The group of scholars gathered about as they carefully unrolled the 600-year-old scroll. A student had seen an unusual star in the sky that night and someone seemed to remember that their founder, Belteshazzar – or, as he always referred to himself as Daniel – had written about a special sign in the night sky. It was unique enough that the grand masters agreed to unroll the ancient writings. 

They poured over the old texts. Daniel was the Chief of the Magi during the grandeur of Babylon and was famous for his extraordinary wisdom and his ability to interpret dreams. Much of his knowledge had been passed down over the centuries in the school of Magi which he had established. However, some of the scrolls had not been opened since he wrote them – sealed with only a cryptic note indicating when the seal was to be broken and the scrolled unrolled. This was one of those scrolls with the title, “Star of the King.”

What a mixture of emotions must have flowed among the scholars – excitement that a 600-year-old prophecy was being fulfilled in front of their eyes, yet cynicism that it was really happening now. One thing was certain, the scroll held instructions on what they were to do. The scroll included a guide to the store of gold Daniel had set aside for this time. They were to take part of the gold and purchase a set amount of frankincense and myrrh and then take spices with the gold and follow the star until they found the one born King of the Jews.

Yes, much of this is conjecture on my part. However, we do know that the Magi were from the east and Daniel had been Chief of the Magi through the Babylonian and Mede-Persian empires. We also know that Daniel wrote scrolls that were sealed until the appointed time (Daniel 8:26, 9:24 and 12:4). 

Regardless of all that, what kind of faith did the Magi have to have to believe in a 600-year-old writing and a unique star in the sky? What was in that scroll that caused the most learned men in the known world to leave their books and studies to follow that star for two years for one purpose – to worship a baby who was born to be a king? The Scripture says that when they saw the star standing over where the young Child was “they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” (Matthew 2:10) Whatever was written held enough import that those quiet, unemotional scholars became ballistic when they realized it was all true.

There is a saying today “Wise Men still Seek Him.” But we must realize how foolish it must have seemed to the every-day man for these wise men to leave all they knew to follow a light in the sky for 2 years and the end of their journey was a child. But how wise they were to leave everything they knew to find God in the form of a Child and counting it all joy just to fall down and worship Him.