Matthew 2:9-10 9And after they heard the king, they went out, and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went before them until coming it stood over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with a very great joy.
The magi had to make a serious decision about how to respond to Herod’s request. Following his guidance could put the baby at risk. Perhaps these magi used their wisdom and discernment to realize Herod as a threat. The rumor of Herod’s paranoia was likely well known. This king had a bad reputation, and these men saw through the deception. Perhaps also they came to realize that the new born king was not in the palace as they expected, and so God was doing something extraordinary in this situation. The sequence in verse 9 is significant. First, they made a choice to leave after hearing what the king said. This showed faith.
Second, the star appeared again to show them the way. The star was confirmation that their decision to keep on the journey was the right one. By this point in the story, there is no clear evidence that they are doubting the sincerity of Herod. That will wait for the dream in verse 12. But everything else showed them that this newly born king was something from God. They followed the start with great anticipation. The miracle of the shining star cannot be explained. There have been many theories, such as a supernova or comet. God could have used these natural phenomena for this great guidance, but Matthew is not interested in the scientific explanation but the miraculous prelude to encounter. The star led these men right to the place in Bethlehem where the child Jesus was. There is not indicator on how old the child Jesus was, but he could have just been born or even a year or two old.
The start lead the magi to rejoice. They had been faithful to God’s guidance, and it paid off by finding the child. There is no hint of disappointment in the lowly birth of Jesus. These men were smart enough to know with God involved like this, and prophecy fulfilled to minute details, that this child was destined for greatness. The response they could give was great joy and celebration.
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