To Consider: The Gift of Gold
We read in the last passage that the wise men from the east brought three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This has led to some confusion historically about how many people are in the group of the wise men – often it has been thought of as three due to their being three gifts. This is reemphasized in the song “We Three Kings.” But there is no indication at all in the Scriptures as to how many were in their caravan. We just don’t know.
The gifts of the wise men are symbolic – they are not traditional gifts that one would give a child. Let’s examine each of the gifts in order – today we’ll talk about the gift of gold.
Gold symbolizes the kingship of Christ. Gold was a gift mostly commonly given to kings. In 1 Kings 10, we are told that King Solomon received about 50,000 pounds of gold. Give that chapter a read to see all the things that Solomon would do with all that gold – it would be an amount worth roughly $1 billion today. And he would receive gold from all governments and leaders around, to earn favor with the king. In the first part of 1 Kings 10, we read that the Queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon – she brought spices and gold. The Queen of Sheba is from a similar region as the wise men – it’s a foretaste of what was to come in Matthew.
Jesus would be a very different king than Solomon – he hoarded riches and the companionship of women and became idolatrous with all his riches. Jesus would be a king who would entry the great city of Jerusalem not on a mighty war horse as was the custom, but on a donkey, showing that he would lead his people by serving them, by giving his life for them. HIs throne would also be eternal (2 Sam. 7), as was promised to the one true Davidic king. It is important that we see that Jesus, though he is a baby at this moment, would be the eternal king of all his creation. Like Solomon, all other kings owe tribute to him, they owe him honor, as their kingdoms will be temporary, and the Lord’s is forever.
Consider these words from Psalm 2:
Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
All people, all leaders of all nations, must bow before the one true King. The wise men are showing us that he is first king of all the earth, and needs to be honored as such. He would not hoard his gold and blessings for himself, but shares all he has with all of those who trust in him.
Song to Sing: We Three Kings
It’s a hauntingly beautiful refrain in this song beginning, ‘star of wonder.’ It truly is a star of wonder, where the Lord brings together Israel and the Gentiles to worship the one true King. ‘Guide us to this perfect light’ can be the refrain that any person can sing in response to the kingship of Christ.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you for you kingship. We thank you that as a king you do not separate yourself from your people but you lived among us, even though you belong at the right hand of God the Father. You did not live a life of luxury, but took on poverty and hardships in life in order that you might relate to us in our struggles. You took on the hardest thing, death on a cross, in order that we might be with you in your kingdom forever. In your name – Amen.
Echoes of Eden: Most visual art before and around the Renaissance was religious art – and a great example is the painting by Rubens called The Adoration of the Magi, which is on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. Look it up!