Were the Wise Men at the Manger?
By Lorena B. Galloway
W ERE the wise men. at the man ger? It has been so presented, down through the years, in pictures, prose, poetry and song, until people in general, many of whom should know their Bibles, have accepted it as a fact. Nevertheless, according to the Bible, it is false. Some may ask, “ What difference does it make, whether they were there or not?” Just the difference between truth and untruth. To believe this idea shows, first, a careless reading of the Bible, as well as a lack of study and searching of the Scriptures; and second, that the word of men has been accepted instead of the Word of God. That the wise men were not at the manger can be found by reading first, Matthew 2:1-14, noting particularly the last two verses which read: “ And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt” (Matt. 2:13, 14). The word flee denotes a hasty flight, and the statement that Joseph arose and, taking Mary and the young child, departed by night, indicates their immediate departure. This could not possibly have taken place had the wise men’s' visit been at the manger, when the shepherds were there on the night of the Christ-child’s birth: for, in view of the account given in Luke 2:4-39, Joseph and Mary did not leave the vi cinity of Jerusalem until the Babe was, at least, forty-one days old. Verses 21-24 read: “ And when eight days were accom plished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. “ And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were ac complished, they brought him to Jeru salem, to present him to the Lord; “ (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) “ And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” The law referred to in these verses, Page Ten
chapter of Luke, verse 39 reads: “ And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.” Now to come back to the wise men. Incidentally, there is nothing to imply that the star led them to Jerusalem, as is so often stated. Instead Matthew 2:2 quotes them as saying, “ For we have seen [past tense] his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” Knowing that the center of Jewish worship was in Jerusalem, the wise men naturally went there to inquire where they might find Him, who “ is born, King of the Jews” (Mat. 2:2). When they started to Bethlehem, at Herod’s direction, then it was that the star re appeared and led them, not to Bethlehem to find the babe, but to the house, where the young child was (Matt. 2:9-11). Since we have already read that immediately after the ceremony in the temple, when the Christ-child was forty- one days old, Joseph and Mary returned, with the Babe, to their home in Naz areth, there can be no question as to, the wise men having been led by the star to their home there. Travel was slow in those days and the distance covered by the wise men was probably very great. Hence it had required a long period of time, many months, no doubt, for them to complete the journey from their homes in the East. This is confirmed in Matthew 2:16: “ Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was ex ceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.” This would indicate that Jesus was probably somewhere near two years old at the time of the wise men’s visit. No, the wise men were not at the manger. Neither was Jesus born in a manger, as is so often stated in story and song. A fter His birth, “ Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger” (Luke 2:7). One of Christ’s greatest utterances was, “ Search the scriptures” (John 5:39). If we would do just that, allow ing the Holy Spirit to fit them together properly, the danger of getting into false doctrines would be greatly les sened. After all, the Bible is its own best commentary. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
is found in Leviticus 12:2-4; 6-8 and reads: “ Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then shall she be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. “And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. “ And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, un til the days of her purifying be fulfilled. “ And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering, and a young pig eon, or a turtledove, for a sin-offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: “ Who shall offer it before the Lord, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female. “ And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then shall she bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt-offering, and the other for a sin- offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.” Concluding the account in the second
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker