Would God ever tell you to do the wrong thing? Hopefully your response is “Never!” Let me assure
you, that’s my answer too! The Christmas season has one of those seeming contradictions…

Matthew 2: 8, 12
And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have
found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”… And having been warned by God
in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

In Romans 13:1 Paul instructs every believer to be in subjection to the governing authorities. God the
Father had divinely guided the magi to Bethlehem. In their journey, they came into King Herod’s
court. Upon hearing the magi’s story, in false adoration Herod told them to bring back a report to
him. God, knowing Herod’s intentions, directed the magi to their own country by another way. As far
as I know, it is the first record of seeming civil disobedience in the New Testament. The magi were
faithfully obeying God, as they ignored Herod’s orders. Without a doubt they did the right thing!

We believe God established both the kingdom of government the magi encountered and the kingdom of
Christ the magi had come to worship. Two kingdoms created by one and the same God. One
kingdom’s oversight stained by an earthly king’s wicked intentions. The other kingdom ruled by a
sinless Prince. Both kingdoms finding their authority in their Creator. A Creator, Who directed His
apostles facing a similar dilemma to respond, “We must obey God rather than man.” Acts 5:29

A.W. Tozer said, “To be right with God has often meant to be in trouble with men.” Like the magi and
apostles, no matter what the consequences, believers must embrace this Godly conviction: God will
always guide you to do the right thing!

Pastor Michael Brandt,
2 Kingdoms Ministry Steering Committee

(2 Kingdoms Messenger from 12/19/2022)