Numbers 24:17 -
“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.”
These words come from an unlikely prophet! Balaam was used by the Lord to speak truth even though his heart was against God. It’s a reminder that God can use even the most unlikely voices to speak truth in his world. In just the chapter before, Numbers 23, God speaks through Balaam’s donkey! The prophecy speaks to the kingship of Christ, the king who was to come. The prophet says ‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.’ This reemphasizes the fact that the plan of God has always been in place to send the Savior, but he would not come to earth for another 1200 years past the time of Balaam. But his purpose is always present: to save sinners - to reconcile all things to himself.
The star imagery is powerful here because it is not only a common image used by kings, it also alludes to the cosmic power of Christ, who rules over all creation. “The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting” (Psalm 50:1). The Wise Men would follow a star to reach the Lord, and are most likely thinking of this verse in Numbers 24 when they say they “saw his star” in Matthew 2. They are following the king - they give gifts for a king, and they worship him as Lord, the king of creation. In that very story of the Wise Men, you see God align his creation (even the stars!) to bring about his purposes, that Gentile astrologers from the east would come and worship the baby Jesus!
Know that all things have come together under God’s mighty plan to bring Jesus into the earth so that salvation would be possible for anyone who believes in him!
Hymn for Reflection: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus. Here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRAFQCOkjgE