Holy Spirit, who is the promise that Jesus will return for us, His bride. At the rapture, we will be united with him as He comes back to receive us. But, like the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, we must always be ready with oil in our lamps, for he may return at any time. We do not want to miss the wedding feast.