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ort　of　the　angels'　visit　to　the　shepherds　had　been　brought　to　Jerusalem；　but　the　rabbis　had　treated　it　as　unworthy　of　their　notice。　They　themselves　might　have　found　Jesus；　and　might　have　been　ready　to　lead　the　magi　to　His　birthplace；　but　instead　of　this；　the　wise　men　came　to　call　their　attention　to　the　birth　of　the　Messiah。　〃Where　is　He　that　is　born　King　of　the　Jews？〃　they　said；　〃for　we　have　seen　His　star　in　the　East；　and　are　come　to　worship　Him。〃

Now　pride　and　envy　closed　the　door　against　the　light。　If　the　reports　brought　by　the　shepherds　and　the　wise　men　were　credited；　they　would　place　the　priests　and　rabbis　in　a　most　unenviable　position；　disproving　their　claim　to　be　the　exponents　of　the　truth　of　God。　These　learned　teachers　would　not　stoop　to　be　instructed　by　those　whom　they　termed　heathen。　It　could　not　be；　they　said；　that　God　had　passed　them　by；　to　communicate

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with　ignorant　shepherds　or　uncircumcised　Gentiles。　They　determined　to　show　their　contempt　for　the　reports　that　were　exciting　King　Herod　and　all　Jerusalem。　They　would　not　even　go　to　Bethlehem　to　see　whether　these　things　were　so。　And　they　led　the　people　to　regard　the　interest　in　Jesus　as　a　fanatical　excitement。　Here　began　the　rejection　of　Christ　by　the　priests　and　rabbis。　From　this　point　their　pride　and　stubbornness　grew　into　a　settled　hatred　of　the　Saviour。　While　God　was　opening　the　door　to　the　Gentiles；　the　Jewish　leaders　were　closing　the　door　to　themselves。

The　wise　men　departed　alone　from　Jerusalem。　The　shadows　of　night　were　falling　as　they　left　the　gates；　but　to　their　great　joy　they　again　saw　the　star；　and　were　directed　to　Bethlehem。　They　had　received　no　such　intimation　of　the　lowly　estate　of　Jesus　as　was　given　to　the　shepherds。　After　the　long　journey　they　had　been　disappointed　by　the　indifference　of　the　Jewish　leaders；　and　had　left　Jerusalem　less　confident　than　when　they　entered　the　city。　At　Bethlehem　they　found　no　royal　guard　stationed　to　protect　the　newborn　King。　None　of　the　world's　honored　men　were　in　attendance。　Jesus　was　cradled　in　a　manger。　His　parents；　uneducated　peasants；　were　His　only　guardians。　Could　this　be　He　of　whom　it　was　written；　that　He　should　〃raise　up　the　tribes　of　Jacob；〃　and　〃restore　the　preserved　of　Israel；〃　that　He　should　be　〃a　light　to　the　Gentiles；〃　and　for　〃salvation　unto　the　end　of　the　earth〃？　Isa。　49：6。

〃When　they　were　come　into　the　house；　they　saw　the　young　child　with　Mary　His　mother；　and　fell　down；　and　worshiped　Him。〃　Beneath　the　lowly　guise　of　Jesus；　they　recognized　the　presence　of　Divinity。　They　gave　their　hearts　to　Him　as　their　Saviour；　and　then　poured　out　their　gifts；〃gold；　and　frankincense；　and　myrrh。〃　What　a　faith　was　theirs！

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It　might　have　been　said　of　the　wise　men　from　the　East；　as　afterward　of　the　Roman　centurion；　〃I　have　not　found　so　great　faith；　no；　not　in　Israel。〃　Matt。　8：10。

The　wise　men　had　not　penetrated　Herod's　design　toward　Jesus。　When　the　object　of　their　journey　was　accomplished；　they　prepared　to　return　to　Jerusalem；　intending　to　acquaint　him　with　their　success。　But　in　a　dream　they　received　a　divine　message　to　hold　no　further　communication　with　him。　Avoiding　Jerusalem；　they　set　out　for　their　own　country　by　another　route。

In　like　manner　Joseph　received　warning　to　flee　into　Egypt　with　Mary　and　the　child。　And　the　angel　said；　〃Be　thou　there　until　I　bring　thee　word：　for　Herod　will　seek　the　young　child　to　destroy　Him。〃　Joseph　obeyed　without　delay；　setting　out　on　the　journey　by　night　for　greater　security。

Through　the　wise　men；　God　had　called　the　attention　of　the　Jewish　nation　to　the　birth　of　His　Son。　Their　inquiries　in　Jerusalem；　the　popular　interest　excited；　and　even　the　jealousy　of　Herod；　which　compelled　the　attention　of　the　priests　and　rabbis；　directed　minds　to　the　prophecies　concerning　the　Messiah；　and　to　the　great　event　that　had　just　taken　place。

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Satan　was　bent　on　shutting　out　the　divine　light　from　the　world；　and　he　used　his　utmost　cunning　to　destroy　the　Saviour。　But　He　who　never　slumbers　nor　sleeps　was　watching　over　His　beloved　Son。　He　who　had　rained　manna　from　heaven　for　Israel　and　had　fed　Elijah　in　the　time　of　famine　provided　in　a　heathen　land　a　refuge　for　Mary　and　the　child　Jesus。　And　through　the　gifts　of　the　magi　from　a　heathen　country；　the　Lord　supplied　the　means　for　the　journey　into　Egypt　and　the　sojourn　in　a　land　of　strangers。

The　magi　had　been　among　the　first　to　welcome　the　Redeemer。　Their　gift　was　the　first　that　was　laid　at　His　feet。　And　through　that　gift；　what　privilege　of　ministry　was　theirs！　The　offering　from　the　heart　that　loves；　God　delights　to　honor；　giving　it　highest　efficiency　in　service　for　Him。　If　we　have　given　our　hearts　to　Jesus；　we　also　shall　bring　our　gifts　to　Him。　Our　gold　and　silver；　our　most　precious　earthly　possessions；　our　highest　mental　and　spiritual　endowments；　will　be　freely　devoted　to　Him　who　loved　us；　and　gave　Himself　for　us。

Herod　in　Jerusalem　impatiently　awaited　the　return　of　the　wise　men。　As　time　passed；　and　they　did　not　appear；　his　suspicions　were　roused。　The　unwillingness　of　the　rabbis　to　point　out　the　Messiah's　birthplace　seemed　to　indicate　that　they　had　penetrated　his　design；　and　that　the　magi　had　purposely　avoided　him。　He　was　maddened　at　the　thought。　Craft　had　failed；　but　there　was　left　the　resort　to　force。　He　would　make　an　example　of　this　child…king。　Those　haughty　Jews　should　see　what　they　might　expect　in　their　attempts　to　place　a　monarch　on　the　throne。

Soldiers　were　at　once　sent　to　Bethlehem；　with　orders　to　put　to　death　all　the　children　of　two　years　and　under。　The　quiet　homes　of　the　city　of　David　witnessed　those　scenes　of　horror　that；　six　hundred　years　before；　had　been　opened　to　the　prophet。　〃In　Ramah　was　there　a　voice　heard；　lamentation；　and　weeping；　and　great　mourning；　Rachel　weeping　for　her　children；　and　would　not　be　comforted；　because　they　are　not。〃

This　calamity　the　Jews　had　brought　upon　themselves。　If　they　had　been　walking　in　faithfulness　and　humility　before　God；　He　would　in　a　signal　manner　have　made　the　wrath　of　the　king　harmless　to　them。　But　they　had　separated　themselves　from　God　by　their　sins；　and　had　rejected　the　Holy　Spirit；　which　was　their　only　shield。　They　had　not　studied　the　Scriptures　with　a　desire　to　conform　to　the　will　of　God。　They　had　searched　for　prophecies　which　could　be　interpreted　to　exalt　themselves；　and　to　show　how　God　despised　all　other　nations。　It　was　their　proud　boast　that　the

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Messiah　was　to　come　as　a　king；　conquering　His　enemies；　and　treading　down　the　heathen　in　His　wrath。　Thus　they　had　excited　the　hatred　of　their　rulers。　Through　their　misrepresentation　of　Christ's　mission；　Satan　had　purposed　to　compass　the　destruction　of　the　Saviour；　but　instead　of　this；　it　returned　upon　their　own　heads。

This　act　of　cruelty　was　one　of　the　last　that　darkened　the　reign　of　Herod。　Soon　after　the　slaughter　of　the　innocents；　he　was　himself　compelled　to　yield　to　that　doom　which　none　can　turn　aside。　He　died　a　fearful　death。

Joseph；　who　was　still　in　Egypt；　was　now　bidden　by　an　angel　of　God　to　return　to　the　land　of　Israel。　Regarding　Jesus　as　the　heir　of　David's　throne；　Joseph　desired　to　make　his　home　in　Bethlehem；　but　learning　that　Archelaus　reigned　in　Judea　in　his　father's　stead；　he　feared　that　the　father's　designs　against　Christ　might　be　carried　out　by　the　son。　Of　all　the　sons　of　Herod；　Archelaus　most　resembled　him　in　character。　Already　his　succession　to　the　government　had　been　marked　by　a　tumult　in　Jerusalem；　and　the　slaughter　of　thousands　of　Jews　by　the　Roman　guards。

Again　Joseph　was　directed　to　a　place　of　safety。　He　returned　to　Nazareth；　his　former　home；　and　here　for　nearly　thirty　years　Jesus　dwelt；　〃that　it　might　be　fulfilled　which　was　spoken　by　the　prophets；　He　shall　be　called　a　Nazarene。〃　Galilee　was　under　the　control　of　a　son　of　Herod；　but　it　had　a　much　larger　admixture　of　foreign　inhabitants　than　Judea。

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Thus　there　was　less　interest　in　matters　relating　especially　to　the　Jews；　and　the　claims　of　Jesus　would　be　less　likely　to　excite　the　jealousy　of　those　in　power。

Such　was　the　Saviour's　reception　when　He　came　to　the　earth。　There　seemed　to　be　no　place　of　rest　or　safety　for　the　infant　Redeemer。　God　could　not　trust　His　beloved　Son　with　men；　even　while　carrying　forward　His　work　for　their　salvation。　He　commissioned　angels　to　attend　Jesus　and　protect　Him　till　He　should　accomplish　His　mission　on　earth；　and　die　by　the　hands　of　those　whom　He　came　to　save。




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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　7

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　As　a　Child


The　childhood　and　youth　of　Jesus　were　spent　in　a　little　mountain　village。　There　was　no　place　on　earth　that　would　not　have　been　honored　by　His　presence。　The　palaces　of　kings　would　have　been　privileged　in　receiving　Him　as　a　guest。　But　He　passed　by　the　homes　of　wealth；　the　courts　of　royalty；　and　the　renowned　seats　of　learning；　to　make　His　home　in　obscure　and　despised　Nazareth。

Wonderful　in　its　significance　is　the　brief　record　of　His　early　life：　〃The　child　grew；　and　waxed　strong　in　spirit；　filled　with　wisdom：　and　the　grace　of　God　was　upon　Him。