Upon hearing the title, images of nativity scenes come to mind — perhaps a manger surrounded by Mary, Joseph, and “the three wise men.” This is not a lesson on the creation of the “three wise man” myth, but some thoughts taken from Ezekiel 14:14 is one of the most interesting. Three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, are mentioned as examples of great wisdom.
The first consideration is what these men represent. They represent righteous minority (Genesis 6:5-8, 22, Job 1-2:10, Daniel 1:8-16). If someone wants to be righteous, they will suffer in the friendship department. They also represent faith in adversity (Genesis 5:32, 6:6, 8:1-22, Daniel 6:11-22). Finally, they represent the victory of hope (1 Peter 3:20, 2 Peter 2:5, Job 42:12-17, Daniel 10:11).
The second consideration is what these men could not do. They could not deny their God (Matthew 10:32-33). Regrettably, they also could not save the lost around them, although they tried (Ezekiel 18:20, 14:14, 20). Finally, they could not stop God’s judgment of others (Job 11:10, I Timothy 2:4, Hebrews 9:27). No matter how hard we try with others, their decision will be what gets them to heaven or condemns them to hell.
Some of us may be called to be like one of these great men. We are all called to have their faith. All of us have been in the majority (Matthew 7:13-14). We all have lived outside of God’s desire for our repentance. That does not mean we have to stay there. These men had their flaws too! They changed and so can we!
Kyle Campbell