Advent

The GT Weekend! ~ Here Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) The Orient Kings were living their ordinary, regular lives when the Star appeared and awakened their curiosity. Here was a novelty much deeper than a passing, unique light. The unique quality of this star insisted these wise men, give up their everything, costing them time, talent, and treasure on the long journey to find the One the prophecies spoke of. Where is the Lord interrupting you in your ordinary this Christmas? Perhaps more so, are you following that curiosity? Are you allowing that curiosity to lead You deeper into His heart or are you sweeping it away as a passing oddity?

2) Bethlehem was a small village of extreme insignificance with one solitary exception, the prophetic words of promise from a God from Whom no one had heard in centuries. Despite the peoples’ doubt, centuries of waiting, and perhaps forgetfulness on their part, God remained true to His word. Not every Christmas feels celebratory. Sometimes, it feels like we are in an un-ending season of cold, scarcity, and insignificance. Are you Here in Bethlehem this Christmas? Waiting? Wondering if God has forgotten you? Skeptical to think He will notice you? Take heart! Your King is coming! This King has never once broken a promise, and He promises to draw near and redeem as we give ourselves fully to Him! Fear not, Bethlehem, you are valued and loved and intended for His Work!

3) Anna could have been considered fringe, perhaps she even felt that way sometimes. She wasn’t a priest, couldn’t study the Torah, and wasn’t a prophet, or even a prophetess. She was simply a worshipper. A worshipper who had set her entire heart and life on adoring Yahweh with all she had. The Lord blessed her by hand-crafting her presence in the temple courtyard to intersect with Jesus’ arrival and blessing from Simeon. Her response of sharing amazing truth with others flowed from a heart that had long kept the rhythm of praising God. Maybe you’re Here in Anna’s story, having long-given your heart and life, and time, talent, and treasure over in joyful surrender to the Lord. Be reminded afresh that He is indeed your very great reward! His love towards you is intimate and deep. May you experience again the blessing of Your Abba singing delight over you this Christmas!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Luke 2:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Prayer Journal
In darkness we, as a people, once walked, and then You came, as a helpless, squealing infant. And You brought Light and life and hope and promises fulfilled. Ah Lord God, the incredible beauty and unfathomable love of Your humble arrival! Shift our hearts, Lord! Train our eyes to worship You, to be amazed at Your grace and enduring love. Awaken us to be awed by You! Then Lord, spur us on with great boldness to proclaim and declare to all around us of Your magnificent light for all people! Thank You, Abba, for Christmas!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Here Day 15 Anna

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Proverbs 13:12
Luke 2:25-37
Isaiah 11:1-16

Here, Day 15

The day arrived just like so many others,
and I’m an old woman, so that’s been more than a few.

The sun rose, and with it, I answered the call to worship, another pattern I’ve learned over time that has made my life so full. My feet carried me towards the Temple, a journey they were quite used to traversing. My heart echoed the words of King David,
“I have asked one thing of the Lord; it is what I desire;
to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in His temple.
For He will conceal me in His shelter in the day of adversity;
He will hide me under the cover of His tent;
He will set me high on a rock.”
(Psalm 27:4-5)

I hadn’t planned on living out the words of King David to their literal extent, but my life had taken unexpected turns I never saw coming, and worshipping at His temple was His grace to me. The Temple rose before me and it hummed with life. Men, women, and children ascended the steps. The sound of conversations and bleating sheep filled the air. The beauty of the Temple caused me to pause and tears swarmed my eyes.

How had I, Anna, been so privileged to live out King David’s words?
To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life?

I brushed away the few tears that escaped. My wrinkles welcomed them and sheltered their salty moisture. I heard my name and turned to see a fellow friend wave at me as she approached the entrance. While her husband had only recently died, a deep friendship with her had quickly formed. My husband had passed away after only seven years of marriage. He had been a loving man, and I missed him dearly. Even while married, I could not imagine what my life would have been like without the ability to spend my days at the Temple serving the Lord.

I waved energetically in return. As I began moving in her direction, I saw Simeon out of the corner of my eye. He stood in the courtyard with a small family: father, mother, and young son. Simeon spent much time in the Temple as well and hadn’t kept quiet regarding the promise he carried, such a bold promise. Simeon believed God had told him he would not see death before seeing the Messiah. After 400 years of silence from Yahweh and His prophets, bold seemed an understatement, yet, I somehow sensed the promise was true and secretly hoped the Messiah might arrive in my lifetime.

However, each passing day increased the odds of that reality not coming to pass. It had been 84 years since I last saw my husband, and while the Lord’s timing is always perfect, I had come to terms with the fact that He remained faithful even if I never saw the Messiah walk the earth. My greatest joy would be living out the honor of gazing on the beauty of the Lord each day.

I paused my movement towards my widow friend and fully turned to look at Simeon and the family. Something about Simeon’s countenance drew me.
This interaction was different.
This family fully engaged his attention.

I drew closer, and with each step, I increased my pace.
Simeon’s face radiated joy and the need to know what he was saying created an unexpected, other-worldly urgency. My heart began to pound as my feet raced forward.

I came within hearing distance just as Simeon picked up the child and said,
“Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised.
For my eyes have seen your salvation.
You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.”

I glanced from Simeon and the young child to the parents and back again.
Had I just heard Simeon’s words correctly?
Had he truly just declared the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to him?

As I stood there working to comprehend all that was unfolding before me, Simeon turned to the mother and continued, “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed – and a sword will pierce your own soul – that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Awareness washed over me as the Spirit Himself flooded my being, and I recognized the holiness of the moment. There, in front of me, held in the arms of Simeon, rested my Messiah, MY Messiah. The Christ had come, not as I expected, but He had come.

Tears streamed from my eyes, but I gave no effort to wipe them away. Let those around me see them for they represented joy and promises fulfilled.

After standing there for several moments, I finally found my tongue. Turning to the person nearest me, I found myself telling them of the reality standing before us.
“Christ has come!”

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Here Day 14 Bethlehem: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Bethlehem!

The Questions

1) Such vivid imagery and dramatic beginning of this passage (verse 1)! What does this mean?

2) How does the promise in verse 2 connect with “therefore Israel will be abandoned….” in verse 3?

3) Why is “ruler of Israel” (verse 2) significant and how does it relate to the other benefits prophesied about that would come with the Messiah??

Micah 5:1-6

Now, daughter who is under attack,
you slash yourself in grief;
a siege is set against us!
They are striking the judge of Israel
on the cheek with a rod.
2 Bethlehem Ephrathah,
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from ancient times.
3 Therefore, Israel will be abandoned until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of the ruler’s brothers will return
to the people of Israel.
4 He will stand and shepherd them
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majestic name of the Lord his God.
They will live securely,
for then his greatness will extend
to the ends of the earth.
5 He will be their peace.
When Assyria invades our land,
when it marches against our fortresses,
we will raise against it seven shepherds,
even eight leaders of men.
6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod with a drawn blade.
So he will rescue us from Assyria
when it invades our land,
when it marches against our territory.

Original Intent

1) Such vivid imagery and dramatic beginning of this passage (verse 1)! What does this mean?
The Jewish nation was struggling to maintain the title “nation”. They had suffered much already at the time of Micah’s prophecies, but would endure much more in the years ahead. The nation had split between Northern Kingdom (Israel) and Southern Kingdom (Judah) following King Solomon’s reign, which was immediately following King David. During Micah’s lifetime, the Northern Kingdom would fall and be dispersed, never to be a nation again. Still to come for Judah was a 70-year exile at the hand of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Micah’s short book is packed full of warnings to Judah of all the destruction that was still to come, while also woven through with hope that the punishment would one day end. The “daughter under attack” is the nation of Judah, or Zion, as also referenced in this book. So great was the devastation coming towards her as punishment, that Micah calls for her to “slash herself”. This isn’t intended to read like modern-day “cutting” or suicide, rather it was a call to awareness of how great Judah’s sin was in the eyes of God. A siege was coming (from Babylon), and there was nothing they could do to stop impending judgement from God. Babylon would strike the “judge (or king) of Israel on the cheek with a rod”, meaning it would be shameful for Israel to be conquered and taken captive.     

2) How does the promise in verse 2 connect with “therefore Israel will be abandoned….” in verse 3?
The timing of the Lord is perfect, flawless, and wholly wise. He waited for “just the right time” in the grand timeline of history to send Jesus as an infant. (Romans 5:6) Nothing about His actions were either slow or rushed; they were precise and intentional. Micah had laid out the warning of judgment their sinful actions would bring about. He told of the coming, rightly deserved, punishment on Israel. He had also delivered the word of hope that one day, the Messiah, God wrapped in flesh, would come and rule and shepherd Israel, bringing about peace. Now, God would give space. God would wait. He would wait until the perfect time, for Mary and Joseph to be born and raised waiting for hope, engaged to be married with no expectation for what and how exactly God would intervene. God waited for Caesar Augustus’ call for census so Mary and Joseph would travel to Bethlehem, the prophesied about city of Jesus’ birth. He would wait for Rome to build roads across the eastern world so that missionaries like Paul and Peter could easily reach more people with the message of the cross. He would wait for Greek to be the common language so the gospel would spread quickly. Yes, it looked like God “abandoned” Israel, but He hadn’t, He was waiting. The Hebrew word used for “abandoned” in this verse literally means a setting aside for specific work. God intentionally set Israel aside, deferring their coming salvation, until that very moment when history would forever be divided.

3) Why is “ruler of Israel” (verse 2) significant and how does it relate to the other benefits prophesied about that would come with the Messiah?
Where verse 1 mentioned “the judge of Israel”, meaning the human king, verse 2 speaks of One who would be “ruler over Israel for Me”. The “Me” here is God speaking through Micah. This would not be a human who would speak for God like a prophet, this Ruler would BE God whose “origin is from antiquity”, meaning, exactly like God, He had no beginning, but has simply always existed like John speaks of Jesus (the Word) in John 1:1. This ruler would “stand” with authority, He would “shepherd” Israel with tenderness and care, and all He would do would be done with the strength of Yahweh and all would be done in the Name of Yahweh, which would come to pass by Jesus’ own words of Himself, “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19) He would bring security without fear for His people, and His “greatness” or fame will be endless and known by all. (Isaiah 52:10, Isaiah 45:22) He would be Israel’s peace, their final victory, and mighty rescuer against strongest foes. No human king could attain such lofty goals. Even if someone was able to bring about peace and all these other wonderful things, there is no possible way it would last forever, yet that was exactly Micah’s prophecy. One human being who would come from Judah’s lineage, but was somehow also God, was intended to fulfill each of these incredible prophecies!

Everyday Application

1) Such vivid imagery and dramatic beginning of this passage (verse 1)! What does this mean?
Micah prophesied of an extremely grievous scenario for Judah, but at the time of prophesy, things didn’t seem that bad. They enjoyed relative wealth, and they felt they were “getting away” with their sinfulness. (Micah 2:8) Yet, every act was seen by God, and their debt against Him must be paid. We are not Judah, but the scenario is the same for us! How easy it is for us to justify our sin, to feel like we can get away with it, to ask forgiveness later, and ignore the reality of sin incurring a debt against a holy God. Like Micah warned Judah, telling her to grieve deeply, so should we grieve over our sin. Punishment for our sin must take place, but we could never pay it, which is why God planned to send the Promised One, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to take our punishment for us! Babylon would attack Judah and take what was left of the divided Israeli nation into captivity just as Micah said they would. For us, without surrendering everything to Jesus and trusting Him to pay our debt caused by sin, we too will face a captivity. Ours will be eternal, however, and death will have the final word. There is only one hope, God wrapped in flesh, living our life perfectly for us without sin, and then sacrificing Himself as an atonement for sin, followed by a victorious rising from the dead so that life would have the final word for those who believe in Him! Don’t ignore the warning! Grieve over your sin, and let that grief bring you to repentance! (2 Corinthians 7:10)

2) How does the promise in verse 2 connect with “therefore Israel will be abandoned….” in verse 3?
We are quite familiar with waiting, in fact, it often feels as if that’s the majority of how we spend our lives. Waiting to grow up, waiting to graduate, waiting for the right spouse, waiting for children, waiting for achievement, waiting to be noticed for that position, waiting to be loved well, or waiting for that loved one to turn from their erring ways. Rarely do we consider how God also waits. He waited for just the right time for Jesus’ birth, and only He knew when that fullness of time had come, and all of the intricate reasons why that time was perfect. But that’s not the only time He has waited. Every single time someone turns from darkness, away from their sin, and chooses to walk in the light and love of Jesus, God has been waiting for that moment. He’s been waiting to pour out His Spirit into their hearts and fill them with knowledge of Him. As that person grows in understanding and takes more steps of obedience in Christ, God waits at every pause, holding every tear, celebrating every victory, and waiting patiently while we keep growing. We wait in line, we wait at the microwave, we wait in our relationships, but so does our God. While our waiting can seem pointless and frustrating, His is always intentional and pregnant with purpose. Next time you’re waiting for something, anything, remember God waits too, and He has a set aside, specific purpose for that wait!

3) Why is “ruler of Israel” (verse 2) significant and how does it relate to the other benefits prophesied about that would come with the Messiah?
With such wondrous promises at stake, it’s no wonder that Bethlehem kept holding onto the hope of being the birthplace of “the one”. As the years stretched into decades and centuries, I wonder how many people scoffed at the prophesies made by a long-ago prophet named Micah. But, then, I think about today, and my life, and our time. We wait for the same coming King. Yes, the Ancient One, the Word become flesh, has indeed arrived in insignificant little Bethlehem just as God foretold through Micah, but we wait for another coming Day. The same Jesus will come back again! “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11) It’s been over 2,000 years since this Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and though no one knows the day or the hour when He will come back to “stand” with authority, to “shepherd” His people with kindness we’ve never imagined, and bring a “peace” that will last for eternity because He is God, we know He absolutely will. So, we, like Bethlehem of old, wait with anticipation!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Here Day 13 Bethlehem

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Micah 5:1-6
Matthew 1:18-25
John 1:43-51
Luke 2:1-7

Here, Day 13

Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah;….
Small indeed.
Truthfully, we barely make the map.
A few hundred people, maybe 300 during high feast times when we have an influx of people. And children? We can only boast less than 10 under the age of 12 months. We may be small, but at least we don’t have a poor reputation like…pfft, Nazareth. Nothing good comes from Nazareth. And I do mean nothing. Impoverished and despised, to come from Nazareth is like walking around with a sign reading “lowest of the low worthless nobody”. Yes, we are small, but we have reason to hold our head high with dignity, for we are the keepers of an ancient prophecy.

….one will come from you….
For 700 years we have protected this prophecy. For 700 years we have waited. For 700 years we have made it known to everyone that we, Bethlehem, would one day be the city of origin for the One. By the power of the Spirit of God, Micah the prophet, spoke these incredible words for all to hear and take to heart. One prophecy tucked into a scroll, foretelling of the One who would indeed come. Seeing as how it’s been seven-hundred years, there have been many who scoff that Micah’s prophecy cannot possibly be true. It’s been too long, they say. Critics, and even some faithful Jews, are wondering…. Will the One actually come? I can’t say I blame them. It’s been 400 years since the last prophetic words were even spoken to Judah. 400 years of silence from Almighty God. Even the most faithful student of the Torah would have reason to doubt the truth, right? But we, Bethlehem, hold fast to our special prophecy… one will come from you.

….to be ruler over Israel for me….
Not just any One. No, this coming One, this Promised One, He about whom rabbis utter in holy hushed whispers, “Messiah”, will be ruler over Israel. Hope spills in with this One. In Micah’s day, Samaria and Jerusalem (the capital cities of Israel and Judah respectively) enjoyed wealth and prosperity, but today, 700 years later, we are ruled by the iron fist of Rome. We are not the nation we once were. Assyrian conquest and Babylonian exile scattered our people, the Jews. Micah warned the Jews of coming destruction, as did his contemporaries, Isaiah and Hosea, but Israel turned a deaf ear. Surely not, they boasted, as they chased their sinful lusts for more. More wealth, more power, more wine, and more women. More of everything except Yahweh, the Lord of Lords.
For this trade of Sin for the Savior, history records their rightfully earned destruction, which brings us to here in Bethlehem. On any given day, shepherds can be spotted across the surrounding hills and plains. Small, dirt pathways are well-worn from calloused, bare feet trodding the same span of miles between shoddy home and meager field. We are poor. We are small. We have little, if anything, to offer, but we do have hope. Hope of the Messiah. Hope that Yahweh’s appointed Ruler will come and overthrow our enemies. Surely, Judah will be great and powerful again!

His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.
Deity.
With eyes full of wonder, from studied priests to young Jewish boys, all who read Micah’s words are hushed to silence with the awesomeness of this description. This One is not ordinary, nor even merely a man full of wisdom beyond his years. No, this One is the One, The Only One. He is God. Only God has existed from antiquity. Only God Almighty is known as the “Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9). Yahweh alone exists from “everlasting to everlasting”. (Psalm 90:2) Dare we even put words to the thought racing wildly in our minds? God with us? Can it be? Might He dwell again with us as His presence rested in the Tabernacle in the days of Moses and David? Hope ignites in our hearts as we guard this precious prophecy seven-hundred years in the waiting. We wait for the unthinkable. Truly, the impossible. We are scattered. We are a broken nation. We are oppressed. Our sin weighs upon us. How could Yahweh come to us?!

Then, lo, a young girl’s scream of agony, blood splattering hay, animals defecting, a Jewish man turned midwife, a cold cave…our cave, Bethlehem’s cave.
A baby’s tiny fingers shaking in the cool air as his lusty cry is heard for the first time, echoing against the harsh walls and mixed amid the chords of animal noises.
He’s here.
The Promise has come.

Here, in our brokenness, our chaos, our long-awaitedness, in our doubt, in our grasping onto hope….Here.
He is here!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Here Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
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Here Day 12 Orient Kings: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Orient Kings!

The Questions

1) Who were the wise men from the east who arrived in Jerusalem? (verse 1)

2) What had they possibly studied to lead them to believe the baby was worthy of their worship? (verses 2 and 11)

3) What do we know about the dream the men had and how does it shape this passage?

Matthew 2:1-12

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ would be born. 5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet: 6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: Because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” 7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.

Original Intent

1) Who were the wise men from the east who arrived in Jerusalem? (verse 1)
In reading this passage of Scripture, we discover three gifts were brought to the Child of Mary (verse 11). Many have assumed, and therefore have depicted, there were three wise men who came to visit the Christ child based on the number of gifts specifically recorded. However, the Bible does not ever say this. It is possible there were several more magi and gifts. Tradition began to adjust the narrative, and possibly by the 3rd century people began referring to the men as kings, which would have prophetically fulfilled the words of the psalmist (Psalm 72:8-11). Several centuries later, others would add specific names to the story. (Britannica.com) But in this inspired gospel, Matthew tells us very little about these men. He doesn’t provide names, nor does he give us specific places, other than they arrived in Jerusalem from the east after following “His star.” According to other Bible writers, the magi (also, wise men) were those who practiced magical arts (in Acts 8) or who were Babylonian priest-sages who studied the universe through astronomy and astrology (as seen in the Old Testament book of Daniel). Most Bible scholars believe these men traveled 800 to 900 miles to see this One who was born because they were familiar with the writings of the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27) and were seekers of the one true God.

2) What had they possibly studied to lead them to believe the baby was worthy of their worship? (verses 2 and 11)
There are Bible scholars who believe the ancestors of these men had possibly been instructed by the prophet Daniel about the coming Messiah. Daniel was the chief of the magi in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. (Daniel 1:17-21 )It is very possible his influence was significant within the group of the court sages and many came to believe in the God of Daniel because of his testimony hundreds of years before Christ was born.  Even so, these wise men had a limited understanding of the prophecies about Jesus as their knowledge had led them to Jerusalem, whereas Micah’s prophecy foretold of Bethlehem. It isn’t surprising the magi ended up in the capital city looking for a king, as it made reasonable sense. Nor would it be uncommon for them to approach King Herod to inquire about the newborn king. Little did they know that Herod had no interest in another potential king or that he would stop at nothing to ensure the child’s destruction. These wise men left Herod’s presence believing he also wanted to find the king in order to pay him homage. Once they found the child, their posture and gifts indicated their belief that they had indeed found the One they were seeking: they bowed, they worshipped, and they presented extravagant and significant gifts.

3) What do we know about the dream the men had and how does it shape this passage? (verse 12)
These men had no reason to doubt King Herod’s sincerity until the disturbing dream. It was so dramatic and impressive on their hearts they chose not to return to Herod. Apparently, the scribes who appeared in Herod’s court knew the Scriptures well enough they could recite it. Unfortunately, what they knew did not translate into belief. None of them had made their way to the place where their prophesied king had been born. Herod clearly must have feared that the prophesies could be true because he ordered the murder of all the boys near the age of the promised king (Matthew 2:16-17).  Interestingly, this event was part of God’s unfolding plan as He knew in advance of Herod’s decision and how it would impact young Jesus. God even spoke of all these things through the prophets. Though Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, Matthew tells us His journey through Egypt would fulfill the prophecy of Hosea (Matthew 2:15, Hosea 11:1) Had the wise men not heeded the warning regarding Herod, God would have used other means to fulfill His purposed plan for Joseph, Mary and Jesus.

Everyday Application

1) Who were the wise men from the east who arrived in Jerusalem? (verse 1)
Through the ages, God has used inconspicuous people like these wise men. His grace is not bound by certain places or families or lineage. The Spirit of God can lead people to Christ in ways we could not imagine or determine. Like these men of the east, some people may be born in dark or obscure places of the world, but by God’s prompting and leading, they are drawn to seek after Christ. As they move toward Him, our wonderful Father works behind the scenes to bring them into the presence of Jesus through the gospel message. Once there, God moves in their hearts and they recognize they have found Who they had always been looking for. So great is the love of the Father as He draws people to Himself! Be open and ready to share Jesus with anyone at any time as the Spirit leads, you may never know the impact He has designed for your obedient sharing!

2) What had they possibly studied to lead them to believe the baby was worthy of their worship? (verses 2 and 11)
Shouldn’t it have been the scribes and the Pharisees running first to Bethlehem to look for the Christ child? Yes! Instead, it was some wandering shepherds who came to the place of the newborn king after the angels announced His birth.  Now, months later, several unknown sages traveled from hundreds of miles away to worship the One they had heard and read about. This passage reveals how knowledge of Jesus must lead to seeking of Jesus. Herod had a fear of the possible truth he’d heard about this newborn Child. The scribes quoted the verses that prophesied of the coming King. But only the wise men and shepherds sought to come near to Him. It was then they knew in their hearts they were near God Himself. Those of us who have seen the reflection of Christ’s light shining like that star in the night could sing with the wise men: “I have seen the Light shining in the darkness, bursting through the shadows, delivering the dawn. I have seen the Light whose holy name is Jesus, His kingdom is forever; He reigns on Heaven’s throne!” (Music & Lyrics by Robert Sterling & Chris Machen)

3) What do we know about the dream the men had and how does it shape this passage? (verse 12)
The wise men had gone to great lengths and traveled many miles to find Jesus. They had probably sacrificed a great deal of their lives to get to Him. Yet, upon meeting Him, they were not proud, rather they were humbled. Instead of running back to Herod with the news that they were the wise ones who had discovered the newborn King, they bowed to Jesus. They offered Christ amazing gifts, then they quietly departed the area and never returned to Herod, and likely never saw Jesus again either. These wise men had witnessed God in ways they had not expected and it changed the course of their lives. When we come face to face with Jesus, it humbles us. It also changes the trajectory of our lives.
JC Ryle said of these men, “The conduct of the wise men is a striking example of faith. They believed in Christ when they had never seen Him. They believed in Him when the Scribes and Pharisees were unbelieving. They believed in Him when they saw Him a little infant on Mary’s knee. And they worshiped Him as a king.” We would be wise to do the same!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Orient Kings!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Here Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Here Day 11 Orient Kings

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 2:1-12
Micah 5:1-6
Psalm 72:10-11
Isaiah 60:1-7
Luke 24:13-32

Here, Day 11

For years we had studied the stars, each of them documented meticulously and monitored closely. We knew each of them intimately and their fixed place in the sky. So, when Melchior told me a new star, shining brighter than all the rest, had been sighted the night before, my suspicion and confusion were palpable.
A new star? How could it be? One that was brighter? Unbelievable.

But that night, as we stepped out to observe the night sky, there it was, as sure and prominent as described; a beautiful, vibrant star outshining all others against a blackened sky, truly unlike anything I’d seen before.

After our observations, we went in and sat together, too delighted about our recent discovery to go our separate ways and settle for the night. We began discussing the possibilities of where the star originated, but after hours of spinning every theory, we decided to rest our heads and rally again the next day.

Over the next few weeks we overheard rumbles and rumors of the King of Jews being born! Of course! The Jewish prophecy! Could it be connected to the new star? It must be! After much discussion, several of us decided to make a quest to meet the newborn King of the Jews – to worship the One whom prophets across the world had foretold.

During the next months as we prepared for our journey, we kept a close watch on the star. From where we were, we saw its steady, unwavering glow from the west, mysteriously beckoning us to draw near. Finally, we were ready and we turned our caravan west towards Jerusalem, using the star as guidance.

When we arrived, we requested an audience with King Herod to inquire about the birth of the King of the Jews. We were ushered into an ornate room and welcomed with grandeur as we approached King Herod. He seemed pleased that men of such knowledge had requested an audience, but we were focused not on the king in front of us, but on the newborn King foretold centuries before.

“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?”, I inquired, “For we’ve seen His star at its rising and have come to worship Him!”

Much to my surprise, King Herod’s face swelled with anger and he ordered his servants to escort us out of the palace court at once. Four men came to usher us away and we murmured in confusion to one another as Herod shouted for the Chief Priests to be assembled in his presence.

We waited and waited. Soon it grew dark and we were provided beds within the palace and commanded to stay until the King was ready to have an audience with us once more. Exhausted from our travels, and the unexpected turn of events, we settled in and hoped for the opportunity to see the child King soon.

King Herod requested our presence late the next day in a secret room. When we walked in and with no others around, he quietly asked us when we had first seen the star appear. After giving him the requested information he said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.”

So, we went on our way in wonder, eagerly following the star that moved ahead of us toward Bethlehem. Some time into the journey, the star that mysteriously moved along with us finally stopped above a small house. This is where the Child would be!

Each of us eagerly pulled our gifts for the young King from our pouches. Of course, He was only a child, but nothing else seemed fit for a King of this magnitude. One who had been foretold by the prophets. Even though we brought the finest of gifts, it still felt as though we did not have enough.

We walked toward the house with the gifts:
Gold – the precious metal fit only for a King. Presenting it would acknowledge the child’s rightful place as King.

Frankincense – the oil used to anoint the high priests of the Jewish tradition and used in temple worship, recognizing this boy as High Priest.

Myrrh – an expensive oil often used for beauty and symbolizing suffering as the prophets had foretold He would suffer.

We walked into the house, and there we saw a most radiant child. Instantly, we were drawn to our knees and worshipped Him as our own King! Our hearts burned as we were in His presence, and we presented our gifts to the little Christ. What an honor to be with Him, even for a brief time! His mother told us they had received visitors from all around who had come to see if the news was true.

That night with our hearts still bursting, we fell asleep. In a dream, I was warned not to return to Herod with news and whereabouts of the child. The next morning when we re-convened, I told my fellow magi about my dream, and they had received the same warning! Confident we should not report back to Herod, we began our journey back East in awe of all that had happened and praising the God of the Jews, the joy of His presence never leaving our hearts.

What had begun as an odd curiosity, had upended our lives as we’d journeyed to meet this King. We would never be the same!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Here Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Here!

Here Day 9 King Herod: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out King Herod!

The Questions

1) Why did seeing the star give the wise men such great joy?

2) Why did the wise men bring Jesus gifts?

3) Why did God use dreams to warn the wise men and Joseph about danger?

Matthew 2:1-18

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ would be born.5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:

6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah:
Because out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”

7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.  13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son.  16 Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 18 A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and great mourning,Rachel weeping for her children;and she refused to be consoled,because they are no more.

Original Intent

1) Why did seeing the star give the wise men such great joy?
The magi, or wise men, from the east who came to Jerusalem searching for the Messiah in Matthew 2:1 were led there by a star.  R.C. Sproul tells us, “The Greek term for “magi” (magoi) refers to a group interested in predicting the future via dream interpretation, magic, and other methods, such as astrology, which explains their interest in the star.”  Author Stuart Briscoe suggests it was more than scientific curiosity that brought the wise men to Jerusalem.  He asserts, “these men already had some knowledge of the truth [that] came through Jews who, in their historic captivities in Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon, had left many pieces of information concerning the Scriptures. These men not only had access to the insights of astronomy and philosophy, but to the vast riches of the Old Testament as well. This is why the magi, presumably from Babylon, went to considerable trouble to find the one who would be born King of the Jews.”  These travelers from afar were “overwhelmed with joy” (Matthew 2:10) when they saw the star again in Jerusalem after speaking with King Herod.  Peter Pett says, “It vindicated the activities of the past few months, justified their journey, and indicated that they would shortly see this great prince for themselves.” After traveling a great distance and searching the city for a King no one seemed to know anything about, seeing that bright star shining overhead was a joyous sight.  It was a reminder they were about to find the King and a sign they were about to encounter the Savior of the world.

2) Why did the wise men bring Jesus gifts?
The wise men seeking Jesus knew He was the “King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2).  According to theologian William Barclay, “Seneca tells us that in Parthia it was the custom that no one could ever approach the king without a gift.”  The wise men were coming to see a king, and they would not come empty handed.  They came bearing gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11)  As David Mathis points out, “This Christ is not only king of Israel, but He is the king of all nations, the King of kings. Kings are coming to worship Him, and they bring with them their best cultural products, practices, and resources — gold, frankincense, and myrrh being just the beginning.”  These gifts turned out to be very practical, as noted by F.B Meyer, because they helped Joseph “defray the cost of the journey into Egypt and back, and to maintain his precious charges there. The Heavenly Father knew what those needs would be, and met them by anticipation.”  Most scholars also see the gifts as symbolic, whether or not the magi intended the symbolism at the time.  Author Jill Briscoe notes, “As part of their worship, the magi brought very valuable gifts to Jesus. Gold was a gift worthy of Christ’s royalty. Frankincense was a gift to honor His deity. The bitter myrrh marked His humanity.”  As pastor Chuck Swindoll explains, “The magi’s gifts to Jesus pointed to the utterly unique, glorious, and sacrificial ministry of the Lord Jesus.”  The wise men brought Jesus gifts because they knew He was no ordinary baby.  His birth had been foretold (Matthew 2:6) and their journey to worship Him had been divinely appointed and guided.  They came with gifts and adoration worthy of a King!

3) Why did God use dreams to warn the wise men and Joseph about danger?
Joseph was no stranger to dreams from God.  When he learned of Mary’s pregnancy, he intended to quietly divorce her since he knew the baby was not his. The angel of the Lord interceded by coming to him in a dream and confirmed this child was conceived by the Holy Spirt (Matthew 1:20-24).  After Jesus’ birth, an angel again appeared to Joseph in a dream, this time warning him to flee with his wife and child to Egypt until the danger from King Herod had passed (Matthew 2:13-15).  Describing this dream, author David Guzik remarks, “The command was urgent, and came right when the wise men had departed. It would not have sounded completely strange to Joseph that they should find refuge in Egypt. There was a large Jewish community in Egypt. It wasn’t strange that the Holy Spirit would guide Joseph to take the family there.”  Another dream told Joseph when it was safe to bring his family out of Egypt (Matthew 2:19-23).  The Holy Spirit also guided the wise men in a dream to leave without seeing King Herod, since he intended harm to Jesus (Matthew 2:12). Dreams often carried meaning and instruction throughout Scripture, as in the example of Job 33:14-17 when Elihu tells Job “God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it.  In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep comes over people (…) In Numbers 12:6, God refers to speaking to prophets in visions and dreams.  Joel 2:28-29 also references the Lord’s communication to people in dreams and visions.  Daniel 2:28 talks about the “God in heaven who reveals mysteries” through the dreams He gives.  In these instances, and countless others in Scripture, God uses dreams to give people guidance and assistance.

Everyday Application

1) Why did seeing the star give the wise men such great joy?
Have you ever thought you were on the right track only to look up and wonder if you’ve lost your way?  This happens to me a lot just physically since I have a really bad sense of direction.  I do mean really bad; I get lost in the parking lot at Wal-Mart!  This also happens to me in the symbolic sense.   I believe I am doing what the Lord wants with my life, my time, and my talents, but sometimes I look up from the work and wonder if this is really what He has called me to do.  When things are not what I expected, I look around and question, “Did God’s plan lead me to this?”   I think the Magi may have felt that way when they got to Jerusalem and did not find Jesus there.  King Herod even had to ask his entourage who the wise men were talking about (Matthew 2:4).  The Magi expected to find the newborn King in the palace, but they needed a course correction before they would find Him in His humble abode.  They needed some information and clarification before they could complete their mission (Matthew 2:8). So when they did see that star again, shining above the place where He lay, they were overwhelmed with joy!  They had been right to start this journey.  Their travel was not in vain.  They would see the One they longed for!  Their journey to Jesus reminds me of the promise in Psalm 32:8 that God “will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, I will give counsel.”  I don’t need to know every step before I take it (though I would prefer that!).  I just need to trust in God’s instruction and accept His counsel.  Psalm 16:11 says the Lord “reveals the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.”  As the wise men discovered, making the journey into His presence brings overwhelming joy!

2) Why did the wise men bring Jesus gifts?
These verses from In the Bleak Midwinter by Christina Rosetti are beautiful, especially at Christmastime:
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
These verses make it clear that we all have something we can give to worship the Lord.  John Piper explains, “Worshiping Jesus means joyfully ascribing authority and dignity to Christ with sacrificial gifts.”  The wise men gave Jesus precious gifts because they believed He was worthy.  John Piper further states that when giving to God, we are telling Him “I have not come to You for Your things, but for Yourself. And this desire I now intensify and demonstrate by giving up things, in the hope of enjoying You more, not things.”  We can also give Jesus gifts of our resources, time, and talents. God is glorified and blessed when we give to Him in these ways, but what He wants most is the very thing Rosetti wrote about, our hearts.  He loved us so much He gave us the gift of Jesus, born as our King and Savior.  Jesus’ sacrifice for us at Calvary was due to His great love for us (John 3:16)  If you have never given your heart to Jesus, you can choose today to accept His gift of salvation.  If you already serve Him, remember that giving sacrificially glorifies God and points others to His great love.  What a joy to share this news every day of the year; give Him your heart, and get all of Him in return!

3) Why did God use dreams to warn the wise men and Joseph about danger?
My dreams are often a mash up of the events of my day played out before me like a surreal montage.  Occasionally I dream about meaningful places, people, and objects that give me insight into my life, but rarely do I have dreams like Joseph or the wise men did; dreams undoubtedly from God, giving explicit warning and instruction.  The Bible is filled with dreams of this nature. Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, telling him it is a warning to turn from his sin (Daniel 4:18-27). In Acts 16:9-10, Paul has a dream about a Macedonian man pleading for help, so he journeys to preach in Macedonia. There are many other Scriptural examples of God guiding people through dreams.  But what about today? The Billy Graham Evangelical Association suggests, “God may communicate through dreams or visions even today, but we need to carefully check any such guidance we receive with Scripture and godly counsel to be sure it is from the Lord. Anything which contradicts Scripture is not from God. Our minds and even Satan are capable of producing great deception in such subjective areas.”  Author Hope Bolinger notes, “God may place a dream in a Christian’s life to warn them about a future event, show a symbol that is important for that believer’s life, or to convey a certain message. Whenever a Christian encounters such a dream, they should test the spirits by opening the Bible and reading what it has to say about the subject of that dream.” God can give us dreams, and when He does, we should study them through the lens of Scripture. No dream holds more authority than Scripture. If the dream matches up with God’s Word, then we can know God is speaking.  How encouraging that God desires to communicate with us through His Word and our dreams. His love for us is boundless and amazing!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with King Herod!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Here Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Here Day 8 King Herod

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 2:1-18
Micah 5:1-6
Jeremiah 31:15-25

Here, Day 8

“WISE men?” I laughed mirthlessly as I swirled the ruby liquid in my goblet. Without warning, I hurled the heavy object across the room as I roared in anger. Wine sprayed across the white marble floor as the goblet shattered with a crash. The dark color reminded me of blood. High priests and scholars who had been sharing whispered information with me only moments ago scurried from the throne room like frightened children, eager to escape my wrath. A servant hurried silently to clean the spill and restore order.

My thoughts churned, an equal mixture of fury and disgust. They couldn’t be THAT wise! How dare they show up in my kingdom, unannounced, to inquire about the newborn king of the Jews?! I am the King of the Jews. There is no other. I rule with the support of Rome and most of Jerusalem.

Did they truly think this course of action could possibly end well for them? If they had any sense or skill at all, their stars and signs would have forewarned them what a mistake it would be to come here! I’ll make sure it’s a mistake they won’t make again. They won’t be doing anything once I’m through with them.

Although… Perhaps there’s a way I can use their idiocy to my advantage. I stood and took a few steps toward the opposite wall before turning to pace back the other way. The whispers of an idea were beginning to take shape.

The prophecy plainly states the Messiah will come from Bethlehem. Of that, everyone seems certain. If it is true, and he is here, I know that’s the region where he’ll be. He is only an infant. He is weak and defenseless…for now.

I am the only king of the Jews. I will not allow him to become my successor.  A darker thought took root and began to grow. He will never make it to adulthood; I won’t allow it.

“Simeon!” I barked, fists clenched, robes rustling behind me.

He appeared at once and bowed. “Yes, my king?”

“I want you to arrange a meeting with the men from the East. Tell no one. I want to meet with them at once!”

Simeon bowed again. “Yes, my king.” He left as silently as he had appeared.

Yes. This will work, I can feel it!

I will convince them that I, too, want to worship the newborn king.
I will convince them that my motives are pure.
Then, I will find him. 

I will find him, and I will kill him.

I felt a cold smile curve my lips. The prophecy was good for something, after all. God may have intended it to inspire hope, but instead, it would serve to secure my reign against His “Messiah.”

I retrieved the new goblet a servant had placed on the table beside my throne and poured a generous helping. What kind of God sends His Messiah as a baby, anyway? Kings are powerful. They command armies, and respect. They deal with rulers, and other authorities. Nothing about this makes any sense. 

Lost in my thoughts, I sat on my throne and studied the gems adorning one hand, swirling the wine with my other hand. The sound of someone clearing their throat brought me back, and I noticed Simeon had returned.

“It is done, my king. They will be here soon.” He bowed, never once making eye contact.

I chuckled with dark delight. “Well done, Simeon! Leave me, I need to be alone with my thoughts.”

He strode quietly from the room as I stood and began to pace once more.

“Thank you so much for coming to meet with me! Yes, I too, am thrilled that the prophecy is fulfilled and am eager to…” I snorted aloud as an unsolicited bout of laughter overtook me. “…worship the newborn king!”

Yes. This will work splendidly…if only I can keep from laughing outright! 

No one will take my kingdom from me.
No one will take my power, my position, my status.
No one will bow to any other king of the Jews. 

I ALONE determine my fate, and the fate of all I rule.
I will NEVER allow this infant Messiah to survive, to fulfill the prophecy. 

And once I kill him, I will kill these foolish “wise” men, too. They will rue the day they dared set foot in my kingdom to seek to worship my successor. 

I am the King. I am Herod. I have no room for another.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Here Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Here Day 7 Shepherds: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
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The Questions

1) Why is Bethlehem so important in this passage?

2) Why are there so many references to shepherds?

3) How would the Promised One be our “peace”?

Micah 5:1-6

1 Now, daughter who is under attack,
you slash yourself in grief;
a siege is set against us!
They are striking the judge of Israel
on the cheek with a rod.
2 Bethlehem Ephrathah,
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from ancient times.
3 Therefore, Israel will be abandoned until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of the ruler’s brothers will return
to the people of Israel.

4 He will stand and shepherd them
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majestic name of the Lord his God.
They will live securely,
for then his greatness will extend
to the ends of the earth.
5 He will be their peace.
When Assyria invades our land,
when it marches against our fortresses,
we will raise against it seven shepherds,
even eight leaders of men.
6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod with a drawn blade.
So he will rescue us from Assyria
when it invades our land,
when it marches against our territory.

Original Intent

1) Why is Bethlehem so important in this passage?
Micah was delivering this prophecy from God 700 years before the birth of the Messiah. Bethlehem was a relatively small village with only about 300 people during a high season, yet we see that a great and glorious event would take place sometime in Bethlehem’s future. That is the thing with a prophecy; it could take place the next day, a week later, or even several hundred years from that point. Scripture reminds that a prophet is known if he is false or true by whether their prophecies come true. (Deuteronomy 18:22) The true prophets of Yahweh were known for prophesying correctly, because Yahweh, our God, is completely trustworthy. The reliability of God’s prophets even made King Herod Herod (of the New Testament) fearful because he felt his throne would certainly be threatened by a “new king”. When wise men, the Magi from the East, came to Herod as they were following the star, the King told them to go to Bethlehem, find the Messiah, and report back to him. (Matthew 2:8) It’s also interesting to note that though Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph later fled to Nazareth for his growing up years Matthew 2:20-23. So, some later dismissed Jesus as being the Messiah because they only knew Him as a Nazarene.

2) Why so many references to shepherds?
Throughout the Bible, shepherds were plentiful as tenders of livestock. Culturally, it was a major occupation, but it was also one of the lowliest, humble, and “least of these” types of occupations. It was also a role everyone understood and had a mental image of; everyone knew what a shepherd did, how they smelled, and how impoverished they were. Standing in contrast, we read in Luke that shepherds were highly esteemed by God to be the first to hear of the birth of the Messiah Luke 2:8-14. In this passage in Micah, verse 4 and verse 6 utilize “shepherd” as a verb giving the image of delivering, protecting, and actively bringing into the sheepfold. This depiction speaks of God as He actively shepherds His people.There are several names and character traits of God, one of which is Yahweh Roi, meaning the Lord is My Shepherd. (See King David’s imagery of Yahweh Roi in Psalm 23!) Micah’s prophecy to the Southern Kingdom of Israel, called Judah, told them that while their sins were many (corruption and evil had infiltrated every level of society), and they would have to face God’s judgement, God wouldn’t leave them. He would return as the Shepherd-King, deliver His people from their enemies, and gather them as a remnant, and bring them back into His sheepfold.

3) How would the Promised One be our “peace”?
The people of Micah’s time were constantly in bondage to sin and continually attacked by enemies. Conflict and invasion from enemy nations were regular, ongoing occurrences that God allowed because of their perpetual sin against Him. Israel continued to choose their sin over the Savior, running from Him, even as He held out life and hope and redemption to them. They did not deserve peace, nor did they deserve God’s kindness towards them, but they did longingly ache for the day when they would live in peace. While they knew that God, Jehovah, was Yahweh Shalom (God of Peace) they neither saw nor experienced that peace because of the rightly deserved consequences for their sin. The peace Micah talks about in verse 5, however, is more than simply having freedom from invading neighbors and the violence those enemies perpetrated. This peace means wholeness, completeness, and signifies an eternal peace that could come only from Yahweh Shalom as the God of all peace restores the brokenness existing between Himself and His people.

Everyday Application

1) Why is Bethlehem so important in this passage?
We often think of small towns and villages as places where nothing happens. We treat the towns themselves, and the people from them, as having little to no value or worth. Rarely are great or famous people from a small town. We generally hear most often about the great and glorious things that a large metropolis has to offer.  Like so much of the Christmas story, God chose the small, insignificant, and seemingly unimportant to bear the greatness of the arrival of God the Son. Shepherds. Peasant parents. Aging prophets in the temple. A town that barely made the map. These are the delight of God to use as He showcases His glory! In the same way, He continues to do the same with the people of His kingdom. Paul writes, “For consider your calling, brothers:  not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-27) If you are feeling weak and insignificant, let the story of Bethlehem remind you that God loves to use the “least” to declare the greatest story ever told to a world desperate for His love!

2)Why are there so many references to shepherds?
Because the visual image was so clear for shepherds in Jesus’ time and culture, He used the role often to help make His point as He explained Who He was to His followers. Jesus even referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd John 10:11-18. In this reference He wasn’t just saying He was really great at tending physical sheep, He was saying He was THE shepherd who was coming in fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy. Since Jesus is the Good Shepherd, we are given free access to know and experience Him as our Shepherding Savior where He actively cares for us and provides for us. He lovingly shepherds us, as His people. We, as His sheep, can run to Him for protection, for nurturing, and deliverance. We also have the eternal, assured Hope of being included in His new sheepfold when He returns. Where do you see evidence of the Good Shepherd in your life? Celebrate and praise Him for shepherding you! If you are feeling bereft and alone, know that your Good Shepherd is here, simply draw near to Him! (James 4:8)

3) How would the Promised One be our “peace”?
We often think of “peace” as the cease fire after a military battle, that moment when striving between two people or parties has stopped. Or maybe it’s simply trading the chaos of the everyday hustle and bustle of life for a vacation to a cabin in the woods or a quiet beach. The peace Micah was prophesying about, however, is much deeper than outward circumstance, it’s about peace with God. This peace can only be found when we wholly submit our lives to Jesus by accepting what He did on our behalf by dying the death we deserve because of our sin. Israel’s sin separated them from God, and ours does too. There is only one way back to having peace with God, and that’s through the blood Jesus spilled on our behalf. When we admit to God that we are indeed sinners deserving eternal death apart from Him and His holiness, and ask Him to forgive us, and give us His own righteousness in place of our filthiness, Yahweh Shalom gives us His Peace! Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and He came to bring peace to us. The peace Jesus offers isn’t necessarily going to stop the outside chaos that often surrounds us, but it will anchor us amid that chaos. Cling to the unshakeable peace of Jesus!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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