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Seeking the King of Israel
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Seeking the King of Israel |
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For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the
power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first
and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). God’s ongoing love for the Jewish people is revealed in the Good News of Messiah. Though Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, he coined the phrase “To the Jew first” regarding God’s faithfulness, and Paul’s own personal ministry approach (Romans 1:16, Acts 13:46). This “to the Jew first” concept did not begin or end with Paul. Rather, God’s plan of salvation was to and through the Jewish people even from the foundation of the world. In fact, the birth of Messiah would be God’s declaration that “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). Regardless of the specific date of Yeshua’s* birth, the Jewishness of His birth is undeniable. How did the Magi know? The Magi, Gentile wise men from the east, came seeking Him: “Now after Yeshua was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him’” (Matt. 2:1,2). Who were the Magi, and what motivated these men to follow this particular star? The Magi were a caste of wise men specializing in the study of astrology, medicine and natural science. However these particular wise men had knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures and would have been familiar with the writings of the prophet Daniel, who had lived in Babylon some five hundred years earlier. Daniel associated with the wise men, and on one occasion actually saved their lives. Afterward he was promoted to be in charge: Then the king promoted Daniel…made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon (see Daniel 2:2-13,48). Therefore, the time of Messiah’s coming, would have alerted the Magi as to when to look for Messiah, the true King of Israel: “Seventy weeks [490 years] have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most Holy Place” (Daniel 9:24-26). The Magi were anticipating the Messiah’s coming and the salvation that He would bring: “…to make atonement for iniquity, transgression and sin; to establish righteousness and anoint the most Holy Place”(v.26). The time of the King’s coming is intrinsically linked to the purpose for His coming. It is interesting to note that centuries earlier a fellow Babylonian prophet named Balaam, predicted that a Ruler would arise from Israel: “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a star shall come out of Jacob; a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17). Since a scepter is the symbol of the authority of a king, you can see why the Magi knew the star would lead them to the One “born king of the Jews” (Matt. 2:1,2). When this particular star appeared in the sky they knew it was the time of His coming. Therefore by faith they followed the star that would lead them to the true king of Kings: the Savior of Israel and the world. So how did the Magi know? They knew from both the Torah and the Prophets because all Scripture point to Messiah. We Have Come to Worship Him “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him” (Matt. 2:2). Think about it. As the elite of society, these Magi stepped out of their pagan culture, traveled nearly 1000 miles on camels, possibly for as long as two years, for the sole purpose: to worship the true God of Israel! For them seeking out and trusting in a Jewish Savior may have been humbling. They left the sophistication of their society and traveled to the backwater locales of the Roman Empire, even to Bethlehem of Judea. These Magi understood that this was no ordinary King: they were not merely seeking the Sovereign of the Jews, but the Savior of the Jews. Though their journey was surely long and difficult, it was all worth it. All the gold, myrrh and frankincense of Babylon could never purchase salvation that the King of the Jews provides by faith! Good News to the Gentile World Likewise Isaiah prophesied that the Good News will come to the Gentiles (Gentile in Hebrew simply means nations) through the message: “To the Jew first.” The Prophet Isaiah foretold: Y Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) Y He would be God incarnate (Isaiah 9:6) Y He would be David’s seed, from the root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1). This Jewish Messiah would be the One in whom all the nations, or Gentiles, would trust: “Then in that day the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious” (Isa. 11:10); “He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth’” (49:6); and “Thus He will sprinkle many nations” (52:15) with His atonement (see also 42:1,6). Messiah’s atonement removes our sins and changes our hearts from rebellion against the God of Israel, to relying upon Him and His promises. Thus Isaiah predicts that in the time to come the hearts of the nations who turn to the God of Israel will also love the people of Israel. This recognition and appreciation of the Jewish roots of our faith will incline our hearts to care and be concerned for the salvation of the Jewish people: “Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her; Be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her…For thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream… As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted in Jerusalem’” (Isa. 66:10-13). Yes, for those of us who allow the King of the Jews to reign in our hearts, His love for the Jewish people will be shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. God’s way of redemption “to the Jew first” is also the the way to enjoy all the promises of God ( Romans 11:17,18). Wise Men Still Seek Him As the Magi who sought salvation following the ‘trail of clues’ found in the Tanakh 2000 years ago, so today wise men must recognize the truth of the Jewish Scriptures in order to find the Savior of the World. The Jewish context of the faith is still as relevant now as it was at Messiah’s birth. In the pages of the New Testament we see God’s faithfulness to His promises: “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). God’s faithfulness to Israel was manifested in the manger, and even today continues to be manifested through Messiah’s followers. We are called to represent a faithful God who will not forsake Israel, a people whom He has foreknown (Rom. 11:2). And He will never forsake you! As we celebrate Messiah’s birth, let us orient our lives according to His Word and His unchanging, eternal love for us. For what He has promised, He will be faithful to bring to pass. Y |
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