Mensa Otabil - As It Is Written
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We’re still in our Christmas reflections, and we are looking at Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus Christ, Matthew chapter 2, verses 4 to 5. When he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, «In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet.» King Herod was the one who received the wise men, and he was troubled by their message. Jerusalem was troubled by these august visitors who were looking for a king who had been born.
Apparently, King Herod was familiar with the star symbolism regarding the Messiah; he probably wasn’t a student of the scriptures of the prophets in the Torah. So, he called the chief priests together to make inquiries as to where this king was to be born. The reason why Herod was troubled was that he was not a legitimate king of Israel. King Herod, also called Herod the Great, was from Idumea, which was in the southern part of Israel, and he was not considered legitimate.
The people didn’t like him, but the Roman government and the Roman forces of the empire liked him, so he was an imposed king. Of course, hearing that a new king had been born would send a lot of shivers down his spine. That’s why he made inquiries, and I like what the priests said when the inquiry was made-they said, «Thus it is written.» The religious leaders knew that you couldn’t guess these things; you had to go to what is written. The importance of the written word of God is clear: if you want to know the will of God, you have to know His word. The chief priests did not quote their opinion; they quoted what was written and explained its meaning. They simply quoted the prophecy of Micah, which we dealt with last week, and this prophecy indicated exactly the village or the town where Christ was supposed to be born.
We see the importance of the written word of God. God’s written word reveals His mind. These days, people feel that the Bible is just a nice book, but they want to hear God speak to them; they want a prophetic word that is current. Well, this word written by Micah was current. They didn’t ask a prophet; they just went back to the written word of God, and it was current. Although spoken hundreds of years earlier, it remained relevant.
That’s how we view the word of God; it is still relevant. When I read the Bible today, although the words were written thousands of years ago, it is still current; it still speaks to me, it still answers my questions. For these wise men on their journey, the written word of God answered their questions and helped them find direction for their lives. May the Lord help you find direction for your life and answer your questions as you encounter the written word of God.
Another thing we find here is that God is committed to His written word. God spoke through the prophet Micah, and although Micah was dead, God was alive. God never dies, and His word never dies. Although the original speaker of the word of God was gone, God watched over His word hundreds of years later to perform it. God is committed to His word, and any time you read the Bible, remember that God is committed to His word. If He says He loves you, He is committed to it. If He says He will have mercy on you, He is committed to it. If He says He will lift you up, He is committed to it. If He says He will forgive your sins, He is committed to it.
God is committed to His word, and any time we encounter His word, remember that He watches over His word to perform it. From this story, we learn that the word of God spoken in times past is still relevant to us today. In this Christmas spirit, may the word of God become flesh in your life. May the word of God be manifested in your life. May the word of God take on reality in every area of your life, in Jesus' name.
Let us pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, I trust Your written word. I commit myself to study, believe, and live my life according to Your word, in Jesus' name. Amen.» Well, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.