In our study this morning we considered the story of the visit of the wise men in Matthew chapter two. By this time, Jesus was a young child around the age of two. Joseph and Mary were still living in Bethlehem, but now residing in a house. Perhaps they had hoped to settle down and make Bethlehem their new home. (Little did they know that their journey had just begun.) Proverbs tells us, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” (Prov. 16:9 NLT) We see this illustrated repeatedly in the lives of our Bible characters.
First there was the Star, indicating to the Magi that the King of the Jews had been born. It is assumed that by means of ancient prophetic writings they had come to anticipate this glorious, world-changing event. The Star led them on a journey to the land of Israel. When they lost sight of its guiding light, they naturally went to Jerusalem to inquire at the palace of the then-reigning King Herod. The news of a newborn king was not received well, to put it mildly.
Next were the Scriptures. King Herod gathered the chief priests and scribes together to inquire as to where the Christ should be born. Their immediate response showed that they were well- acquainted with Micah’s prophesy concerning the place of the Messiah’s birth. Perhaps they dissected and debated among themselves its exact meaning. Strangely though, we read nothing of them doing anything about it. Gentiles living hundreds of miles away made more of an effort to find Jesus than those Jews who lived in walking distance from Bethlehem. When they departed from Herod, they rejoiced to see that the Star had reappeared and stood over the house where the young child was.
Finally, there were the Dreams. Intending to report back to Herod as to the Savior’s whereabouts, the Lord intervened while they slept. “And being warned of God in a dream that they should not returned to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.” (vs.12) I wonder how that worked. To whom did God speak? Or did a number of the wise men experience the same dream thus confirming its divine origin. In any case, they obeyed. Upon discovering that he had been “mocked of the wise men,” King Herod erupted in a jealous rage leaving a path of untold heartache in its wake.
Joseph also received divine direction as he slept. First, to take Mary to be his wife. Secondly, to flee to Egypt to protect Jesus from Herod’s wrath. Then, when it was safe to return to the land of Israel. And lastly, directing them back to Nazareth, all in fulfillment of the words of the prophets. (Perhaps the Lord speaks to us best while we sleep - when our minds are at rest and less likely to get in His way.) Again and again, God turned heaven and earth to ensure that Jesus would perfectly fulfill the mission for which he was sent. God is still doing that today.
Not so unlike Herod, we, too, are reluctant to surrender the throne of our hearts to another. This is the very essence of the pride of our sinful nature. “We will not have this man to reign over us!” It took the death of our Savior to break the power of sin in our lives and make room for Jesus to take his rightful place as Lord and King. Looking back, how much damage we have done to ourselves and others by refusing to let Him reign.
Be not deceived - knowing the scriptures is not the same as doing them. We, too, can be content to simply be acquainted with the word of God but never translate it into our words, attitudes and actions. Our Christian life too often centers in the written word instead of in Christ himself. God is looking for loving obedience, not just perfect doctrine.
The Psalmist reminds us, “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (Ps. 37:23 NLT) How greatly we need the Lord’s direction. His ways and thoughts are much higher than ours, and left to ourselves we are sure to miss His perfect plan for our lives. The good news is that God is still turning heaven and earth to see to it that Jesus perfectly fulfills his divine purpose in this world… and in our lives in particular. He may use a “star,” a dream or any number of other means to guide us, but always in keeping within the confines of His Holy Word.
Our part is obedience, God does all the rest. Let’s see where He’ll lead us today!