Did the Wise Men Come to the Manger?

Pastor Doug: Gonna talk next to Mel who is calling from New Jersey. Listening to 'The Mission'. Thanks for joining the program Mel.

Mel: Good evening Pastor Doug.

Pastor Doug: Evening.

Mel: I send you my pleasure on calling and listening.

Pastor Doug: Likewise, and you question tonight?

Mel: I'm in Kings, I’m in 2 Kings 2:23 and this is showing me Elisha when he was passing through and the children were mocking him.

Pastor Doug: Okay, talked about Elisha the prophet when the children were mocking and the bears came out of the woods and tore 42 of them.

Mel: Right, so what is that meaning tore, they killed them?

Pastor Doug: No, what the word tore there is actually particular word we would use in modern English we'd say mold, that means bit and scratched and they may have been severely injured but yet it didn't kill them it is a bear tore them.

Mel: They attack them?

Pastor Doug: Yes, these youth came out and because Elijah had disappeared and evidently Elisha who was a servant there name confused people cause one Elijah and one is Elisha. Elijah went to heaven in a fiery chariot. Elisha was his apprentice and they were saying you bald head. He must have need bald and they're making fun of him and here he is the principal prophet of Israel and these kids are being disrespectful.

And Elisha knew if he did not do something at the beginning of his ministry that no one would ever respect him. And he pronounced this curse and God heard his prayer. These Bears came out and they run through these kids, there must been quite a few of them there because they were 42 they got mold. And they went reaps snort and through will kids scratching and biting. And they never ever disrespected Elisha for the, he minister for another 40-50 years. And no one ever tease him again. You can be sure of that. So it was something that was a necessary lesson.

Mel: Right. I appreciate that and it's beautiful. The second thing in Matthew 4:11. When Timothy toward the country or the world he predict the three wise men come into the manger were in Matthew 4 says, ‘they came to a house.’ So most in Hollywood nor have been did nor the camels and bring them myrrh, gold, frankincense to disable.

Pastor Doug: You're very perceptive, because your correct most not all, but most manger scenes and Christmas cards they show baby Jesus with the shepherds in the manger and the wise men all kneeling their together. Biblically the wise men never saw the shepherds after Joseph and Mary had the baby they stayed in Bethlehem. They had family there. They wanted her to gain some strength before she begin that journey home. They also probably read the prophecies that the Messiah came out of Bethlehem. They weren't sure if they're supposed to leave. They're waiting for message from God.

It was months later if not over a year later that the wise men finally showed up. Because the wise men may have begun their journey when they say they saw the star that could have been the angels announcing to the shepherds. So they begin their journey from the east we don't know how far to the east they were but probably took a while for them to find out what does the star mean. They read them in the book of Balaam about a star rising up out of Jacob. They said oh this is a sign of the coming King, they got their gifts and they made the journey. The shepherds had been gone for maybe a year.

Now, the reason I say that is when King Herod asked about when the star appeared. He got the impression he should kill all the baby boy two years old and younger. So Jesus was not an infant of a few days or weeks old. So you're right, the wise men and the shepherd they never saw each other but it makes for a good manger scene and a good Christmas card.

Mel: Doug you've been beautiful and you've been most helpful and God bless you and your ministry.

Pastor Doug: Thank you Mel. I appreciate very much your call. And again, I want to remind our friends we do still have ooh three and a half lines open. And I say half a line cause we going to take a call here in just a minute. If you want to call in with your bible question once again the number 800-GOD-SAYS, that is 800-463-7297, 800-463-7297 we are live if you got a bible question. Also don't forget we're going to take a quick break here.