One of the most intriguing stories concerning the birth of our Lord is the story of the wise men, recorded only in Matthew 2:1-12. Tradition says there were three wise men, partly because three gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh - are mentioned. The Bible doesn't say how many wise men there were.
It is interesting that the prophecy they followed from Numbers 24:17 was given by Balaam, who also came from the same area of the Middle East as the wise men did but was killed by Israel for trying to destroy them.
How is it that a Messiah, who has been prophesied about and waited for is born unnoticed by the people he has come to deliver? No one except Mary, Joseph, and a handful of other people really knew who this baby was. Yet wise men from another country come to pay homage to and worship this child.
What made these men wise? The word "wise" is translated from the Greek word "magos" from which we get the plural "magi." The wise men were people dedicated to the study all knowledge and prophecies they could find. The wise men were literally wise in their knowledge of their day. They were also wise because they could discern this prophecy was true. Being wise men, they were wise enough to know that they needed to bring the best gift they could for a king. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were very valuable gifts.
As we approach this Christmas season, we should take the example of the wise men, who weren't even God's people, and bring the Lord the best gift we can. What would be the best gift we could bring? David said it so many years ago in Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Let's give the Lord our heart without reservation as a present this coming year.
