“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.” (Numbers 24:17, ESV)
In Balaam’s final oracle, the imagery speaks of a ruler that is to come. Balaam’s prophecy indicated the ruler shall come from the tribe of Judah. This prophecy refers to David and to the fulfillment of the covenant promise that God gave him. It was that a descendant would reign on his throne forever. This would be Israel’s Messiah (1 Kings 2:45; Psalm 89:3-4). We see that the Messiah would come from the root of Jesse, the line of David (Isaiah 11:10). The Lord Jesus Christ is this ruler.
Let us take some time to consider the depth of meaning to the coming of Christ. He was born in Bethlehem, in the city of David. He was no ordinary child as He was Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. He as a legal descendant of the line of David is the preeminent fulfillment of the promise and fully qualified to sit on David’s throne as King of Israel forever.
Matthew’s record of the Magi coming from the east, gave an affirmation of Jesus as the King since they sought to worship the newborn king. It is interesting that they did this based upon their identification of His star. As the Magi came from the east, the area of Babylon, they were likely familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures that had gained exposure during the time of Israel’s exile. The Magi having been interested in astrology, possibly saw this prophecy in Balaam’s final oracle and correlated a star with the coming of Israel’s king (Matthew 2:2).
The main point is this. Jesus is the prophesied Messiah, the King of Israel, who was born in Bethlehem. He our Savior and our King. He is our King who will come and establish His physical, and glorious reign of righteousness on earth. Yet while we wait for Jesus to reign over this future kingdom, he already reigns today. He reigns as Sovereign over all creation. He reigns as head of his church. He reigns as Lord in the hearts of those whom He has saved.
The encouraging thing is that our King is not like the corrupt earthly kings and leaders. He has no flaws. He has no weaknesses. He is not fickle. Our King, Jesus, is perfect in every way. He is righteous. He is merciful. He is good. He is true. He is omniscient. He is omnipotent. He is omnipresent. He never changes. While we wait for His glorious physical reign, we enjoy the blessings of His reign of righteousness in our lives today.
Renewing the Heart 