Sermon Tone Analysis

Matthew 2:1-12

The Magi

Who were the magi?

The original Greek word is magoi (the plural version of the singular noun magos).

This word popped up in Greek literature several hundred years before Jesus’ birth, and it originally (and interestingly) referred to a class of Zoroastrian priests in Persia.

Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion in what we now call the Middle East, and their magoi were priests who were known for their wisdom, astrology, and interpretation of dreams.

Magoi were often consulted by kings because of their wisdom and supposed abilities to interpret omens and read the signs in the stars.

Seers, astrologers, magicians learned men.

Certainly not kings, though they would have been advisors to kings

By the time Matthew was written, we see in Greek literature that the meaning of the word came to include all people who practiced magic, regardless of their culture, class, or trade.

Magoi could include people who consulted with spirits, people who could predict the future, people who could curse enemies, and so on.

But by and large magicians were seen as wise, powerful, and crafty people.

So the short answer is that we don’t know who these visitors were.

However, we do know that they weren’t just generic wise men.

They were specifically magoi.

And this is important because magoi were largely looked down upon in Jewish culture.

Regardless of whether these magoi in Matthew 2 were Zoroastrian priests or generic magicians, their appearance as Jesus-worshippers would have been startling to Jewish readers, because traditionally magoi of all kinds were not the types of people Jews associated with.

Where were they from?

The east, but where exactly?

Possibly from Arabia, Persia, or Babylon, modern-day Iraq is a good educated guess.

They were known for astrology and would have possibly been familiar with Hebrew Bible from the Babylonian captivity

How many were there?

Unknown, but likely more than 3.

They would have most likely traveled in a large caravan with attendants and guards.

When did they arrive?

We know they did not come when Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were in the manger.

They were in a house at the time the magi came.

Herod decrees the death of boys 2 years old or younger, “according to the time ascertained” from the magoi (2:16).

The magoi weren’t there that first night but sometime later.

The combined Matthew/Luke sequence runs: Jesus’s birth, angels/shepherds, circumcision, presentation at the temple, visit by the magoi, flight to Egypt, and resettlement in Nazareth (where the storylines reunite

How did they know the star announced the birth of the King of the Jews?

They were students of religious texts

As astrologers themselves, they would be particularly interested in any texts or prophesies involving stars.

“In antiquity, astrological wonders were understood to accompany political events, from the star landing in what becomes Rome to the star presaging the destruction of Jerusalem.

Herod was no mere paranoid fool when he detected something politically amiss with the star’s appearing (Matt.

2:7).”

“Magoi were experts in such astral phenomena.

But what about this star drew them to Jerusalem?

The most plausible explanation lies in Israel’s Scriptures.

As learned men who interacted with various religious literature, the magoi would have been familiar with Jewish political or messianic oracles.

And one of the central political prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures is Balaam’s oracle.”

Num.

24:17

Prophesy in the Stars

Background and summary Num.

22-25

The Star and Scepter Oracle

“The enemies of Israel offer great riches to Balaam, a seer, if he will pronounce a curse upon Israel.

God, however, tells Balaam not to curse Israel, but instead to say only what God tells him to say.

Four times Balaam, rather than cursing Israel, pronounces a prophetic blessing instead.

The enemy king is furious with Balaam, and Balaam departs.

The story about the donkey comes early in the Balaam narrative.

Messengers come to Balaam asking him to go with them and curse Israel.

God tells Balaam to go with the messengers but that he should only say what God tells him to say.

However, when Balaam sets out on his donkey, the text says that God “was angry because he was going,” and so the angel of the Lord, arrayed as a mighty warrior, blocks Balaam’s path.

Balaam sees nothing, but his donkey sees the angel and balks at going forward.

Balaam is furious and beats the donkey, at which point the donkey starts talking to him.

Balaam finally sees the angel himself and understands that God is angry with him.

He offers to return home, but once again God tells him to go with the messengers but to say only what God tells him to say.

The final result, then, of this strange story about a donkey is to show us how much Balaam’s attitudes need correcting.

He needs to be warned again to say only what God tells him to, and he needs to be humbled and shown that his prophetic “gift,” to the extent he even has one, is totally dependent on the power of God.

He needs these warnings because he thought he was powerful enough to ignore God and win himself a fortune by cursing Israel.

Balaam was promised great riches by the Moabites and Midianites if he would curse Israel.

God used a terrifying supernatural experience to drive home to Balaam that his “powers” were totally dependent on God and that he had better not say anything other than what God told him to.

This was presumably because Balaam was thinking that he was powerful enough to get around Yahweh and earn great wealth by pronouncing the curse anyway.

After Balaam is thwarted and unable to pronounce the curse, he goes to the enemies of Israel with another plan.

If Israel could be tricked into sinning against Yahweh and committing idolatry, Yahweh Himself would curse them.

And that is exactly what happened, with Balaam presumably reaping the riches he had been promised before.

It didn’t do him any good, however; as it happens, we know what Yahweh’s final judgment on Balaam was: Balaam was killed in the war that Israel waged against the Midianites.”

Some would rightfully reply...”isn’t this looking to David and is fulfilled in David?”

Yes, and no.

This is one of those prophesies that has the double fulfillment.

In 2 Sam 8 we do see the tremendous military victories of David.

So, as Israel’s King he did rise up and defeat his enemies.

At the end of a long list of military victories it says this:

2 sam 8:13-14

Yet, 2 Sam 8 comes on the tails of the Davidic Covenant…therefore it is already in the context of looking forward to the coming Messiah

Not only that, we know from various sources, not the least of which are some of the documents found among the dead sea scrolls…that Jews in the first century BC into the first century AD were interpreting Numbers 24:17 as a messianic text.

King Herod, like Balak saw the Israel of God a threat

Balak looked out and saw the shear numbers and strength of the people.

Herod saw these foreign wise men coming questioning where the King of the Jews had been born…a significant title as that had been come to be known as a messianic title.

Herod, though he was not a full-blooded Jew would have understood the threat of one coming with that kind of title.

He would have seen his Roman-blessed rule threatened.

Unlikely Mouthpieces

Balaam - The irony here in attempting to pronounce a curse actually makes an amazing messianic prophesy.

Herod - Winds up making the birth of the messiah national news.

Matt 2:3-5

Herod…who I think we can safely say is an enemy in the biblical narrative actually drives Israel into the Scriptures to seek out the answers.

Its pretty funny actually…in his paranoia, he ends up leading Israel…at least in some way…away from himself and toward Jesus.

And on a side note…isn’t it interesting how God works.

Its very often he takes the most unlikely mouthpieces and uses them for his glory.

We see it when we watch the unbelieving world try to make sense of the world God created…often, without even realizing it…they back themselves into a corner because you can’t make sense of this world without its creator.

But, what about you and me?

We’re pretty unlikely mouthpieces too aren’t we?

We who were all once enemies of God…unrighteous…by no effort of our own have been forgiven and commissioned with a message.

All that to say…if God wants to make a point…to get a message across to us…he can use a wicked king…a wretched sinner like you or me…or he can even use a talking donkey.

Jesus, the True King, the True Israel

So, why does Matthew include this story of the three wise men?

Matthew is concerned with the theme of presenting Jesus as the promised heir to David’s throne.

The fulfillment of this prophesy in Jesus is significant, because he is clearly the one this is pointing past David to.

David rose up and defeated Israel’s physical enemies

The greater David, Jesus Christ, rose up and defeated the spiritual enemies of God’s people

Where is Israel failed morally, Jesus lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life.