One of all time bluegrass favorites for Christmas is “Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem” written by R. Fisher Boyce. The reference is to the star that guided the wise men from the east to Jerusalem and then from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to find and worship the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 2:1–12 (ESV) — 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
There are many explanations for the star that guided the men from the east as a natural phenomenon. Some say it was a comet, other say it was a planet, while other try to course out one of the stars in today’s sky. Think of the long journey and how the star guided the entourage of men from probably the Babylon area to Jerusalem, but we don’t read of anyone. When we think of this star and how unique the happening is we are reminded of what God did for Joshua.
Joshua 10:12–13 (ESV) — 12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.
Not a problem for God to put a star in the sky to lead the men from the east to the baby, although by the time they arrived he was more an infant than the baby that was in the manger.
Nevertheless, like the song implies, the star was a guide for the men from the east, just as the true star of Bethlehem, as in the One for whom the wise men of the east were seeking and the One to whom the wise men gave precious gifts, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true star of Bethlehem and as the song says it well, He is the one Who will guide us along the way.
Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
Shining afar through shadows dim
Giving the light for those who long have gone
Guiding the wise men on their way
Unto the place where Jesus lay
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on.
Oh Beautiful Star the hope of light
Guiding the pilgrims through the night
Over the mountains till the break of dawn
Into the light of perfect day
It will give out a lovely ray
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on (shine on)
Oh Beautiful Star the hope of rest
For the redeemed the good and blessed
Yonder in glory when the crown is won
Jesus is now the star divine
Brighter and brighter he will shine
Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem shine on (shine on)
Is or was He the star of your celebration as your family gathered together? If we want to be led by Him through the difficulties of life, we need to stay close to Him, which is evident by our attitude of worship. The wise men brought special items, that were actually quite costly and we normal gifts in honor of a king. Too often we give Him our left-overs or something that is less than our best service. In the book of Malachi, God talks about the people snorting as they worshipped God, implying how weary it was to give Him what they knew they should.
Malachi 1:13 (ESV) — 13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord.
Can you imagine snorting at God implying serving Him or giving in His service is weariness?
It’s best to take a lesson from the wise men and be willing to seek after God, following the light He has given us in His word, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Wise men still seek Him as the saying goes. Do you?
As you seek Him, are you giving Him your best, doing things in His service to a standard of excellence, which means your best. You can tell by the way we dress, to the preparation we make, to the joy we have in serving whether we are given to excellence or if we are just getting by or as Malachi put it, “snorting in calling the Lord’s service weariness.”
Take a lesson from the wise men and worship the true star of Bethlehem with all that is in you.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker, Pastor
Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Clearwater, FL
