The Star
Mark had not recorded the story of the Magi and the star because he did not yet see it's importance in prophecy. With study and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Matthew discerned prophecy concerning those events.
The Hebrews lived among a people ruled by a king. But the king did not want to lose power over the people and felt threatened by a male child. He ordered some people to betray the child. They refused. So the ruler had a lot of children killed while the one was taken into Egypt. The child returned to his people when he was older to set them free. This story was told at least four times in scripture:
Where did the Hebrews live?
- In Egypt, Persia, Jerusalem, or the earth?
Which ruler?
- Pharaoh, Ahasuerus, Herod, or Satan?
Which child?
- Moses, Israel, Jesus, the children of Christ?
Who was told to betray the child?
- The midwives, Ahasuerus, magi, your flesh?
Which Egypt?
- Egypt of Pharaoh, Persia, Egypt of Pharaoh or the world?
The histories of Moses, Israel during Esther's time, Jesus, and the church have a lot in common. Elements of this prophetic pattern may be found in other histories. Rachab was told to betray the hidden spies, but protected them. David fled to safety among his enemies. Many died in the flood to save one.
Prophetic riddle is hidden in the shadows of time using metaphor before it was defined. History does not repeat itself so much as history contains a shadow of the cross. Simply having a pattern, one would not know if it was prophetic or recapitulating or repeating. But the words themselves use metaphor before they are defined. How can you have a metaphor of the cross before the cross?
The skeptic can never be satisfied. If there were no prophetic riddle, they would say the cross was just an event with way too much importance placed upon it. Since the riddle does exist, they say it is imposed after the fact. But since the riddle is based in at least seven layers of meaning, and consistently so, the skeptic must remain willfully ignorant of it's existence to maintain his skepticism.
Next: The Star - part 2
