The Four Gifts of the Magi is a powerful message that Pastor Mike Bauler gave at the Historic Message Bible Church in Portland, Oregon on Sabbath 19 December 2015.
Scripture Reading is Numbers 24:17
“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A star shall come forth from Jacob,
A scepter shall rise from Israel,
And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,
And tear down all the sons of Sheth.”
Matthew 2:1-12
The Visit of the Magi
2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “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.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
6
‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
There is order to everything in the Bible. Everything is ordered by God.
The Wise Men brought Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Let us look at the spiritual meaning of these gifts.
A. Gold
Revelation 3:18
I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
Spiritual Meaning of Gold is found in the following verses:
James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
Love is the engine for Faith. Faith & Love leads us to Obedience. God is Faith & Love working together.
John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and abide in His love.
Jesus abided in God His Father.
John 1:14
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
B. Frankincense
Let us quickly review the earthly sanctuary.
Exodus 25:23
The Table of Showbread
23 “You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long and one cubit wide and one and a half cubits high.
and Exodus 25:30
You shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.
So the Table of Showbread had the Presence of God.
Leviticus 24:5-9
“Then you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it; two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake. 6 You shall set them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. 7 You shall put pure frankincense on each row that it may be a memorial portion for the bread, even an offering by fire to the Lord. 8 Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before the Lord continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel. 9 It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the Lord’s offerings by fire, his portion forever.”
Frankincense was placed on loaves for memorial.
Exodus 30:1
The Altar of Incense
“Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
and Exodus 30:34
The Incense
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each.”
and Exodus 30:6
“You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you.”
and Revelation 8:3
Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.
When we pray, our prayers are like incense to God. We meet with God through prayer. Frankincense is white
John 6:48
I am the bread of life.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Hebrews 6:19-20
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Just remember that the Bread ( God ) is always on the Table. Jesus priestly ministry on behalf of man is to save.
C. Myrrh
Exodus 30:23
“Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty.”
Holy Anointing Oil
When Jesus was suffering on the cross, Roman soldiers offered Him wine mixed with myrrh.
Mark 15:23
“They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.”
Myrrh is very bitter. Jesus refused it on the cross.
After Jesus had died the physical death on the cross, Nicodemus came to embalm Him.
John 19:39
“Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.”
Myrrh was an embalming oil.
In Matthew 2:11 the Wise Men or Magi worshipped Jesus.
D. Worship Is the Fourth Gift
In Scriptures, when people fell down, they were rendering extreme respect.
In the Book: “Desire of Ages” by Ellen White, the wise men recognized the presence of Divinity. The wise men gave their hearts to the Savior.
Page 63
The wise men departed alone from Jerusalem. The shadows of night were falling as they left the gates, but to their great joy they again saw the star, and were directed to Bethlehem. At Bethlehem they found no royal guard stationed to protect the newborn King. None of the world’s honored men were in attendance. Jesus was cradled in a manger. His parents, uneducated peasants, were His only guardians. Could this be He of whom it was written, that He should “raise up the tribes of Jacob,” and “restore the preserved of Israel;” that He should be “a light to the Gentiles,” and for “salvation unto the end of the earth”? Isaiah 49:6.
“When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him.” Beneath the lowly guise of Jesus, they recognized the presence of Divinity. They gave their hearts to Him as their Saviour, and then poured out their gifts,—“gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” What a faith was theirs!
The greatest gift we can give is to give Jesus our heart.