Plantation SDA Church

Theme: God is often held accountable and judged severely because of atrocities performed by cruel human beings. Is God to be blamed, or is there another way to look at these horrible realities?

Challenge

Who were the wise men from the East?

• magos (magoi) → magi → magician
• Zoroastrian priests

• we have seen His star in the East → astrologers, astronomers

• A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel (Num. 24:17 NKJ) from exiled Jews or from the Septuagint

How do we know there were 3 magi?

• we don’t know that…

• they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh…

• myths: sons of Noah; representatives of 3 continents (Asia, Africa, Europe); Balthasar of Arabia, Melchior of Persia, and Gaspar of India.

Challenge

Where is God in all this?

• we ask God: why? ←→ God asks us…

• Couldn’t He have intervened? → dream

• Theodicy – is God just? – God is aware…

• War Context: innocent people die.

• Resurrection changes perspectives

Challenge

Isn’t this Rachel a dead woman?

• Jacob’s wife – buried near Ramah

• 586 BC – the gathering place of the convoy of salves deported to Babylon

• Rachel stands for the mothers that were crying their children…

Your Take-Away

• God works mysteriously with each person in his/her own context → providence + protection

• God shouldn’t be blamed for what the enemy does! He knows some of His actions are hard to understand → TRUST – I will clarify everything!