Journey on the Ancient Path – The Way of the Shepherd

Chapter 11 – Treasures We Bring

In this chapter, wise men from the East travel to find, and worship, the baby born as King of the Jews. They saw his star the night he was born. They brought expensive and precious gifts to Jesus, gifts fit for a king! Wise men still seek him! And if you seek him, you will find him; even if God has to show you a sign (like the star) or give you a dream for direction. And when you find him, what treasure will you bring to him? He wants your heart, your whole heart.

Thought Provoking Journey:

• It is possible that the wise men were living in Persia (Babylon), which is east of Bethlehem. Several hundred years earlier, the Jewish people were taken to Babylon and into captivity, after their country was taken over by the Babylonian empire. Educated Jewish men living in Babylon (men like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo), knew about the prophecies concerning the birth of the Messiah. Seventy years after their captivity, many Jews returned to Israel, but some stayed in Babylon, because they had established a business. The wise men who searched for Yeshua, were probably descendants of the Jewish people who stayed in Babylon, hundreds of years earlier.
  • The wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh, as gifts to Yeshua. It is interesting to note that the only place in the Bible where all three of these items are mentioned, is in reference to the Temple, where God dwelt and where He was worshipped.
    • Gold was used extensively in the Temple. The Ark of the Covenant was made from pure gold. The walls inside the Temple were covered with gold.The walls inside the Temple were covered with gold and most of the elements, used in the Temple, were made from gold. 
    • Frankincense is a resin which comes from a tree, similar to turpentine. It was burned for its pleasant fragrance when animals were sacrificed, in the courtyard of the Temple.
    • Myrrh was the first ingredient used to make the incense which was offered on the Altar of Incense inside the Temple. 
• The story of the wise men can be found in the Bible, in Matthew 2:1-12.