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Lesson V. February 4. THE STORY OF THE WISE-MEN AND
and dreaded, the approach of the rightful Heir. (3) He was guilty of all the sins in the Decalogue,, and could not endure the searching rays of the Sun of Righteousness. . 2. Jerusalem was troubled. (1) Messiah ' born and they not know it! What did that portend to them? (2) Born! and they not ready for Him; (3) born, to burn as stubble "fl "all the proud, yea, and all that do wicked- ly" (Mai. 4:1). Oh, ye Scribes and Phari- 4 .1 sees, ye haughty worldly, Sadducees, trou- bled? A King born! a change of dynasty, a set back in business, a change of policy? 4> Oh! ye merchants, and me r c h a n d i s e r s—" Jerusalem troubled! Why were not Zacha- rias, and Joseph, and Simeon troubled? Now- here is a remarkable difference! Would it 1 trouble you to know that the Lord had come? Would you sing a Magnificat? Would you intone a Benedictus? Would you shout a Gloria in Exeelsis? For Whom are you looking, a Jesus? or a Judge? Did you -J never read "The Spirit of the Lord is upon * Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach glad tidings to the poor; He hath sent Me*-w to heal the broken-hearted, to preach de- liverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised?" (Luke 4:18). That's what He's coming for—Kiss Him, "Kiss the Son" (Psa. 2:12), He is very gracious to sinners; He saves every one; yes, "as many as re- ceive Him" He makes sons of God (Jno. 1:12). Why should you be one who "re- ceives Him not?'''" (1:11). Remember the publicans and sinners He pardoned; the lit- tle children He caressed in His arms; Zac- chaeus, too, eager, to .see Him, so kindly received. Oh, why are you troubled, He is gracious. But, truly, "His anger will be , kindly In a little" (Psa. 2:12). ^ III. THE COUNCIL. , Herod called a council of the Doctors of the Law. 1. His demand. Where shall Christ be born? Herod had built the tem- ple, but did not attend the service or he would not have been so ignorant, nor, pos- sibly, so troubled. 2. The answer. "In THE STAR. Matt. 1:1-12. I. THE WISE MEN. 1. Who they were. "Melchior," "Balthaz- ar," and "Caspar," so they say, but nobody knows their names, or number; nor is it likely they were "kings." 2. What they were. The Greek reads "magi" for "wise- men." Our "magician" comes from it. But the "magi" were held in honor; were learned, scientific men in their day; were, especially, students of the stars (astrologers); their lore was mostly superstition; but much of it true astronomy. They used it to tell for- tunes and to prognosticate the future. They kept records of their observations, and fa- mous leaders. Balaam and Daniel were magi (Num. 22:1-25:18; Dan, 1:20; 2:18), the former a pagan, the latter a man of God and free from magian superstitions. 3. Whence they came. "From the East." Arabia and Chaldea were the homes' of as- trology and the magians. Balaam came from the one,- Daniel lived in the other. 4. Whither they came. "To Jerusalem." Like Daniel, they turned toward Jerusalem in seeking "the King of the Jews;" where else should they expect to find Him? 5. Their Inquiry. "Where Is He that Is born King of the Jews?" (1) They. were sur- prised that even in Jerusalem the • advent was unknown! (2) We .are surprised for Zacharias had predicted it (Duke 1:68, 69); and the shepherds had heralded it (2:20); and Simeon had welcomed Him in the tem- ple (2:29, 30); and Anna had preached it (2:38). ' (3) But how many in the world to- day have heard of it? How many even in this land have a true idea of it? How few could tell inquirers how to find. Him! How hard the hearts, how blind the «yes, how dull the earSs; how forgetful the minds of men to the things of Christ; how ab- sorbed in the world they are. 5. Their rea- sons. (1) The Star seen by them. There was expectation in the world of a mighty one to rise in Jewry, (a) Due to expound- ing the pronhets in the synagogues? (b) To the study of the writings of Balaam and of Daniel by the magi? (c) To the despair of the world Of any deliverance otherwise? (d) God met the wise-men on their own ground, after the benf of their minds. They found in Balaam " a Star out of Ja- cob" (Num. 24:17) and "a Scepter." They found in Daniel the times of "the Prince" (Dan. 9:25), and they were looking for "the /Star," *God sent it; they recognized it. •Whether or not what they saw "at Its ris- ing" (Greek) was the remarkable conjunc- tions of planets about their time, and a strange star, noted by Kepler as appearing, they saw what led them to set out for Jer- usalem. (2) Desire to welcome and worship Him. Oh, that all w^re now waiting and watching to welcome and worship the com- ing King, the "Star of Jacob,'' "the Day- Spring," "the Bright and Morning Star," "the Sun of Righteousness," "the Light of the World," "the Day Dawn" (Num. 24:17; j-iuke 1:78; Rev. 22:16; Mai. 4:2; Jno. 8:12; 2 Pet. 1:19). II. TROUBLE. 1. Herod was troubled. (1) Herod was of the night (1 Thess. 5:4-7), he hated the rising of the Day Star. (2) He wickedly held the throne of the King of the Jews
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