I don't think it is known why the wisemen brought those particular gifts to the Christ Child. To be sure, as we know, they were not dime store gifts. But perhaps God impressed on them to do what they did in giving them, because they might be needed in the days or weeks ahead.
You see God had told Joseph in a dream to get up and take Mary and Jesus to Egypt and stay there until He tells them because Herod is going to search for the child and kill him. And so they did leave, and they stayed there until Herold died. (Mathew 2:13)
It was also not known what Joseph and Mary did with these gifts, but it has been said that they may have used the gifts to finance their trip to Egypt and after their arrival there.
Here is more interesting facts about these gifts
Matthew does not specify the exact value or quantity of each gift, but the items were known to be treasured commodities in ancient times. Gold, the most valuable of all precious metals, was the standard currency of the day (see Acts 3:4–6; Matthew 10:9). It was used in jewelry (Genesis 24:53; Exodus 35:22; 1 Peter 3:3), in the priestly vestments (Exodus 28:4–5; 11–15), and extensively in the furnishings of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:11–13; 38:21–24; 39:37–38) and temple (1 Kings 6:28, 30, 32, 35; 7:48–51; 1 Chronicles 22:14). It is no stretch of the imagination to think that Joseph would have used the magi’s gift of gold to pay for the family’s expenses.
Frankincense and myrrh, both aromatic resins, were used in worship because of their intensely fragrant properties. God instructed the Israelites to use frankincense as one of the pure ingredients of the most holy blend of incense reserved exclusively for ritual purposes. No other incense mixture was permitted on the altar of the Lord (Exodus 30:9, 34–38). Pure frankincense was set near the bread of the presence (Leviticus 24:7) and sprinkled in with the grain offerings (Leviticus 2:1–2). It was also used in perfumes (Song of Solomon 3:6; 4:6, 14).
This spice was expensive and precious for a couple of reasons. First, it had to be gathered from far-off regions of India, North Africa, and South Arabia and transported long distances by camel caravan back to Israel. The processing of frankincense was complex, taking months to harvest and distill.
Myrrh was another valuable spice used by merchants for trading in Bible times (Genesis 37:25; Revelation 18:11–13). It was considered a sacred anointing oil (Exodus 30:22–28). Myrrh was also used to make perfumes (Song of Solomon 1:13; Psalm 45:8), medicine (Mark 15:22–23), beauty treatments (Esther 2:12), and for anointing the dead (John 19:38–40). Like frankincense, myrrh production was time-consuming to process, and the raw material had to be imported from distant lands.
Any of the gifts the magi brought to Jesus could have been sold or traded for supplies, accommodations, and living expenses. Some traditions speculate that Mary saved the frankincense and myrrh to use as ointments to anoint Jesus’ body for burial. But the Bible doesn’t mention this. Instead, John’s Gospel states that Nicodemus brought “about seventy-five pounds” of a perfumed mixture of “myrrh and aloes” to anoint Jesus’ body for burial (John 19:39–40). Since the Bible does not reveal what Joseph and Mary did with the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the best readers can do is hazard a guess. (credit: gotquestions.org)
Someday in heaven, maybe we will get to meet Mary and Joseph and hear about the birth of Jesus and how it happened! It's an exciting thought to me!
How about you?
Thanks for dropping in today, Friends. God bless your day as you prepare for the celebrations of the birth of Jesus, just a few more days ahead.
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