Year of the Bible: Part Eight of TwelveÀpẹrẹ

God Brings Back the Exiled

An interesting theory by David Pawson states that some of the Magi could have been Israelites who had settled in Babylon during exile. They had made homes and businesses just as Jeremiah said they should. Many of these prosperous Jews did not return to Israel when the exile was over because Israel was poor, and their prosperity in Babylon would have been hard to leave. Those who remained in Babylon would have been familiar with the foretelling of the Messiah; when they saw the sign in the sky, they followed it, hoping to meet Him.

When the Magi arrived in Israel, they sought to worship the King, so they went where any person would imagine the King to be: the palace! Jesus, the fulfillment of all the prophecies, felt like a threat to the King in Jerusalem. When humans gain power, we have a hard time letting go! We don’t like it when our perceived power is threatened.

In a dream, God told Joseph to flee from danger to Egypt. Isn’t it interesting that the place where Jesus fled for safety was the place where His people had been held in slavery? Yet, God brought him back to Israel when the time was right. This is consistent with the pattern of God’s goodness in bringing His people home! God had brought His people out of Egypt from slavery at the appointed time, He brought the exiles back from Babylon at the right time, He brought the Magi to see Jesus at the right time, and He orchestrates our lives in His beautiful timing. We simply need to listen and obey.

Question: Where do you see God’s goodness and faithfulness working in your life?

Prayer: If you cannot find where God is working for your good, ask Him to show you. Talk to God about places where you feel exiled and ask Him to show how and where He is working.