The Archives Devotional Magazine June 2015 | Page 6

“THE SOUL WITHOUT IMAGINATION IS WHAT AN OBSERVATORY WOULD BE
WITHOUT A TELESCOPE.” ―HENRY WARD BEECHER

Read the scripture

DAY 3
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the time when Herod was king.
Soon afterward, some men who studied the stars came from the East to Jerusalem and
asked, “Where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star when it came up
in the East, and we have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard about this, he was
very upset, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests
and the teachers of the Law and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?”
“In the town of Bethlehem in Judea,” they answered. “For this is what the prophet wrote:
‘Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least of the leading cities of Judah;
for from you will come a leader who will guide my people Israel.’” So Herod called the visitors
from the East to a secret meeting and found out from them the exact time the star had
appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions: “Go and make a careful
search for the child; and when you find him, let me know, so that I too may go and worship
him.”
And so they left, and on their way they saw the same star they had seen in the East. When
they saw it, how happy they were, what joy was theirs! It went ahead of them until it stopped
over the place where the child was. They went into the house, and when they saw the child
with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshiped him. They brought out their gifts of
gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to him.

First pray, then read. This week's
reading is Matthew 1-4.

Think about the text
What is the passage about? What
does it tell me about God the Father,
Jesus, the Holy Spirit? What does it
teach about life? Is there a
command? Example? Promise?
Warning? Error to avoid? What is the
main thing I can learn?

Apply it to life
Is there a call to action? A duty to
fulfill? A message to tell someone?
Try applying this passage to your life.
Maybe it’s an action, prayer, or a
personal change.

NOTE

“We have seen his star in the East”
On June 17th, 2 B.C., the planets Jupiter and Venus aligned and appeared as one large star.
Many believe that Jesus was born this year, and that perhaps this astrological occurrence was
the star that led the wise men. Matthew uses the Greek word “μάγοι” in his account, which
means "magi." This term refers to the priests of Zoroastrianism, an Eastern religion that
believes in a supreme deity, Ahura Mazda, and a vast struggle between a good spirit and an
evil spirit. Magi usually travelled in groups of 12. Sometimes these priests were believed to
have supernatural powers, explaining its relationship to the word “magic.” Magi were also the
esteemed astrologers of their time. Astrology back then, much like today, was the study of
stars and planets and how they relate to human affairs on Earth. Unlike today, in the 1st
century B.C., it was considered a serious scientific area of study. These priests, in their
society, were close to “king" status. The earliest use of the word "magi" comes from the
Behistun Inscription written by Darius the Great of Persia.