“They presented unto Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
—Matt. 2:11
REMARK the order:—
1. Gold, the emblem of His divinity.
2. Frankincense: of His fragrant lift.
3. Myrrh: of His death.
The fragrance of frankincense is obtained by burning. It was the foundation of the incense (Ex. 30:34) burnt upon the golden altar, and carried by the High Priest into the Holy of Holies, foreshadowing the acceptable presence of our Great High Priest, as He appears in the presence of God for us (Heb. 9:24).
And myrrh: the foundation of the holy anointing oil used upon the person of the High Priest, compounded after the art of the apothecary (Ex. 30:23), was bruised in order to obtain its fragrance, foreshadowing the fragrance of the precious person of Him, who in offering up Himself unto God, was bruised for our iniquities (Isa. 43:5). He was still God’s beloved Son, in whom He was well pleased (Matt. 3:4), even whilst all the waves and billows of God’s judgment rolled over Him.
E. A. H.