THE GOSPELS – The Magi from the East, Matthew 2:3-8

17 January 2025

We are proceeding today with studying Matthew chapter 2:1-12 the VISIT of the MAGI and with focus on verses 3-12.

We are mainly reading from the Complete Jewish Study Bible – insight for Jews and Christians with cross references to other Bible versions. As well as the Nelson’s Foundational Bible Dictionary.

We are using the Hebrew names of God the Father, namely YHVH (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh) where the word LORD is used in standard versions of the Bible, and we will also use the description Heavenly Father and Abba Father.  We also use the Hebrew Name Yeshua the Messiah instead of the English Name Jesus Christ translated from the Greek.

We ended last week with verse 2 with the Magi asking king Herod where the NEWBORN KING of the JEWS is.

And we further read in Matthew 2:3-6 “When king Herod hear of this, he became VERY AGITATED (nervous, tense, disturbed/ troubled), and so did everyone else in JERUSALEM. He called together all the HEAD PRIESTS and TORAH TEACHERS of the people and asked them, “Where will the MESSIAH be born? In Bethlehem of Judea, they replied, because the PROPHET wrote: And you BETHLEHEM in the land of JUDAH; are by no means the least among the rulers of JUDAH; for from you will come a RULER who will SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.” (This was prophesied in Micah 5:1).

We see the HIGH PRIESTS and TORAH TEACHERS were called together. So, we are going to look at who they were.

THE PRIESTS – prior to the Mosaic institution of PRIESTHOOD, the functions of the PRIEST were exercised by individuals, as in the case of Abel and Cain.  The natural head of a body of people stood in this relation, as in the case of the patriarchs – that is the fathers being the heads of families serving as the governing system). At Mount Sinai the OFFICE was instituted in the most solemn manner. The TRIBE of LELVI was set apart for RELIGIOUS SERVICES and the PRIESTHOOD was made hereditary in the family of Aaron (read Exodus 28:1, 40:12-15, Deuteronomy 10:6, 1 Kings 8:4 and Ezra 2:36). When Aaron died his oldest living son, Eleazar, succeeded him in the HIGH PRIESTHOOD and he was succeeded by his son Phineas. The HIGH PRIESTS dress represented his FUNCTION as MEDIATOR between God and His people. Over his regular PREISTLY GARMENTS the High Priest wore an ephod, a two-piece apron. He also wore a BREASTPLATE of JUDGEMENT with TWELVE PRECIOUS STONES. These were engraved with the NAMES of the TWELF TRIBES of ISRAEL (Exodus 28:15-30). In the POCKET of the BREASTPLATE, directly over the HIGH PRIESTS’ HEART, were the URIM and the THUMMIM (Exodus 28:30). This was the way through which God communicated HIS WILL to the people. The HIGH PRIEST was responsible for seeing that the duties of all the PRIESTS were carried out (2 Chronicles 19:11). His most important responsibility occurred annually on the Day of Atonement. On this day he entered the HOLY of HOLIES or the MOST HOLY PLACE in the TABERNACLE and made a sacrifice, first FOR his OWN SINS and then SINS committed by ALL THE PEOPLE during the year that just ended (Exodus 30:10). David organized 24 groups of PRIESTS to serve at the TABERNACLE during his reign as king of JUDAH. Kings Hezekiah and Josiah assisted the HIGH PRIEST in REFORM and RESTORATION of the TEMPLE. In the NEW TESTAMENT the HIGH PRIEST was referred to as RULER of the PEOPLE (Acts 23:4-5) and presided over the SANHEDRIN, the HIGHEST RULING body of the Jews (the Southern Kingdom consisting of the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin) (Matthew 26:57-59).

The Study Bible further explains that the task of the PRIEST, like that of a PROPHET, is to serve as SPOKESPERSON and MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD and HUMANITY. The PROPHET speaks to ISRAEL on behalf of GOD, and the PRIEST to GOD on behalf of the people.

The New Testament speaks of Yeshua in figurative terms as a HIGH PRIEST. He was not of the LEVITICAL order of Aaron but of MELCHIZEDEK, an ETERNAL PRIESTHOOD. (Hebrews 5:10). He had no need to offer sacrifices for His own sin, for HE HAD NO SIN (Hebrews 7:27-28). He offered His own blood once and for all and INTERCEDING (mediating on our behalf) with the FATHER (Hebrews 9:12 & 26 and 10:10-12 and John 1:29). Therefore, we may come boldly into the presence of God through the “one (capital letter) Mediator between God the Father and man, the (capital letter) Man Yeshua the Messiah (1 Titus 2:5).

Then we also read Herod called together the TORAH TEACHERS. So, who were they? The word TORAH is a HEBREW word that means INSTRUCTION and GUIDANCE. It refers to the whole spectrum of God’s teaching and thus includes the entire OLD TESTAMENT. In more recent times, the word TORAH has come to mean the FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, also called THE LAW, the Pentateuch (PENTATOOK), and the Books of Moses. Torah Teachers therefore taught the statutes (rulings, edicts) of the law. In New Testament times they were the interpreters and teachers of the law, and they held the HIGHEST PLACE among the people and many MEMBERS of the SANHEDRIN were of this class (Matthew 16:21 & 26:3). They had the respect and reverence of the people, but they bitterly OPPOSED YESHUA (Matthew 21:15) and He denounced them (meaning He publicly declared them to be wrong and evil) for their hypocrisy (their two-facedness and insincerity) and their FALSE RELIGION (Luke 11:44).

We also see in verse 4 that HEROD specifically asked the HIGH PIESTS and TORAH TEACHERS where the MESSIAH would be born.

The HEBREW WORD MESSIAH means ANOINTED ONE and is TRANSLATED as CHRIST in the GREEK language. God’s promise to Abraham that IN him and his descendants ALL THE WORLD would be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3) created the expectation of a KINGDOM of GOD on earth among the HEBREW PEOPLE. The reign of David as king of Judah further shaped popular MESSIANIC EXPETATIONS that the COMING KINGDOM would be ONE like King David’s (2 Samuel chapter 7).

As the HEBREW KINGDOM DIVIDED after Solomon’s time, the idea of a MESIANIC DELIVERER became popular. The people of ISRAEL looked for a POLITICAL RULER to DELIVER them from their ENEMIES. The SALVATION spoken of in the Psalms and some PORPHECIES in Isaiah and Jeremiah was interpreted as referring to DELIVERANCE form ISREAL’s ENEMIES, especially threatening world powers (Psalm 69:35, Isaiah 25:9 and Jeremiah 42:11). The HEBREW PEOPLE tended to overlook or ignore such prophecies as the SUFFERING SERVANT message of Isaiah 53, which foretold that the MESSIAH would SUFFER and DIE.

Major OLD TESTAMENT passages indicated that the MESSIAH would be born of a VIRGIN (Isiah 7:14), in BETHLEHEM (Micah 5:2), and that He would be a descendant f the HOUSE OF DAVID (2 Samuel 7:12). He would be a “MAN of SORROWS” (Isaiah 53:3) who would SUFFER REJECTION by HIS OWN PEOPLE (Psalm 69:8), followed by BETRAYAL BY A FRIEND (Psalm 41:9), and CRUCIFIXION between two thieves (Isaiah 53:12).

As the MESSIAH died, His SPIRIT would be commended to HIS FATHER (Psalm 31:5). He would be raised form the dead (Psalm 16:10) to take His place at God (the Father’s) RIGHT HAND (Psalm 110:1). Yeshua fulfilled these prophecies as PROPHET, PRIEST and KING, but He came to DELIVER humankind from the REIGN of SIN and BIND US INTO GOD, the FATHER’s FAMILY (Luke 4:18-19 and Acts 2:36-42). He indicated in John 18:36 “My KNGDOM is not of this world” to Pilate. He RULED by SERVING (Matthew 20:25-28). As a PRIEST, He offered not the blood of animals, but HIMSELF, as a full and final sacrifice for SINS. (John 10:11-18 & Hebrew 9:12).

LASTLY, we see in Matthew chapter 2:6 a (capital letter) RULER will come to SHEPHERD THE PEOPLE of ISRAEL – A SHEPHERD is a person looking after a HERD of SHEEP. In Biblical times a SHEPHERD led his SHEEP to pasture (grass or a grassland), to watering places, and at night to the fold (a strong fenced enclosure for the protection of the sheep gathered within it). He was responsible for driving away and protecting the sheep against WILD BEASTS (read 1 Samuel 17:34-36). The patriarchs in GENESIS were SHEPHERDS in the literal sense, keeping LARGE FLOCKS of sheep for meat, milk, wool and hides (read Genesis 13:6). The term is also use in a more SPIRITUAL SENSE, as an illustration. Many times, GOD is called A SHEPHERD; the beautiful words of the most beloved Psalm 23 begin with the IMAGE in verse 1: “The Lord is my Shepherd”. Yeshua called Himself “The GOOD SHEPHERD, who would lay down His life for the sheep (John 10:1-39).” The LEADERS of God’s people are called: Shepherds in both the OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS (read numbers 27:17, 1 Kings 22:17, Jeremiah 23:1-4, Acts 20:28-30).

And in Matthew 2:7-8 we further read “Herod summoned the Magi to meet with him privately and asked them exactly WHEN the STAR (they spoked about in verse 2) had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions: ‘Search carefully for THE CHILD; and when you find HIM. Let me know, so that I too may go and worship HIM.’

The AFRIKAANS BIBLE in PRACTISE explains: Herod LIED; he did not intend to worship Yeshua the Messiah. It was just a way to ensure that the Magi would return to him and tell him exactly where the NEWBORN KING was for Herod wanted to kill Him.

WE AGAIN READ in verse 7 about the REFERENCE TO THE STAR that appeared.

The BIBLE DICTIONARY explains that it is not strange that the STARS, on account of their number, and constellations (their arrangements), attracted the attention of the ancients (as indicated in Genesis 22:17 and Isaiah 13:10). In Job there is reference to God as the MAKER of the O-RION, PLEIADES and THE BEAR and the constellations (groups of stars forming a pattern) brought forth in their season in Job 9:9 and 38:31-32). With the exception of the SUN and MOON all heavenly bodies were DESIGNATED STARS by the HEBREWS. They recognized the STARS as the HANDIWORK of GOD (Psalm 8:3) and UNDER HIS POWER (read Isaiah 13:10 and Jeremiah 31:35). They were however VERY AWARE of GOD’s INSTRUCTIONS not to WORSHIP the sun, moon and stars as the HEATHENS did (read Deuteronomy 4:19 and 2 Kings 17:16 as well as chapter 23:5) Paul later referred to this in Romans 1:25 saying: “They (godless and wicked people) have exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, by worshipping and serving created things, rather than the CREATOR…”

In the BIBLE we know from Job 38:7 that there is a REFERENCE TO ANGELS as STARS. We also read in Judges 5:20 of the STARS fighting against Sisera. The indication of God counting the STARS calling each by NAME in Psalm 147:4 and in Revelation 12:3-4 we read about the great red dragon (alluding to Satan) whose tail swept a THIRD OF THE STARS OUT OF HEAVEN and threw them DOWN on the EARTH. We also know that Yeshua is spoken of as THE MORNING STAR in Revelation 22:16. We have done a study on the stars about a year ago and found that A MORNING STAR referred to a very HIGH AUTHORITY in the spiritual realm. Also read Revelation 2:28 – where Yeshua promised in the letter to the Messianic Community in THYATIRA that He will give authority and rulership over the nations and   the MORNING STAR to those who OVERCOME.

So here in Matthew 2:2 & 7 we then see the reference to the STAR of the KING OF THE JEWS (the TRIBE OF JUDAH) in the EAST. We also read the PROPHECY of BALAAM in Numbers 24:17 of the STAR FROM JACOB/ ISRAEL who will destroy the enemies of ISRAEL regarded as a MESSIANIC PROPHECY. The STUDY BIBLE explains it as follows:  We read in Numbers chapter 24 of Balaam, a non-Israelite wicket prophet and diviner (someone who claims to predict the future or reveal secrets using supernatural means) hired by king Balak of Moab to CURSE ISRAEL, BLESSED THEM INSTEAD and GOD gave him a vision of a man coming from the TRIBES of JACOB who, in future, would reign as seen in the uses of STAR and SCEPTER alluding to the MESSIAH (read Numbers 24 verses 14-28 and Ezekiel 38:16). The metaphor of THE STAR is also a REMINDER of God’s PROMISE to ABRAHAM to make his SEED AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN (read Genesis 15:5 and 22:17). The ancient people were therefore looking FOR A STAR announcing the coming of THE MESSIAH. The reference to the STAR is evokes therefore the FAR FUTURE when, finally, the DIVINE PROMISE will be fulfilled, and ISRAEL will be LIKE the STARS (read 1 Chronicles 27:23). Also read the words of Yeshua our Messiah in Matthew 22:30 and Luke 20:36 that people will be LIKE the ANGELS in the RESURECTION.