Seek Ye First

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God classifies them as wise men. “Wise Men” is not an official title, it is how God described an entourage of heathen Gentiles looking for Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews.

What’s not obvious to us is that this record of these wise men is an indictment against Matthew’s own nation of Israel. The people closest to God weren’t even looking for the LORD. But heathen Gentiles from across the continent were willing to give up their lives in their country for a while in order to find Jesus Christ. In fact much of what Matthew writes is goading his own nation and pointing out heathen people that had more sense about the LORD than God’s own people, Israel.

This morning I want to enter into the lives of these heathen wise men, so we can get an understanding of what a search for eternal life, and the LORD look like for a soul.

It’s a specific search

• They had the right question: Where is he…?
• Their search for the kingdom of God took on the form of searching for the LORD as a child.
  • They know what they’re looking for;
  • they know who they’re looking for;
  • and they know generally where he’ll be found.
  • John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
• Spiritual search
  • Now, you’re looking for the same person, Jesus Christ. But he won’t be found by travelling to Jerusalem.
  • Romans 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: If you found Jesus Christ and have eternal life, it’s because you looked diligently for it.

It’s a costly search

• The reality is that whatever you’re looking for has a cost to it. In the end it may not be worth the price paid for it. The cost for this search was…
  • Worshipping Jesus Christ was greater than the unknown travels ahead.
  • Worshipping Jesus Christ was greater than the personal cost to them.
  • Worshipping Jesus Christ was greater than the time it would take to find the Lord.
  • Worshipping Jesus Christ was greater than the distance they would have to travel.
  • The joy of the Lord was their strength (vss 9-10). It helped them overcome obstacles like strength will do.
• Not only was the journey costly, but their offerings were as well
  • Wise men offer offerings that meant something to them (vs 11)
  • They brought costly goods to the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • 2 Samuel 24:24 …neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing…
• What they brought undoubtedly furthered the work of God to provide for Joseph, Mary, and Jesus as they had to hasten to Egypt.

It’s a search that God honors

• These wise men had so many provisions by God along the way. The star. The warning about Herod. The direction from the scriptures. Everything about their search said God is in this endeavor. The LORD is honoring this diligent search. The LORD rewarded their search.
• Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Nobility is the honor of kings.
• Acts 17:10-11 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Why noble? Because they searched the matters out. These Berean Jews were nobler because they had ready minds and made diligent searches of the scriptures.
• Does anyone remember Jacque Cousteau? His search beneath the oceans and discovery of creatures was legendary. Discovery brings honor. People’s names get attached to discoveries in science, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and medicine.
• Diamonds, gold, nor silver are found laying around in the street. They must be discovered in the rock. They must be mined out. Oil, fuel, is not on tap. It is drilled for and the search is costly and dangerous, but when it’s discovered it’s very valuable.
• Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
• Seek ye the LORD while he may be found.