A Star and a Scepter

Reading through the Bible this year, I am struck by the faithfulness of God - from generation to generation – throughout Old Testament history through the establishment of the church - to reveal Himself to His people and to fulfill every promise in ways even greater than what we can imagine.

Day 75 - Numbers 24, Luke 2, Psalm 57

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.

A star will come forth out of Jacob;

A scepter will rise out of Israel,

And batter the brow of Moab

And destroy the sons of tumult”

From a high hill, overlooking the plains of Moab where the Israelites are encamped, the pagan prophet-for-hire Balaam spoke this beautiful word.

I imagine Balak, King of Moab, regretted his decision to bribe the corrupt Balaam into speaking curses upon the fearsome Israelites. After all, Balaam had spoken only blessings regarding Israel’s victories and prosperity! Balak was terrified of Israel’s string of battle successes, with a powerful God on their side. And Balaam was not helping matters.

After each prophecy, Balak took Balaam aside and suggested, “Why don’t you try speaking from over here, on this cliff? Maybe you can curse them instead of bless them if you’re standing this way.” (I had to chuckle at the desperation behind these foolish requests!)

Balaam surely wasn’t happy with this turn of events either. After all, he was forfeiting a small fortune by not fulfilling Balak’s requests, and he “loved the wages of wickedness” (2 Peter 2:15). In fact, the only one more surprised and chagrined than Balak about these surprising prophecies may have been Balaam himself. But when the Spirit of God came upon him (Number 24:2) he could speak nothing but what the Spirit gave him to say.

In this, his fourth oracle, Balaam saw beyond the people on the plain, to a future king who would defeat his enemies. Indeed, centuries later, King David would defeat Moab (see 2 Samuel 8:2). Yet, we can't help but suspect that this word looked beyond David's fulfillment, to Jesus Christ Himself.

I turned to Luke and read that Joseph, being from the house and lineage of King David, traveled to Bethlehem with his heavily pregnant wife, in order to be counted in the mandatory census. Once Jesus was born and they returned home, Joseph brought his son to the temple for the purification rites, in obedience to God’s Law.

In the temple, another prophet – albeit, a far more willing one than Balaam - spoke these Spirit-guided words:

“For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel…
This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel,and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” 

From the line of David, the one who conquered the earthly kingdom of Moab, the true Star has come forth, and the eternal Scepter has risen, to batter and destroy every enemy of His eternal Kingdom.

He was foretold not only by a reluctant, greedy pagan prophet in ancient history, but also by a godly man, waiting for Him, centuries later. No matter the heart of the man, the message of God is the same:

The King – the One who rules forever,
the One who shines light into our darkness, the revealer and glory of our hearts,
the One who has been foretold from ages past –
has come! He has come to us. He has come for us.

Now, come to Him, as your light and as your king!

And as I turn to Psalm 57, my heart cries this praise along with the psalmist: