Treacherous Herod arranges a secret meeting with the righteous wisemen.

Matthew 2:7-12

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” Matthew 2:7-8

In the previous post on Matthew 2:1-6, Herod was on a mission to gather information from people who knew the Scriptures. He heard from his sources that there were wisemen who knew something about the birth of the Christ child, born to be a King. After that, Herod gathered all of the chief priests, scribes, and Jewish people to gather even more information from the Scriptures about where the Christ child and King could be found. From the Jewish leaders, he learned that the prophecies of the birth of Christ were true and that the wisemen really were on track to finding Jesus, the King. In the verses of this post, Herod called the wisemen to meet with them personally, in secret, to determine from them what time the star of Christ appeared.

Herod believed the word of prophecy about the birth of Jesus Christ. He believed the Jewish leaders when they showed him Scriptures prophesying of where Christ would be born. He even believed that Christ had been born and that is why he needed the wisemen to help him track the Child. With all of that belief and knowing that the Scriptures were true, his heart and mind were not right with God. He was filled with envy, lust for power, murder, and all sorts of treachery. He had a heart of sin that prevented him from a belief that would lead him humbly to Christ to honor Him with goodwill. He believed in the Scriptures enough to want to eliminate the Savior of the world, Whom he feared to be his nemesis, not his Redeemer. Herod believed, but even demons believe and tremble, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” James 2:19

Herod wanted a secret meeting with the wisemen because the intent of his heart was malicious. He sought classified assistance from the wisemen to help him eliminate the coming King. He loved the secret place of his dark manipulation because his deeds were evil, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19

Herod sent the wisemen to Bethlehem to carefully, or quietly, look for the young Child. Can you envision the day, which is here already, that when we search for fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ someone intends to destroy the fellowship that we find in the Spirit of Christ? Herod said that he wanted to find Jesus so that he could also worship with the wisemen. Herod lied. Today, the congregations of the fallen churches are filled with people who say that they want to worship our Lord Jesus. In reality, the intent within their sinful hearts is to kill the message of the Cross. They have left the message of repentance from sin and unbelief that comes by the blood Jesus shed on the Cross to atone for sin. Receiving the Holy Spirit, by the remission of sins, is no longer a message heard within the churches. Those of today’s fallen churches embrace the beast that has power over physiology to give them what to say, do, think, and feel. They serve Satan’s version of the Holy Spirit, which is the beast with two horns like a lamb, as described in Revelations 13:11-13.

“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16-19

“When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” Matthew 2:9-10

After the secret meeting with the deceptive and malicious Herod, who was devising a murderous plan to kill the Christ child, the righteous wisemen went on their way. The wisemen were not aware of Herod’s plot to kill Jesus because he was putting forth an image of Godliness as if he wanted to worship Jesus with them. Herod would have used smooth words and flattering speech to persuade the wisemen to let him know when they found the Christ child, “For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive unsuspecting hearts… having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” Romans 16:18, 2 Timothy 3:5

As the wisemen left from the presence of king Herod, the star they saw in their homeland in the East, that led them to Jerusalem, was there in front of them, leading them to Christ. We will never find our way to what God has for us through those who use flattery, smooth words, and false images of Godliness. When we step away from them, God will shine the star of Christ onto our path, the star that leads to His righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ. The wisemen felt rejoicing with exceeding joy to see the star, which can only be felt through the Spirit of God that rejoices for His Son, Jesus. Herod was not able to be at peace, nor to rejoice, nor be joyful when Christ was born into the world because his carnal heart made him an enemy to everything our Lord Jesus came to do on this earth, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:6-8

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

When the wisemen came to the place where Jesus was, they saw Him there, the Christ child! And Mary His mother was there with Him. When we come to the place where Jesus Christ is, we fall down in humility within our heart and soul as the urge to worship Him overwhelms us. We meet Christ Jesus at the Cross where He gave His life to atone for our sin and unbelief. When we begin to live by faith in what He has done to forgive our sin and unbelief, something happens that humbles us as we live in a world of pride, jealousy, and “unsportsmanlike” conduct. Instead of serving the power of darkness through the beast that gives what to say, do, think, feel, we worship our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.

The wisemen presented gifts to the Christ child, the very best and most expensive gifts that they could bring. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It wasn’t the content in the packages that meant anything, but it was the content of their heart that meant everything. Any gift given from the content of the sinful, wicked, and treacherous heart of Herod would have been despised by God. When we present gifts to God, He wants to see an open heart with the treasures of Christ there. The most valuable treasure in our heart is faith in Jesus Christ.

“Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.” Matthew 2:12

The Spirit of God warned the wisemen, in a dream, that they should not return to Herod. Herod was expecting them to return to reveal the location of the Child to him. The Spirit of God put it in the righteous spirit of the wisemen to know the treachery, wickedness, deceit, and danger lurking in the presence of Herod. By the Spirit of the Lord, they knew not to return to Herod. As we see in the coming verse of Matthew 2:16, Herod felt betrayed and deceived by the wisemen…he was very angry, vengeful, and filled with rage. Even so, it is better to be obedient to the Lord, through Jesus Christ, then to seek the favor and friendship of those who seek to destroy belief in God and who oppose the presence of the Holy Spirit, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God…’God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” James 4:4, 6

“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.
I am coming soon. 
Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1