In the Bible days, it was customary in the East to show respect for persons of distinction by making presents or offerings. (In fact, it is still unusual in the East to approach a person of distinguished rank without a valuable present.)
The Bible confirms this fact -
In Genesis 32:13-15, we read of Jacob - "...and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; Two hundred she goats and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine and ten bulls, twenty she asses and ten foals."
In Genesis 43:11, we read again of Jacob (Israel) - "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 (Joseph) a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds."
In 1 Kings 10:2 & 10, we read of the Queen of Sheba - "And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones...And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon."
Please note that Jacob sent the "very best fruits in the land" as a "present" unto Egypt's second-in-command - who happened to be his son Joseph. It is said of the Queen of Sheba that she came with a "very great train"... bringing "very much gold, and precious stones"...and "such abundance of spices" unto King Solomon. What stands out in these two descriptions are the words - "very best," "very great," and "very much."
In the Scriptures, we also read how it was always fitting to bring presents unto the reigning king. To not bring a gift was to despise him.
There are several examples in the Bible of others bringing presents to the reigning King. They are as follows:
- 1 Kings 4:21 - "And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life."
- 2 Kings 17:3 - "Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents."
- 2 Chronicles 17:5 - "Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance."
- 2 Chronicles 17:11 - "Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and tribute silver; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he goats."
- 2 Chronicles 32:23 - "And many brought gifts unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth."
For a people to come empty-handed before the reigning King was to demonstrate utmost defiance, pride, arrogance, self-sufficiency, stubbornness, and rebellion. Notice that the people who refused to bring Saul "presents" were referred to as "children of Belial" - that is, children of the devil.
At this time, when we are celebrating Christmas, we are reminded of a "very great company" of travelers - amongst the most important people in the world at that time - three Magi in particular - who came to Jerusalem bearing "gifts" for Him Who was born "King of the Jews." They came from the East to give "gifts" to Jesus to honor Him.
Matthew 2:11 gives the account - "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."
They came with "treasures" - purses, caskets, or receptacles for their valuables. They came offering the most valuable items which their country produced. They "presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."
Even though these "gifts" were the most valuable items which the country of the Magi or wise men produced, they held great significance in the fact that they relayed a message about this newborn King. In other words, their "gifts" were saying something.
In "presenting" the "gold" to Jesus, they were saying that He is indeed a King. It represented His royalty. Since it was used only for the best things - the construction of the temple, to be worn as jewelry, or used as utensils for the rich - gold has always been considered as being the most valuable substance around - indeed fit for a King.
Secondly, they "presented unto Him" "frankincense" - which spoke of Worship - a "gift" fit for God or Deity. "Frankincense" was the white resin or gum obtained from a tree (in Arabia) by making incisions in the bark - allowing the gum to flow out. It was highly fragrant - especially when burned. It was reserved for worship in the temple at the altar of God. It symbolized the prayers, worship, and communion of the people with God.
Lastly, they "presented unto Him" "myrrh" which spoke of His manhood - his being subject to suffering and death. "Myrrh" was a "gift" telling of the sufferings that He would endure in order to bear the sins of the world. Like "frankincense," it was also productive of Arabia and was an aromatic gum obtained from a tree - in this case, a thorny tree. It had the property of preserving dead bodies from putrefaction.
As you can see, the "wise men's gifts" were saying something.
The "gold" was saying - "Jesus is a King!"
The "frankincense" was saying - "Jesus is Deity!"
The "myrrh" was saying - "Jesus is a man - subject to death."
Like the "wise men," your gifts are also saying something. They are saying things like -
..."I trust You, Lord"
..."I believe that You are in control"
..."I know that You hold my tomorrow in Your hands"
..."I am not worried about tomorrow"
..."You are King"
..." Everything I own belongs to You"
..."You are the God of the impossible"
..."You can make a way where there seems to be no way"
..."You are still in the business of multiplying the 'loaves and the fishes.'"
Or your gifts are saying something like this -
..."My tomorrow is so uncertain"
..."I don't know what my future looks like"
..."I am afraid"
..."Things look really bleak"
..."I cannot afford to give"
..."My money is for me and my family"
..."Let someone else give who has more money than me"
..."I don't know if I can really trust God.'"
The Magi brought products of their own country. With what God favored them is with what they honored Him.
With what has God favored you? Will you honor Him with your "gifts"?
In closing, we reiterate our opening quote from Pastor Henry which says - "With ourselves, we must give up all that we have to Jesus Christ; and if we be sincere in the surrender of ourselves to Him, we shall not be unwilling to part with what is dearest to us, and most valuable to Him, and for Him; nor are our gifts accepted, unless we first present ourselves to Him living sacrifices."
Hosea 3:3 says - "...thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says - "...ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price..."
This Christmas, the Greatest Gift that you can "present" to Jesus in order to honor Him as King and Lord is - yourself!
Hence, in giving yourself, why not enter into a new covenant with Him - pledging that you "will not be for another man"? You realize that you have been bought with a great price. Jesus bought you with His Precious Blood. Therefore, you are not your own. He owns you!
With that in mind, why not let this Christmas be the one when you say to Him - "I will not be for another man. I am wholly Yours!"? When you make this wholehearted commitment to Him, then you will hear Him say in response - "so will I also be for thee."
We at Walking In Truth Ministry want to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas. May this be the Best one of all! May you encounter Jesus like you have never done so before.
We want to especially thank all of you who have graciously given throughout the entire year to keep this "work of faith" going for the Lord. We could not have done all that we did without your financial help. Jesus has truly used you to be His hand extended to us, and oh, how we are so glad for it!
There are so many who have yet to give. At this time, we sincerely ask you - will you pray about giving the most generous gift at this season of gift-giving?
So many of you have written and expressed how this ministry has blessed you time and time again. Or for some, God has favored you with an abundance.
Will you now consider being a blessing to us with your gracious gift and help us continue touching people's lives with the Word of God across the globe?
If you would like to be a blessing to this ministry or a faithful supporter, you can make your check out to - Walking In Truth Ministry - and mail it to the following address -
Walking In Truth Ministry
P.O. Box 383016
Duncanville, TX 75138-3016
Or, if you prefer to use Paypal, you can send your financial gift to - [email protected]
You can also send a Money gram - if that means of exchange will work better for you.
We are a nonprofit organization with a tax exemption status.
Thank you ahead of time for your generosity and kindness expressed towards us.
Merry Christmas!
Connie
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. (Isaiah 54:17)
© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved