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| Image by Jackson David |
In this blog I will maintain the Medes as a separate group of people since there is a lot of conflicting accounts of history. The Medes remained as a separate people even when they formed an alliance with Persia e.g. Isaiah 21:2. Many scholars tell the story of the Medes as a people taken over by Persia. Many group them as part of the Assyrians or Babylonians. It is clear that the Medes have survived to this day as a separate people.
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| Map showing the Median Empire as the Medes around 600 BC (click here for original source) |
Perhaps how the Medes survived over thousands of years can be explained by their Biblical history. It teaches us about the hand of favour from God. What is favour? It is God's kindness and mercy without a specific or known reason for it. It can be seen in examining the following events.
THE DAY OF PENTECOST:
My favourite reference of the Medes is found in the New Testament on the Day of Pentecost. There were other nations represented other than Jews and they are listed as a separate nation. The importance of this day is that while praying the believers received the gift of The Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus.
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Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:9-11)
It is clear that both Elam (once part of Persia) and the Medes were two distinct people. This means they survived the Persian alliance and take-over. This group of people on that particular day were the people who were eventually baptised and continued with the apostles. It is possible the gospel was spread among the Medes.
Some of them would have experienced the infilling of The Holy Spirit. Their survival to witness the Day of Pentecost is favour.
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST:
The Magi were the first outsiders and people group to recognise Jesus as King. They brought him gifts fit for a king and told Herod he was the King of the Jews. To witness this and to proclaim it to an official as high as Herod, is to be given favour from God. This demonstrates that in God's eyes, the people of the Magi were a distinct and separate people from the other nations.
Greek historian Herodontus (484-425 BC) writes that the Median empire had four tribes: the Busae, the Paretaceni, the Struchates, the Arizanti, the Budii, the Magi. It would seem as the Bible is referring to the Medes possibly including the Medians up to a point in time. There was a Media people separate to the Medes but they later were taken over during the Medo-Persian alliance. Either way the Magi is associated with or coming from the Medes.
The Bible teaches us that the Magi were very good at astrology. Is there a trace of astrology among the Medes people? The Sumerians (5000-1750 BC) who were part of the Medes are the ones who started the tradition of checking the horoscope. Ancient Mesopotamia is said to have named the horoscopes. The Medes are from Mesopotamia. The entire crescent of fertile land and the mountains were part of the Medes Empire.
They had to know Judaism because they knew enough to know the Jews were expecting a king. They understood the sign and the timing. The first account of a god dying and resurrecting outside of the Bible is found among the Sumerians. Abraham was from the southern part of the region as well. He was known as Abram. He settled in Haran for a short time. Haran was a city of the Medes.
One story claims the Magi were visited by an angel and the star was an angel. They did not need to know astrology but be obedient to the message by the angel. But that was based on an artefact that was fake. I think I have presented enough evidence to prove that the Magi were from the Medes. Interestingly, the wise men could have been more than three. Having seen and recognised the importance of Jesus, it is possible some may have stayed on in Israel. I would have been shouting, Glory to God in the highest, peace and good will to all men.
I pull down the strongholds of the devil in your life and I pray for God's favour to be in your life in Jesus name.
If you don't have Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you should pray the following prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I ask you to forgive my sins in knowledge or ignorance. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I ask that Jesus comes into my life as I live to be a witness for Him. Please change my life and make me into the person you want me to be. Guide me in these times so I can be used by you to help others in Jesus name I pray. Thank you.
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