‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.
Numbers 24:17 NIVUK
Because one year we decided to have Christmas in northern Finland, my mother took it upon herself to cater for all of my extended family who lived nearby. As a result, and for the first time, she had two of the most argumentative and cantankerous old men around the same table for Christmas dinner.
I think you can guess what happened.
Despite being in the presence of two autistic children who could not stand the constant arguments, these two self-centred men went at it hammer and tongs across the turkey and potatoes.
Merry Christmas it was not.
Ever since then, we have made a concerted effort to keep these men apart on Christmas Day: we host one, my mother hosts the other.
It may surprise you to hear, but this Messianic Christmas text is actually the adjudication of a family squabble. A quick bit of Biblical research will tell you that every single nation in this verse and the surrounding verses are all descendants of Abraham: the Ammonites (ancestors of modern-day Syrians) and Moabites through Lot (Genesis 19:30-38), the Edomites and Amalekites through Esau (Genesis 36:9-29).
What is happening in these verses is that the Israelites have been called out of Egypt and are headed for the Promised Land. Now, they have been commanded to not invade the lands of the Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites because these lands were given to them by God (Judges 11:14-18; 2 Chronicles 20:10). So they obey.
The thanks they receive in return is nothing but trouble.
After the Israelites had defeated Sihon King of the Amorites and Og King of Bashan, the Moabite King Balak became terrified of them (Numbers 22:4) and sought a local diviner, or a kind of shaman, to curse the Israelites.
Evidently he believed he could not beat them ‘fair and square’ in battle.
Enter the infamous Balaam – the man who owned a talking donkey long before Shrek.
What we see here is what happens when Balaam receives his fourth message from God, more or less telling Balak that cursing these people will have no effect because God has already blessed them and will not change His mind.
That, in itself, is a glorious act of grace. The Israelites’ journey out of Egypt was not exactly a paragon of holiness and righteousness. They had sinned and rebelled frequently on the way. The fact that God had not changed His mind and cast them aside already is a miracle by itself.
Balaam uses three pictures in his message that are relevant both to what was to happen in Jewish history, and also to the coming of the Messiah.
The first picture is that of a star.
Now this is particularly significant. Stars in those days were not just talentless people prancing about on a red carpet who became famous for making fools of themselves on social media, or actors, or musicians, or infamous people who became known for committing misdemeanours on camera.
No, it actually meant a physical star.
And the use of this picture is significant because astrologers were often sought out to provide some sort of reading that would prove a king had the divine seal of approval. This could be one of the reasons why Herod was so keen to destroy Jesus: the Wise Men came to give their seal of approval to Jesus’ reign, not his (Matthew 2:1-12).
Jesus Himself also claims the title of Morning Star (Revelation 22:16), reclaiming it from its previous pretender – satan himself (Isaiah 14:12).
The idea is of a high king, a high king who receives his authority from God and God alone. This is a role Jesus claimed to have (John 7:17, 12:49, 14:10). So this prophecy points to Jesus Himself.
Secondly, we see the picture of a sceptre.
For those of you who didn’t watch the coronation of King Charles III, a sceptre is a rod, normally made of gold, that signifies authority – regal authority. The same word also used to refer to a shepherd’s rod (for example, in Psalm 23:4).
This speaks of Jesus’ right to rule.
This is something that dissenting people have always sought to undermine (see Psalm 2 and Luke 19:14, 27). But this is only ever in vain. Jesus will rule, no matter what anyone says or thinks about it:
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11 NIVUK
It also signifies majesty and power and influence – the ability to decide and to get things done.
Jesus has all that, and a lot more:
In a loud voice they were saying: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!’ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!’
Revelation 5:12-13 NIVUK
This verse, although seemingly directed at an earthly king, prefigures a Divinely appointed, all-powerful ruler.
But what will He do?
After the picture of a star and a sceptre, we see a sword. A sword of vengeance. A sword that crushes the heads of Moab and all who oppose the people of Israel. Balaam goes on to prophesy about the fall of the Edomites, Amalekites, Kenites and the peoples of the Mediterranean islands (Numbers 24:18-25).
But what could this mean?
And what does all this violence have to do with Christmas?
In Revelation we see these verses:
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.
Revelation 6:9-11 NIVUK
What we see in Numbers, way back before Israel entered the Promised Land, is God acting in just and righteous anger against the pagan people who opposed His will and harassed His people. God hears the cries of those who are obeying Him but find themselves oppressed by those who do not understand and will not fall in line, and He promises He will act.
Christmas and Easter and the thirty-three years between them are God’s appeal to repent and obey, because, although it was not coming right then, judgement was coming:
And said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God’s coming to you.’
Luke 19:42-44 NIVUK
What Jesus foretold here came true just a few decades later.
Jesus’ coming should be rightly understood as God’s plan for salvation – but not for everyone: only for those who believe and follow Him:
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:17-18 NIVUK
And as Jesus Himself said:
‘He will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” ‘Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.’
Matthew 25:45-46 NIVUK
So, you see, Balaam was not just prophesying about a human king who would come and defeat Israel’s foes, as they did – David being the ultimate of them all. He was actually prophesying about a Divinely-appointed King who would come in justice and vengeance against those who sore oppressed God’s people.
That King is Jesus.
Sure, when He came the first time He did not come to judge – He came to save. But the second time He comes, He will judge.
Christmas is just a part of this glorious plan. And Christmas is foretold here.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, as I prepare for Christmas, help Me to remember that You are not just a baby: You are Lord of all, and one day You will return in judgement. Help me to be ready for that day by following You now. Amen.
Questions
1. Why do you think Balaam, a pagan diviner, this message?
2. What does the message mean? How is it fulfilled at Christmas?
3. Did Balaam believe it himself? What happened to him (see Numbers 25; Joshua 13:22)? Why did it happen (2 Peter 2:16)? What does this say to us?
Comments