The Star of Bethlehem

Almost everyone, Christians, non-Christians, scientist and astronomers have been captivated by the unique way the Star of Bethlehem led the Magi to Jesus. Most have tried to determine a date about the time of His birth that an unusual convergence of several stars might have produced what appeared to be one big special star.

Others have thought that perhaps this was some special comet or other natural phenomena that may have been in the sky at that time.

Those ideas don’t seem to be true in the light of what the Bible has to say about that star. If it had been an unusual marvel or wonder visible in the sky, everyone in Israel would have placed some special significance to it. However, the indication is that only the Magi saw this in their homeland. God prepared a special supernatural star to guide them … a star visible only to those whom God wanted to see it.

The Bible states that they saw this star in their home country, somewhere to the east of Israel. It was strong enough leadership (NOTE that they were WILLING to follow God’s leadership) to direct them to the homeland of the Jews but evidently was not visible to them as they arrived in Jerusalem, the capital. They assumed that the King of the Jews would be born in that city, but the star was obviously not with them at that time because they inquired within the city as to where the King was born. The Biblical “scholars” of that day told them what the Bible had to say about the birth of the Christ.

The Magi immediately left for Bethlehem. When they got to Bethlehem, the star appeared to them again. That star could not have been as far away in the heavens as even the moon because it led them to an exact spot where our Lord was at that exact moment. Could any object way up in the sky lead anyone to one special location? No! This had to be LEADERSHIP FROM THE LORD … VISIBLE ONLY TO THOSE WHO WERE SEEKING IT!

How can these truths be applied to our life living in the 21st Century? First of all, the Magi were obedient to the first leadership of the Lord. We often miss the second and third parts of His leadership because we do NOT listen to and OBEY the first leadership of God. The Magi ACTED on that first leadership by leaving the security of their home country to make that journey to a strange land. Often we KNOW what God wants us to do but do not act on it and obey Him.

Then for the Magi there came a time when the star was not visible, so they just had to continue to TRUST GOD’S LEADERSHIP-even in the dark.

Have you have ever heard, this: “Never doubt in the dark, what God has shown you in the light!”?  During this period in which the “visible” leadership of God was not present, the Magi went to the Bible.

The theologians of Israel told them that the Bible said the Christ was to be bom in Bethlehem. Then the Magi ACTED on that Biblical leadership and went to Bethlehem. (It is significant that the Jewish theologians, who knew the Bible best in those days, did NOT act on its leadership.) When the Magi ACTED on THIS Biblical leadership, God again made the supernatural star visible to them to lead them to the exact place where our Lord was. The Lord gives us leadership … then when we have been obedient to that leadership, He again gives us more leadership which may not have been visible until after we have obeyed His first leadership.

May you have a extraordinary Christmas season!