Thought

After the wise men (also known as Magi) met Mary, Joseph, and Jesus and presented their gifts to the little family, God warned these men from the East not to return to Herod. God also warned Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt, because Herod wanted to kill Jesus—Herod feared losing power to this child who was being called “king of the Jews.” The Magi and Joseph acted in wisdom and obeyed God to keep Jesus safe. And this same wisdom is available to God’s children today! Even if we don’t hear or see God’s warnings in a dream, we always have His Word in the Bible to guide us every day.

Word

Matthew 2:12 NIV

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Question

From what book of a prophet did the wise men quote when they said in Matthew 2:6 that out of Bethlehem “will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel”?

It’s widely believed that the wise men came all the way from Persia to worship Jesus. The prophet Daniel lived in Persia and served in the king’s court hundreds of years before, so he might have influenced the beliefs of these men! However, the wise men did not quote a prophecy of Daniel when they spoke to King Herod. (Hint: if you use Bible Gateway to look up the verse, be sure to check the footnotes!)

Challenge

Imagine you were told to escape to Egypt right away. Make a map of the path you might take to get there. How long would it take you?

Prayer

God, thank you for the wisdom You have shown to Your servants ever since the beginning of time. And thank You for Your wisdom I can read in my Bible every day. Amen.