Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the
Child with His mother Mary,
and they fell down and
worshiped Him.
Then they opened their treasures and
presented Him with gifts of
gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Revelation 18:13
of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh,
and frankincense;
of wine, olive oil, fine flour,
and wheat; of cattle, sheep, horses,
and chariots;
of slaves and souls of men.
Who is this coming up from the wilderness
like a column of smoke,
scented with myrrh and frankincense from
all the spices of the merchant?
Salt and light
are images used by Jesus in the
Sermon on the Mount,
one of the main teachings of Jesus on morality and discipleship.
These images are in Matthew 5:13, 14, 15 and 16[2]
The general theme of Matthew 5:13–16 is promises and expectations, and these expectations follow the promises of the first part.
The first verse of this passage introduces the phrase
"salt of the earth"
(Greek: τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς, romanized: to halas tēs gēs):
You are the salt of the earth,
but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted?
It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out
and trodden under the feet of men.
— Matthew 5:13 (World English Bible)
The second verse introduces "City upon a Hill"
(Greek: πόλις […] ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη)
You are the light of the world.
A city located on a hill can't be hidden.
— Matthew 5:14 (World English Bible)
The later verses refer to not hiding a lamp under a bushel,
which also occurs in Luke 8:16–18 and the
phrase "Light of the World",
which also appears in John 8:12.
Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket,
but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.
Even so, let your light shine before men;
that they may see your good works,
and
glorify
your Father who is in heaven.
— Matthew 5:15–16
Gold
may have been the
first metal that human beings encountered,
because it can often be found
in its pure natural state(for instance, nuggets in streams)
rather than mixed in ore, which requires smelting.
People have always
valued gold
for its luster, beauty, malleability, and
resistance to corrosion and tarnish.
These attributes also led
ancient civilizations throughout the world to associate
gold
with royalty, immortality, and deity.
It was first used in minted currency in the
seventh century B.C.
Originating in Arabia and northern Africa, frankincense
is a dried resin
(from trees of the genus Boswellia) used in perfumes
and incense for thousands of years.
Historically,
frankincense was a highly valued commodity.
When burned as incense,
it was often valued for its aroma
as well as for its
reputed ability to disinfect and repel insects and other pests.
Myrrh
is also a dried resin from Arabia and Northern Africa
(from thorny shrubs and trees of the genus Commiphora)
used
in perfumes, incense, and medicines for thousands of years.
The word comes from an Arabic word
meaning “bitter.”
It has been valued for its aroma as well as for its use as
an antiseptic, analgesic (topical painkiller), and
other medicinal qualities.
Gold from the Wise Men has frequently been mentioned
as possibly being very useful in helping Joseph and Mary
pay for their flight to Egypt to escape Herod.
(The other gifts could have been sold for a very good price as well.)
Frankincense was used in ancient Israelite temple worship as:
- An ingredient in the perfume of the sanctuary (see Exodus 30:34).
- An accompaniment to the meat offering, which was part of all burnt and peace offerings (see Leviticus 2:1, 16).
- An accompaniment to the shewbread in the outer compartment of the tabernacle (or holy place) and burned as a memorial before the presence of the Lord (see Leviticus 24:7).
Burning incense in the temple represented prayer - (see Psalm 141:2).
Myrrh-was used in ancient Israelite temple worship as an
ingredient
in the holy anointing oil for
consecrating priests, the tabernacle, and kings
(see Exodus 30:23–25).
It was used in the purification of Queen Esther
(see Esther 2:12),
and it was also used in embalming
(see John 19:39).
The Wise Men
did not come
when Jesus was lying in the manger.
They may have come anywhere from
a couple of weeks to two years later
(see Matthew 2:1–18)
The word for “wise men” used in the Bible is magi, which refers
to an ancient group of
astronomers and priests
belonging to the Zoroastrian religion in Persia.
We also don’t know how many Wise Men there were.
Because there were
three gifts,
people have traditionally imagined there were
three Wise Men.
The Wise Men’s gifts were:
Useful.
Some of the best gifts we can give the Savior are our
time and talents,
which we can put to use in the service of others.
As disciples who want to give good gifts to the Lord, we may sometimes yearn, “More used would I be” (“More Holiness Give Me,” Hymns, no. 131).
Precious.
In their offering to the Savior,
the Wise Men gave Him things that were both
rare and valuable.
They offered Him the best gifts they knew to give. As we approach the Savior with our offerings—of time, service, and material means—we can remember to always give the best we can give.
Respectful and worshipful.
The gifts the Wise Men brought were the
kinds of gifts they would have
brought to a king.
Jesus Christ is indeed our King—and much more.
As we contemplate what He has done for us and what
He offers us, we are
filled with awe, gratitude, and reverence.
We should always honor and revere Him
for His atoning sacrifice,
His grace, His mercy, and His love.
We show our love for Him by giving our best gifts—following Him
and
keeping His commandments
(see John 14:15).
Frankincense
- Frankincense was a precious spice with great significance and worth in ancient times.
- The fragrant gum resin obtained from balsam trees (Boswellia) can be ground into a powder and burned to produce a balsam-like odor.
- Frankincense was a key part of worship in the Old Testament and a
- costly gift brought to the baby Jesus.
of the sacrifices to Yahweh in Old Testament worship.
In Exodus, the Lord said to Moses:
“Gather fragrant spices--resin droplets, mollusk shell,
and galbanum--
and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense,
weighed out in equal amounts.
Using the usual techniques of the incense maker,
blend the spices together and sprinkle them
with salt to produce a pure and holy incense.
Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder
and put it in front of the
Ark of the Covenant,
where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle.
You must treat this incense as most holy.
Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves.
It is reserved for the Lord, and you must treat it as holy.
Anyone who makes incense like this
for personal use will be cut off from the community.”
(Exodus 30:34–38, NLT)
Wise men, or magi, visited Jesus Christ in Bethlehem
when he was a year or two old. The event is recorded in the
Gospel of Matthew, which also tells of their gifts:
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11, KJV)Only the book of Matthew records this episode of the Christmas story. For the young Jesus, this gift symbolized his divinity or his status as high priest. Since his ascension to heaven, Christ serves as high priest for believers, interceding for them with God the Father.
In the Bible, Frankincense is often associated with myrrh, another expensive spice that features prominently in Scripture
(Song of Solomon 3:6; Matthew 2:11).
What is myrrh used for in the Bible?
Myrrh was used in ancient Israelite temple worship
as an ingredient in the holy anointing oil for consecrating priests, the tabernacle, and kings
(see Exodus 30:23–25).
It was used in the purification of Queen Esther
(see Esther 2:12),
and it was also used in embalming
(see John 19:39).
First Regulations:
Subsequent Regulations:
(More “laity” directed)
(More Priestly in orientation)
Burnt Offering, ch. 1
Law of Burnt Offering, 6:8-13
Grain Offering, ch. 2
Law of Grain Offering, 6:14-18
(vv. 19-23, the priests grain offering), 7:9-10
Peace Offering, ch. 3
Law of Peace Offering, 7:11-34
Sin Offering, ch. 4
Law of Sin Offering, 6:24-30
Guilt Offering, ch. 5, 6:1-7
Law of Guilt Offering, 7:1-10
Ordination Offering, 6:19-23
Ordination Offerings, 8:1–9:24
Priests and offerings, 10:1-2036
The Grain Offering in Leviticus 2
- Vv. 1-3—The uncooked grain offering.
Vv. 4-10—The various cooked grain offerings.
Vv. 11-13—Ingredients: refused (leaven) and required (salt).
Vv. 14-16—Early grain offerings.
A grain offering is a type of sacrifice
described in the Old Testament
(Leviticus 2)
that the Israelites offered to God.
A grain offering would have most likely been
one of wheat or barley,
depending on what was available.
While other sacrifices had very specific instructions
from God as to
how they were to be offered,
the rules governing grain offerings had some flexibility.
A grain offering could be given to God either
uncooked or cooked in an oven or pan
(Leviticus 2:1; 4—5).
The requirements for the grain offering were that it had to be
finely ground and have oil and salt in it
(Leviticus 2:1, 4, 13).
It could not have any yeast
(also called leaven) or honey in it
(Leviticus 2:11).
When a person
brought a grain offering to the priests,
a small portion of it was offered to God,
with some frankincense, on the altar.
The rest of the grain offering went to the priests
(Leviticus 2:10).
No specific amount of grain was
required for an offering;
people were free to give what they had.
The grain offering is described as
"a most holy part of the food offerings
presented to the Lord”
(Leviticus 2:10b).
Grain offerings
would often be presented after a
burnt offering,
which was an animal
sacrifice God required
for the
atonement of sin.
Blood had to be shed
for the remission of sins to take place,
so a grain offering
would not serve the same purpose
as a burnt offering. Instead,
the purpose of a grain offering
was to worship God and acknowledge
His provision.
The burnt offering, which had
strict regulations
and
could have nothing added to it,
aptly represents the fact that
we take no part
in our atonement for sin.
The grain offering, however, could be somewhat
“personalized” in its presentation.
It was to be given out of a person’s free will,
just as our worship
is our free will offering to
God today.
It’s interesting to note that
during the Israelites’
forty years
of
wilderness wandering
grain would have been quite scarce.
This made grain offerings more
costly and precious
for the people to offer to God.
Giving a grain offering in those circumstances
represented the Israelites’
complete dependence on God to provide
for their needs each day.
Jesus
fulfilled the Law
(Matthew 5:17),
and we no longer have to do sacrifices as they did in the
Old Testament.
But, if the grain offering is similar to
our offering of worship, it’s interesting to consider:
how much
does our worship today cost us?
And their father Israel
said unto them,
If it must be so now, do this;
take of the best fruits
in the land in your vessels, and carry down
the man a present,
a little balm, and
a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and
almonds:
Exodus 13:21
And the LORD went before them in a
pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a
pillar of fire to give them light by night,
so that they could travel by day or night.
John 19:39
Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night,
also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.
Joel 2:29-31
And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids
in those days will I pour out my spirit…
Acts 2:18-21
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour
out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: …
Genesis 43:11
And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
Song of Solomon 4:6
Before the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.
Song of Solomon 4:12-14
A garden inclosed
is my sister, my spouse;
a spring shut up, a fountain sealed…
Deuteronomy 8:2
And thou shalt remember all the way
which the LORD thy God led thee these
forty years in the wilderness,
to humble thee, and to prove thee, to
know what was in thine heart,
whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Isaiah 43:19
Behold, I will do anew thing;
now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert.
like
Exodus 13:21,22
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: …
Solomon Arrives on His Wedding Day
Who is this coming up from the wilderness like a column of smoke, scented with myrrh and frankincense from all the spices of the merchant?
Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage, escorted by sixty of the mightiest men of Israel.…