TreasuresGold

Myrrh

Frankincense

www.GraciousVine.com

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their

treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh" (Matthew 2:11).

Whenever we think of the story, we think of three kings/wisemen coming from a far bringing only three gifts, Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. We think of the way they came to sweet baby Jesus, and bowed down to look at Him in wonder and amazement.

There are several traditions associated with these magi, like how many, and their names, even their ethnicity, but non of those things are based in scripture. We can tell a few things about them, but not much else. We know they didn’t associate their names with their gift and that alone is a whole message. Instead of getting credit, they laid before Jesus their treasures, and offerings. They lavished on Him wealth and riches only Kings receive from foreign dignitaries!

We have a general idea of where they came from as they were west of Jerusalem, having see Christ’s star in the east, and the gifts of frankincense and myrrh were from areas that were arid and dry like Arabia, Somalia and other North African regions.

They recognized that the one they were going to visit was indeed a KING, and they were enamored with His Unique Star and thereby divinity. They as wealthy, dignitaries of influence and position came themselves to meet with King Herod, which were they just some enchanters would have been met with scoffing and toss to the gate. Instead they were themselves entertained by King Herod, who having significant pull with the Roman World Power didn’t have to entertain anyone. They showed up at the manger humbly, worshipping Him and bowing before Him. They did not come as equals, or superior to, but humble, submitted as servants to one greater than themselves, regardless of their own affluence and influence.

How often have I thought of baby Jesus in a cooing and even condescending manner as one superior to this cute little baby. They did not dare approach in that manner, they were humbled by the magnitude of what they understood, and the impact of what it all meant to them, their world and Kingdoms forever.

www.GraciousVine.com

Too often, we think little of the Babe in the Manger. We consider the wonderful love and tender kindness of Jesus and forget that He is still King of Kings and is due our respect, reverence, fear, and lives! I found this interesting quote from Napoleon Bonaparte regarding such comparisons and think it fitting that we recognize the vast difference there is between Jesus and us.

“I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is not a mere man. Superficial minds see a resemblance between Christ and the founders of empires, and the gods of other religions. That resemblance does not exist…. Everything in Christ astonishes me. Between him and whoever else in the world, there is no possible term of comparison.”

Knowing the Goodness and Kindness of God does not by any means entitle us to have a nonchalant attitude towards Jesus. Let me give you an example of a Famous Military Leader in the British Navy. Lord Admiral Nelson the great British naval commander, always treated his vanquished opponents with the greatest kindness and courtesy. After one of his naval victories, the defeated admiral was brought aboard Nelsons’ flagship. Knowing Nelson’s reputation for courtesy, he advanced across the quarter-deck with hand outstretched as if he was advancing to shake hands with an equal. Nelson’s hand remained by his side. “Your sword first,” he said, “and then your hand.”

Before we can be friends with Christ, we must submit to Christ.

All too quickly we forget to come with Honor and reverence. Imagine the thrill of Hope that these weary travelers felt at seeing Jesus and KNOWING that this was the King they searched for. That this was the one they were willing to give their lives for, their possessions for, their treasures for and then to their delight, help aid him with those very things to secure the increase of HIS kingdom with that provision, and those gifts!

Think too of how elated they would have been to have returned to their homes with such incredible news, and their ability to translate what they learned, saw and experienced with those they knew and loved. Imagine the delight they may have had that anchored their faith through the rough and treacherous terrain in returning to their loved ones.

How their Hope in the first leg of their journey was realized and did no disappoint, how their faith in what they followed was realized and became sight! Their dreams and understandings were summed up in the King of Kings they had the rare opportunity to have actually met!

We know something of that type of royal anticipation in waiting for the birth of Kate and Prince Williams Son this past year...but it is nothing in comparison to their experience!

Currency of KingdomsSince the early days of Christianity, Biblical scholars and theologians have offered varying interpretations of the meaning and significance of the gold, frankincense and myrrh that the magi presented to Jesus, according to the Gospel of Matthew (2:11). These valuable items were standard gifts to honor a king or deity in the ancient world: gold as a precious metal, frankincense as perfume or incense, and myrrh as anointing oil. The Book of Isaiah, when describing Jerusalem’s glorious restoration, tells of nations and kings who will come and “bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6).In addition to the honor and status implied by the value of the gifts of the magi, scholars think that these three were chosen for their special spiritual symbolism about Jesus himself—gold representing his kingship, frankincense a symbol of his priestly role, and myrrh a prefiguring of his death and embalming—an interpretation made popular in the well-known Christmas carol “We Three Kings.”

Gifts of Kings,

www.GraciousVine.com

Gold is the first, and most frequently mentioned metal in the Bible, as at Genesis 2:11. From the beginning, it has been a noble metal, highly valued for its weight, rarity, durable non-tarnishing luster, shimmering beauty, ductility, and malleability. A number of Old Testament Hebrew terms refer to gold, such as zahav, charuts, kethem, paz, seghor, and ophir. In the New Testament, the Greek words khrysos and khrysion are used as reference to ornaments, coins, and gold in general.

Gold's rarity, throughout history, and even in Biblical times, gave it a monetary value, which made it useful in commercial transactions, as well as a measure of wealth and prominence. The color and luster of gold, and its resistance to oxidation or tarnishing, makes it valuable for jewelry and ornamentation of all kinds. In early Biblical times, it was found in its native purity in gravel deposits and riverbeds. It was easily separated and recovered because of its great weight. In the book of Job (28:1,2,6) mining and refining operations are mentioned.

In the construction of the Tabernacle, built by Moses, Exodus 25, 30, 37, and 39 describes using gold being beaten into plates for overlay, sheets, and even thread used in garments used by the high priest. In The Most Holy, the Ark of the Covenant, was gold.

Solomon's Temple, extensively used gold in its décor. As is done with several modern coins, even ancient Israel evidently mixed an alloy with gold to harden it. (I kings10:16). David set aside 100,000 talents of gold for Solomon's Temple. A talent is about 75 pounds! The Temple's lamp-stands, utensils, forks, bowls, pitchers, basins, cups, etc, were all made of gold and silver, with a very few being made of copper. The cherubs in the Most Holy, the alter of incense, and even the entire inside of the house was overlaid with gold. By today's prices, the gold in Solomon's Temple would probably be valued at $50 billion.

Solomon received large amounts of gold from the King of Tyre (120 talents), the Queen of Sheba (120 talents), and from taxes and revenues from his own merchant fleet. First Kings says that the weight of gold that Solomon received in one year, was 636 talents of gold. The incredible amount of gold that was transacted and used in David and Solomon's day is unbelievable…but true.

www.GraciousVine.com

Gold is a Measure of Value. The Greater the Value the More Gold.

1. Gold is scarce, which adds immeasurably to its value. But let's not forget, gold is dug from the earth - and it takes tons of gold to produce a pound of gold.2. Gold is enduring, and can withstand all natural acids and even fire. 3. Gold is adaptable for shaping and made into ornaments, jewelry,

coins and even threads.

Our faith, our character is to be like Gold, but their is a lot of dirt that needs to be mined through, and fires to purify it and make it as valuable as God purposes it to be.

The Apostle Paul uses this analogy when he writes to the Corinthian church concerning Christian works, "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work." (I Corinthians 3:11-13)

Wouldn't it be far better for us to want to be like gold, rather than wanting to have gold? Humility, beauty, endurance, adaptability - a person with these qualities would be rare indeed, and priceless.

Far more precious is the Spiritual Gold we acquire as we submit to the Lord through all things...The Fires of trials and tribulations produce a far greater reward than earthly Gold...It pales in comparison to heavenly Gold!

There’s a story that tells of a very influential wealthy man that learned from God he was going to die. He asked if he could bring his riches with him and God replied, ‘NO - You can’t bring it with you!’ Not being a man that takes no for an answer he argued with God and finally God agreed to One Suitcase of any single worldly possession. At first he though to pack the suitcase with US dollars, but then realized the currency exchange rate might not be so good... then he thought to bring his stocks but wasn’t sure how they would fare over eternity....Then to his pleasure he gathered all the gold he could fit in that suitcase. Upon arriving at the pearly gates, St. Peter originally refused the suitcase, but after looking at the notes next to his name agreed and needed to inspect the contents. St. Peter looked in the suitcase and shaking his head he said in a bewildered and inquisitive tone, ‘You Brought Pavement?”

www.GraciousVine.com

The second gift brought out of the boxes by the Magi was frankincense.Frankincense is a very costly and fragrant gum distilled from a tree that is found in Persia, India and Arabia, as well as the East Indies. It is a white resin or gum, and is obtained by slitting the bark of the "Arbor Thurisfrom", and allowing the gum to flow out. The word actually means "whiteness", referring to the white colored juice, which flows out of the wound in the tree. This gum hardens for three months, and is gathered at the end of the summer, and sold in the form of "tears", or clumps of hardened resin.

Frankincense is highly fragrant when burned, and was, therefore, used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God. ("Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come. - Exodus 30:7,8) ("He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain." Leviticus 16:12). It was also used as medicine and as perfume.

The primary lesson from frankincense is that our worship is to be pleasing to God. Remember, this sweet smelling resin comes as the result of the tree's woundedness and pain. When we can worship God in the midst of our sorrow, our brokenness, then it is a sweet smelling offering. That's why David said, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." (Psalms 51:17 )

Much emphasis in worship today is on "celebration". No time for agonizing and tears, only for shouts of joy and victory. While joyful praise is acceptable to God, tears, like frankincense resin, oozing out of our hurts, broken hearts, and tears of repentance are especially pleasing to God. Anyone can dance and shout when their team is winning, and everything is going their way. But true worship happens when we must overcome

So consider if you will what are the areas of Frankincense in your life that you can offer back to the Lord. Areas of Sacrifice, and when things have cost you something. Where you have worshipped and yet received nothing seemingly tangible, prayers offered perhaps that have gone unanswered, praise offered during times of intense stress and trials. Worship in the midst of despair, cast down, yet not destroyed!

When has the sweet smell of Frankincense been so fragrant in your life that others were nearly choked by it and yet drawn to it? What areas of sacrifice can you offer back to and present once again to King Jesus?

www.GraciousVine.com

The last gift brought by the Magi was Myrrh. Myrrh is an aromatic gum produced from a thorn-bush that grew in Arabia and Ethiopia, and was obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense. This thorny tree, called "balsamodendron myrrha", is similar to the acacia. It grows from eight to ten feet high, and is thorny. When it oozes from the wounded shrub, myrrh is a pale yellow color at first, but as it hardens, it changes to dark red or even black color.

If frankincense represents sweetness, myrrh represents bitterness, at least to the taste. In fact, the name itself was given to it on account of its great bitterness. (The Hebrew word is similar to the name given the waters that were bitter when Moses and the people were coming out of Egypt. "And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. - Exodus 15:23) Hear also what Naomi says to her daughters in law - "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.” (Ruth 1:20)

It was used chiefly in embalming the dead, because it had the property of preserving them from putrefaction. (John 19:39) It was much used in Egypt and in Judea. It was at an early period an article of commerce, (Genesis 37:25) and was an ingredient of the holy ointment (Exodus 30:23). It was also used as an agreeable perfume (Esther 2:12; Psalms 45:8; Proverbs 7:17). For many of the ancients, myrrh was considered to be a favorite perfume, said to keep its fragrance for several hundred years when kept in an alabaster pot. Myrrh also had medicinal qualities, sometimes mingled with wine to form a drink that would numb his pain. Such a drink was given to our Savior, when about to be crucified, as a analgesic, yet he denied it so as to feel all our sorrows and griefs (Mark 15:23; Matthew 27:34).

It's also interesting to note that the Greek word for myrrh, "smurna", is the same as the name of the city and church, which received a letter from the Apostle. Smyrna was the second of the seven churches of Asia that John was instructed to write to in the early chapters of the book of Revelation. This church was distinguished by it being persecuted (Revelation 2:8-11) - they understood the bitterness of being mistreated for the sake of the Gospel.

Where has there been a time that you were full of sorrow, mourning a loss, a loved one, a dream, a hope? How have you allowed the Lord to heal you, comfort you, and keep you through it? How now can you offer that back to Him, for the increase of His Kingdom?