The camels plodded
along the stony trail. With every step, dust from the dry and thirsty land blurred
the edges of their hooves. The night sky, vast and translucent, held the veil
between heaven and earth. Stars, like sequins, glimmered. A silence wrapped the
Magi in a holy hush - a knowing, a pondering of the faithfulness of their God.
Steady
they went; the star in the east their compass. Its brilliant light-beams
cascaded over the earth beckoning these men of wisdom and insight and worship
to seek the Newborn King. Saddlebags draped over jewel-toned blankets, bulged
with gifts fit for the long awaited Christ Child. Gifts befitting royalty.
Gifts of worship.
From the crest of the hill overlooking the valley below, the Magi searched the heavens. And there it was! The sign! The cascading light-beams from the brilliant star touched the earth, pointing to the Messiah. Shouts of joy rang across the land as the men proclaimed their journey's end. Hearts raced with anticipation. Spirits leaped within from the overpowering Presence of God.
The men of wisdom bolted towards the Light, dismounted, and doubled over in awe. Tears streamed. Smiles beamed. And their knees fell hard against the earth as they bowed in worship before their King.
One by one the Magi unwrapped their gifts for Jesus.
One by one the gifts reflected God's perfect plan.
Gold. The royalty of Jesus. A gift befitting the King of kings.
Frankincense. The priestly role of Jesus. The sweet aroma drifting from the altar of incense in the Tabernacle where prayer flowed to the Father. Resin harvested by stripping the bark from the tree in a process called striping. The resin flows from the wounds, hardens, and is deemed the tears of the tree.
Myrrh. The anointing oil for Jesus' death. Resin from a small, thorny tree. The tree is beaten repeatedly to cause the resin to bleed out. Myrrh was used to embalm the dead.
Like Mary, I ponder these things of God. I find myself awestruck at the intricacies of His plan of salvation - the complexities of design and purpose. I wonder at the sweet aroma created by the prayers of the righteous before the Lord and the fact that the Magi must have realized the significance of their gift being harvested by stripes and tears. I am in awe that myrrh was chosen as the third gift - myrrh, whose very source is laden with thorns and must be beaten to release the fragrant liquid.
I think on Jesus and His touch upon my life.
From the crest of the hill overlooking the valley below, the Magi searched the heavens. And there it was! The sign! The cascading light-beams from the brilliant star touched the earth, pointing to the Messiah. Shouts of joy rang across the land as the men proclaimed their journey's end. Hearts raced with anticipation. Spirits leaped within from the overpowering Presence of God.
The men of wisdom bolted towards the Light, dismounted, and doubled over in awe. Tears streamed. Smiles beamed. And their knees fell hard against the earth as they bowed in worship before their King.
One by one the Magi unwrapped their gifts for Jesus.
One by one the gifts reflected God's perfect plan.
Gold. The royalty of Jesus. A gift befitting the King of kings.
Frankincense. The priestly role of Jesus. The sweet aroma drifting from the altar of incense in the Tabernacle where prayer flowed to the Father. Resin harvested by stripping the bark from the tree in a process called striping. The resin flows from the wounds, hardens, and is deemed the tears of the tree.
Myrrh. The anointing oil for Jesus' death. Resin from a small, thorny tree. The tree is beaten repeatedly to cause the resin to bleed out. Myrrh was used to embalm the dead.
Like Mary, I ponder these things of God. I find myself awestruck at the intricacies of His plan of salvation - the complexities of design and purpose. I wonder at the sweet aroma created by the prayers of the righteous before the Lord and the fact that the Magi must have realized the significance of their gift being harvested by stripes and tears. I am in awe that myrrh was chosen as the third gift - myrrh, whose very source is laden with thorns and must be beaten to release the fragrant liquid.
I think on Jesus and His touch upon my life.
"Lord, I cry out to
You;
Make haste to me! Give
ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
Let my prayer be set
before You as incense,
the lifting up of my
hands as the evening sacrifice."
~ Psalm 141:2
As I seek the Christ Child this Christmas, dust from my dry and thirsty land blurs each step. But, I seek Him still. His Word is a lamp unto my feet, a brilliant light cascading from heaven pointing directly to Him. I cry out to Him, my prayers a sweet aroma, pleasing and acceptable to the Lord because He loves me.
And because He loves me, I will worship Him.
I will worship and adore Him because He is the Lord.
A Tweetable to Encourage Others
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Nan, this brings quiet tears to my eyes. I knew some of the facts you gave about the gifts, but I didn't know those really intricate details. It sure does bring the Scriptures more life and power knowing them. Psalm 141:2 is so very fitting. Thank you for this passionate post.
ReplyDeleteLove this! It is so powerful! So full of passion and truth!
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