Tag Archives: Three Wise Men

God’s Anointing Oil and Incense (Exodus 30)

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Bible Summary:

God instructs Moses to:

  • Make an altar where Aaron is to burn incense every morning and evening.
  • Collect a tax from every man during census for upkeep of the holy Tent. Each man is to pay the same whether rich or poor.
  • Make a bronze basin for the priests to wash their hands and feet before entering the holy Tent.
  • Mix the spices myrrh, cinnamon, cane, and cassia with olive oil to make sacred oil to anoint the Tent and everything in it.
  • Blend equal parts of the spices stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense to make the holy incense.

My Thoughts:

Taxes: So, basically this chapter of Exodus says God created the first tax!

God or Coincidence: The last bible study topic was about wise men giving baby Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh and this Exodus story describes what frankincense and myrrh were for. Coincidence or did God have a hand in the timing? When I was younger I would have said this was a coincidence, but now that I have experienced so many of these in my life I know that God is with me.

Follow your instincts: A few chapters back I struggled about jumping ahead to the New Testament. I think I found my answer. Follow your instincts and see where they lead you.

Baby Jesus and Wise Men (Matthew 2)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus is born in Bethlehem. Wise men follow a star to Jerusalem. King Herod learns of Jesus’ birth and plots to have the wise men lead him to the baby. The wise men find baby Jesus and present him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. God warns them about Herod, so they leave by another road.

An angel warns Joseph about Herod, so they escape to Egypt. Herod realizes the wise men tricked him, so he orders the death of all boys two and younger in Bethlehem, which fulfills the prophecy about Rachel weeping for her children.

After King Herod dies, God tells Joseph to return to the land of Israel. Joseph is afraid to learn that Herod’s son has succeeded him, so God guides him to Nazareth in the province of Galilee, fulfilling the prophecy that the Messiah will be a Nazarene.

My Thoughts:

Wise Men: This story conflicts with all the nativity scenes and stories that have the wise men show up right at the birth of Jesus instead of two years later. Must be poetic license.

These Magi came from “the East”, which was likely Mesopotamia where Abraham was from or possibly Persia.

Jesus similar to Moses: Jesus miraculously survives the killing of all the baby boys in Bethlehem like Moses survived the King of Egypt’s edict to kill all the Hebrew babies (see the Israelites Grow Numerous in Egypt  and Moses is Born stories in Exodus).