The Journey of the Wise Men
Bible Devotional
Church Scripture Verse for today:
Matthew 2:1-6 (ESV)
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Questions for you to consider:
How far are you willing to travel for the truth?
How deep are you willing to search to find the truth?
Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the truth?
Let's go into the Word of God.
Matthew 2:1 (ESV)
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem
What does the word "Wise Men" mean in Greek?
Wise Men in Greek is magos, pronounced mag'-os, given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, sorcerers, etc.
Matthew 2:1 (NIV)
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
In another version, we get the word "wise men" as "magi." So we get the word “mag-os” or “magi” and with the words “magician” or “magic” and “magistrate” (one who governs). So moving forward, I will be switching the word “wise men” and “magi” back and forth.
At the height of the “wise men's” power, they were a very powerful group. They weren’t just priests and astrologers; they were the ones who could determine who would be the next king. That’s how powerful they were. That’s why they showed up to King Herod. “Hey, we are looking for the king of the Jews! And we want to worship Him.”
I want to take you back in time to help you understand how these wise men became so powerful. Are you ready? Let’s go back in time.
There was a scene in which Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonian Empire, had a troubling dream. So he summoned all the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers and said, “I had a bad dream, and I want you guys to tell me what that dream is and interpret it for me. And if you don’t do that, you will be killed.”
In Babylonian religious beliefs, dream interpretation is so vital that it can mean life or death. Because if the king made a wrong decision, then that could be the end for his kingdom.
So dream interpretation is a vital part of how the Babylonians did it. Now, it’s one thing to interpret a dream, but it's a whole new level to know what that dream is.
Daniel 2:4-5 (NLT)
Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.” But the king said to the astrologers, “I am serious about this. If you don’t tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into heaps of rubble!
Now, remember back in ancient times, the king had absolute rule and authority over everything. So none of the wise men could figure out what the dream was.
So, here comes the order.
Daniel 2:12-13 (NLT)
The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. And because of the king’s decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends.
Quick history: Israel was split into two nations. You had, in the north, Israel, and in the south, you had the land of Judah. And the king of Judah, Jehoiakim, refused to pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar. So Nebuchadnezzar sends his army, and they take Jerusalem. And among those captured was a young man by the name of Daniel.
So the command was given to kill all the wise men, and everyone is in panic. But Daniel goes to his friends and says, “Hey guys, let’s pray together and seek after God’s mercy.” They go into prayer, and God reveals the entire dream to Daniel.
Daniel 2:24 (NLT)
Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.”
So here is Daniel, he receives the entire dream from God, and then on top of that, he interprets the dream.
Daniel 2:27-28 (NLT)
Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.
Now, we know that Daniel eventually becomes the chief of the Magi and the chief of all the wise men: “He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men” (Daniel 2:48).
Daniel 2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.” [What is interesting is that later on, you will see one of the wise men give frankincense to Jesus. So the incense was a sign of divinity.]
Daniel 2:47: The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”
So, with that said, Daniel had a significant influence on the wise men and on the future of all the wise men. Now this is where it starts to get interesting.
We know that it was about 605 BC when the Babylonian army came and took thousands of the Jewish people to Babylon. Furthermore, they didn’t just take the people; they also took many of the ancient Hebrew scrolls. So, in Babylon, you had tons of Hebrew texts stored, and the Magi had access to all of the ancient texts, studied them, and learn what they had to say.
As they studied the ancient text, one of the main prophecies they found concerned a Messiah who would appear in the future and be a savior of the world. Remember that because of Daniel and the Jews in Babylon, you had generations and generations of Magi who studied all of astrology and science, but they were also more sensitive to the Jews' prophetic texts.
So what are some of the Scriptures of the Jewish text? Here are just a few.
Numbers 24:17 (ESV)
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.
The prophet Isaiah said about Jesus, “He shall be crushed for our iniquities, our sins.” (Isaiah 53:5). And another one.
Isaiah 60:1-3 (ESV)
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
So, we are seeing a relationship between star, light, brightness, and all of them pointing to the glory of God. Isn’t this interesting?
Here are these Magis who have studied the ancient text of the Jews and have studied intently to see what kind of light or star it’s going to be, like the “glory of God.”
But how would these Magis know what to look for? How would they know what kind of star or light or brightness this would be? Because every night, all the stars are bright. So how would you know what the differences are?
Remember that these Magis have studied the Hebrew text. They would probably remember something from the text, like Shikinah's glory. When you look at the “Shikinah Glory”, you would know that this can only come from God.
What is a “Shikinah Glory?”
The word shekinah is the Hebrew word that literally means “he caused to dwell,” signifying a divine visitation of the Lord God's presence or dwelling on this earth. [In other words, when “Shikinah Glory” happens, you will know that it is God.]
What would that look like? The Magis have read about it in Exodus 13:20-22, when the Israelites were wandering in the desert: you had the pillar of cloud (visible by all the people), leading the people by day, and a pillar of fire leading by night. They witnessed the divine presence of God. They saw the “shekinah” glory of God in their presence.
Listen, my friends, when you seek God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will encounter the Sheinah Glory of God. You will witness the presence of an almighty God with you. But you must seek God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Matthew 2:2 (ESV)
saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Notice that it says, “His Star” and not any kind of star, or the star, but God’s Star. So how is this star or a bright light any different than any stars in the heavens? Because when I look up at the sky, they all look the same.
So here is what some scholars are saying about “His Star.” Now, know that this is just a theory, but it sounds pretty credible. The two planets, Jupiter and Saturn, came into alignment, or conjunction, about three times in one year. And this has never happened before.
Remember, you have to see this through the lens of these wise men who have studied the skies every day. So they are the experts on the stars. To the Maji, Jupiter in Babylonian astrology represented Marduk, the supreme god, the king of the gods. And Saturn was called Kaiwanu, the star of justice and royalty, and Pisces. Pisces was the constellation (a grouping of stars on the sky as a figure or design) associated with the west, in the land of Syria, Palestine, and the land of the Jews.
So here are these wise men. They see a supernatural occurrence: three times in one year, the supreme god and the royalty of god aligned together, pointing to the land of the Jews. So to the wise men, this was impossible to ignore.
When you have the king of the gods meeting with the star of royalty, either you are going to wait and miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to know the truth of those prophesies, or you will follow “His Star” and find the King of the Jews.
What will you do?
How far are you willing to travel for the truth?
How deep are you willing to search to find the truth?
Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the truth?
From Babylon to Bethlehem
Now, this is only a traditional story from medieval times, so it’s not a true story of the three wise men. Nor is it biblical because the wise men in the Bible are plural. And when you are carrying a valuable item of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, you had to have guards, servants, and those carrying the supplies, and these wise men were very wealthy men. Some traditions tell us there were 12 wise men, not 3. Either way, you had a large caravan on a long journey.
Here are the names from medieval times.
Melchior (Mel-key-or) [Persia]: Depicted as an older man. He is the one gifted with Gold.
(Now, gold in ancient times was only given to the Kings. So Gold would represent kingship.)
Gaspar (or Caspar) [India]: Depicted as a young man. He is traditionally associated with the gift of frankincense.
(Earlier, we read about Nebuchadnezzar giving incense to Daniel. Frankincense was used in the temple of the gods, and it would have to be the purest of Frankincense because this would be a symbol of divinity. And this type of incense was very expensive, costing just as much as gold in the first century. And in the temple of Israel, this incense was used as a symbol of prayer rising to the heavens.)
Balthazar (Bel-ta-zar) [Arabia]: Depicted as a middle-aged man. And he gave the gift of Myrrh (embalming oil).
Embalming Oil: Now, this is very interesting because embalming oil is typically used for the death of a royal person, such as a king. (The use of spices for embalming was a common practice intended to honor the deceased and mitigate the odor of decay. Joseph, along with Nicodemus, prepared Jesus' body for burial. John 19:39-40 states: "Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.)
So, can you imagine these men willing to travel a thousand miles over the hot desert by day, cold by night, through treacherous terrain, animals and insects that can kill you, and bandits and robbers at every corner. These men were willing to travel and give up everything they had to seek the king of the Jews.
How far are you willing to travel for the truth?
How deep are you willing to search to find the truth?
Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the truth?
Because when you find the truth, John 8:32 gives us the answer.
John 8:32 (ESV)
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
And when these wise men encountered the King of kings, they became something different.
Matthew 2:10 (ESV)
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
Now, they didn’t see Jesus, but they saw the star and got excited. When they arrived in Jerusalem, the star or the bright light didn’t appear; that is why they asked Herod, “Where is the king of the Jews?” So by the time they came out of Jerusalem, the star reappeared and guided them to Bethlehem.
So, when they saw the star again, they were overjoyed, filled with joy, or exceedingly great joy. Meaning, there were no words to describe how happy they were to see the star, the Shikinah Glory of God. It was something that came from deep within.
All those years of studying the Jewish Scriptures and all those long nights of watching the skies in heaven, the ancient promise of a savior for Israel had been fulfilled. Their long quest of a thousand miles through hot deserts, cold nights, and escaping from bandits, but that wasn’t their joy.
Their joy was seeing God’s promise being fulfilled. They saw the Shikenah glory. When you witness this Shikenah glory, this is what will happen to you.
Matthew 2:11 (ESV)
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense, and myrrh.
Woshiped him in Greek is proskyneō, pronounced pros-koo-neh'-o, which means to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence.
My friends, these were the elite of the wisest men. The best of the smartest. They were wealthy and had everything they ever wanted, yet these powerful men humbly came before a little child and prostrated their bodies before the King of kings.
James 4:10 (ESV)
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Luke 14:11 (ESV)
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 2:1-6 (ESV)
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Questions for you to consider:
How far are you willing to travel for the truth?
How deep are you willing to search to find the truth?
Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the truth?
Let's go into the Word of God.
Matthew 2:1 (ESV)
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem
What does the word "Wise Men" mean in Greek?
Wise Men in Greek is magos, pronounced mag'-os, given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, sorcerers, etc.
Matthew 2:1 (NIV)
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
In another version, we get the word "wise men" as "magi." So we get the word “mag-os” or “magi” and with the words “magician” or “magic” and “magistrate” (one who governs). So moving forward, I will be switching the word “wise men” and “magi” back and forth.
At the height of the “wise men's” power, they were a very powerful group. They weren’t just priests and astrologers; they were the ones who could determine who would be the next king. That’s how powerful they were. That’s why they showed up to King Herod. “Hey, we are looking for the king of the Jews! And we want to worship Him.”
I want to take you back in time to help you understand how these wise men became so powerful. Are you ready? Let’s go back in time.
There was a scene in which Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonian Empire, had a troubling dream. So he summoned all the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers and said, “I had a bad dream, and I want you guys to tell me what that dream is and interpret it for me. And if you don’t do that, you will be killed.”
In Babylonian religious beliefs, dream interpretation is so vital that it can mean life or death. Because if the king made a wrong decision, then that could be the end for his kingdom.
- Kings would make political decisions or military decisions based on the dream interpretations.
So dream interpretation is a vital part of how the Babylonians did it. Now, it’s one thing to interpret a dream, but it's a whole new level to know what that dream is.
Daniel 2:4-5 (NLT)
Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.” But the king said to the astrologers, “I am serious about this. If you don’t tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into heaps of rubble!
Now, remember back in ancient times, the king had absolute rule and authority over everything. So none of the wise men could figure out what the dream was.
So, here comes the order.
Daniel 2:12-13 (NLT)
The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. And because of the king’s decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends.
Quick history: Israel was split into two nations. You had, in the north, Israel, and in the south, you had the land of Judah. And the king of Judah, Jehoiakim, refused to pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar. So Nebuchadnezzar sends his army, and they take Jerusalem. And among those captured was a young man by the name of Daniel.
So the command was given to kill all the wise men, and everyone is in panic. But Daniel goes to his friends and says, “Hey guys, let’s pray together and seek after God’s mercy.” They go into prayer, and God reveals the entire dream to Daniel.
Daniel 2:24 (NLT)
Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.”
So here is Daniel, he receives the entire dream from God, and then on top of that, he interprets the dream.
Daniel 2:27-28 (NLT)
Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.
Now, we know that Daniel eventually becomes the chief of the Magi and the chief of all the wise men: “He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men” (Daniel 2:48).
Daniel 2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.” [What is interesting is that later on, you will see one of the wise men give frankincense to Jesus. So the incense was a sign of divinity.]
Daniel 2:47: The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”
So, with that said, Daniel had a significant influence on the wise men and on the future of all the wise men. Now this is where it starts to get interesting.
We know that it was about 605 BC when the Babylonian army came and took thousands of the Jewish people to Babylon. Furthermore, they didn’t just take the people; they also took many of the ancient Hebrew scrolls. So, in Babylon, you had tons of Hebrew texts stored, and the Magi had access to all of the ancient texts, studied them, and learn what they had to say.
As they studied the ancient text, one of the main prophecies they found concerned a Messiah who would appear in the future and be a savior of the world. Remember that because of Daniel and the Jews in Babylon, you had generations and generations of Magi who studied all of astrology and science, but they were also more sensitive to the Jews' prophetic texts.
So what are some of the Scriptures of the Jewish text? Here are just a few.
Numbers 24:17 (ESV)
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.
The prophet Isaiah said about Jesus, “He shall be crushed for our iniquities, our sins.” (Isaiah 53:5). And another one.
Isaiah 60:1-3 (ESV)
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
So, we are seeing a relationship between star, light, brightness, and all of them pointing to the glory of God. Isn’t this interesting?
Here are these Magis who have studied the ancient text of the Jews and have studied intently to see what kind of light or star it’s going to be, like the “glory of God.”
But how would these Magis know what to look for? How would they know what kind of star or light or brightness this would be? Because every night, all the stars are bright. So how would you know what the differences are?
Remember that these Magis have studied the Hebrew text. They would probably remember something from the text, like Shikinah's glory. When you look at the “Shikinah Glory”, you would know that this can only come from God.
What is a “Shikinah Glory?”
The word shekinah is the Hebrew word that literally means “he caused to dwell,” signifying a divine visitation of the Lord God's presence or dwelling on this earth. [In other words, when “Shikinah Glory” happens, you will know that it is God.]
What would that look like? The Magis have read about it in Exodus 13:20-22, when the Israelites were wandering in the desert: you had the pillar of cloud (visible by all the people), leading the people by day, and a pillar of fire leading by night. They witnessed the divine presence of God. They saw the “shekinah” glory of God in their presence.
Listen, my friends, when you seek God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will encounter the Sheinah Glory of God. You will witness the presence of an almighty God with you. But you must seek God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Matthew 2:2 (ESV)
saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Notice that it says, “His Star” and not any kind of star, or the star, but God’s Star. So how is this star or a bright light any different than any stars in the heavens? Because when I look up at the sky, they all look the same.
So here is what some scholars are saying about “His Star.” Now, know that this is just a theory, but it sounds pretty credible. The two planets, Jupiter and Saturn, came into alignment, or conjunction, about three times in one year. And this has never happened before.
Remember, you have to see this through the lens of these wise men who have studied the skies every day. So they are the experts on the stars. To the Maji, Jupiter in Babylonian astrology represented Marduk, the supreme god, the king of the gods. And Saturn was called Kaiwanu, the star of justice and royalty, and Pisces. Pisces was the constellation (a grouping of stars on the sky as a figure or design) associated with the west, in the land of Syria, Palestine, and the land of the Jews.
So here are these wise men. They see a supernatural occurrence: three times in one year, the supreme god and the royalty of god aligned together, pointing to the land of the Jews. So to the wise men, this was impossible to ignore.
When you have the king of the gods meeting with the star of royalty, either you are going to wait and miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to know the truth of those prophesies, or you will follow “His Star” and find the King of the Jews.
What will you do?
How far are you willing to travel for the truth?
How deep are you willing to search to find the truth?
Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the truth?
From Babylon to Bethlehem
- Travel about or more than 1,000 miles.
- Travel over hot, sandy deserts with strong winds.
- Travel over sharp mountains.
- Travel over rough and rugged terrains.
- Bandits and Robbers at every corner.
Now, this is only a traditional story from medieval times, so it’s not a true story of the three wise men. Nor is it biblical because the wise men in the Bible are plural. And when you are carrying a valuable item of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, you had to have guards, servants, and those carrying the supplies, and these wise men were very wealthy men. Some traditions tell us there were 12 wise men, not 3. Either way, you had a large caravan on a long journey.
Here are the names from medieval times.
Melchior (Mel-key-or) [Persia]: Depicted as an older man. He is the one gifted with Gold.
(Now, gold in ancient times was only given to the Kings. So Gold would represent kingship.)
Gaspar (or Caspar) [India]: Depicted as a young man. He is traditionally associated with the gift of frankincense.
(Earlier, we read about Nebuchadnezzar giving incense to Daniel. Frankincense was used in the temple of the gods, and it would have to be the purest of Frankincense because this would be a symbol of divinity. And this type of incense was very expensive, costing just as much as gold in the first century. And in the temple of Israel, this incense was used as a symbol of prayer rising to the heavens.)
Balthazar (Bel-ta-zar) [Arabia]: Depicted as a middle-aged man. And he gave the gift of Myrrh (embalming oil).
Embalming Oil: Now, this is very interesting because embalming oil is typically used for the death of a royal person, such as a king. (The use of spices for embalming was a common practice intended to honor the deceased and mitigate the odor of decay. Joseph, along with Nicodemus, prepared Jesus' body for burial. John 19:39-40 states: "Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.)
So, can you imagine these men willing to travel a thousand miles over the hot desert by day, cold by night, through treacherous terrain, animals and insects that can kill you, and bandits and robbers at every corner. These men were willing to travel and give up everything they had to seek the king of the Jews.
How far are you willing to travel for the truth?
How deep are you willing to search to find the truth?
Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the truth?
Because when you find the truth, John 8:32 gives us the answer.
John 8:32 (ESV)
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
And when these wise men encountered the King of kings, they became something different.
Matthew 2:10 (ESV)
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
Now, they didn’t see Jesus, but they saw the star and got excited. When they arrived in Jerusalem, the star or the bright light didn’t appear; that is why they asked Herod, “Where is the king of the Jews?” So by the time they came out of Jerusalem, the star reappeared and guided them to Bethlehem.
So, when they saw the star again, they were overjoyed, filled with joy, or exceedingly great joy. Meaning, there were no words to describe how happy they were to see the star, the Shikinah Glory of God. It was something that came from deep within.
All those years of studying the Jewish Scriptures and all those long nights of watching the skies in heaven, the ancient promise of a savior for Israel had been fulfilled. Their long quest of a thousand miles through hot deserts, cold nights, and escaping from bandits, but that wasn’t their joy.
Their joy was seeing God’s promise being fulfilled. They saw the Shikenah glory. When you witness this Shikenah glory, this is what will happen to you.
Matthew 2:11 (ESV)
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense, and myrrh.
Woshiped him in Greek is proskyneō, pronounced pros-koo-neh'-o, which means to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence.
My friends, these were the elite of the wisest men. The best of the smartest. They were wealthy and had everything they ever wanted, yet these powerful men humbly came before a little child and prostrated their bodies before the King of kings.
James 4:10 (ESV)
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Luke 14:11 (ESV)
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Posted in Weekly Devotional