The Visit of the Magi ~
Who were the Magi & how many of them came to visit? And what kind of gifts are gold, incense & myrrh?
The Magi were priestly governmental leaders in Persia whose duties included the choice and election of the king of the realm. Interesting that they proclaimed Jesus the King of the Jews. It makes Herod's freak out a little more understandable, now doesn't it? After all, these powerful men had just come to him with the news that a new king had been born, leaving Herod to jump to the conclusion that his own son would not be king.
The arrival of the Magi set off a spark of alarm and interest to all who saw them. These were not three lowly men on camel back. No, this group of Magi would have traveled in force with a Calvary to insure their protection. Word of their arrival would have spread far. The prophecies were reviewed & the entourage was sent to Bethlehem. However, they headed the voice of God in a dream & did not report their findings back to Herod.
Upon their arrival at the humble home of Joseph and Mary, the Magi presented three gifts to Jesus - gold, incense, and myrrh. What is that all about? Myrrh is an expensive perfume made from the gum of a tree that grows in Ethiopia and Arabia. Myrrh was used in anointing oil and in embalming. Jesus was embalmed with it in John 19:39. Gold is just that, money & wealth. Frankincense is derived from the gum of trees of the genus Boswellia. It is used as incense and produces a sweet, pleasant odor. It was a highly valued perfume. These gifts provided wealth for the family.
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