THE MESSIAH
HAS COME
Numbers 24:14-19; Matthew 1-2
December 25, 2011
The Star out of Jacob and the Scepter out of
17 “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not
nigh:” - Rather,
“I see him, but
not now: I behold him, but not near” (WNr,Wva"…Wna,ra,
exactly as in ch.23:9). Balaam does not mean to say that he expected himself to see
at
any future time the mysterious
Being of whom he speaks, who is
identical with the
“Star” and the “Scepter” of the following clauses; he speaks wholly as a prophet,
and means
that his inner gaze is fixed upon such an one, with full assurance that
He exists in the counsels of God, but with clear
recognition of the fact that
His actual coming is yet in the far future - “there shall come a Star out of
Jacob,” - Septuagint, ajnatelei~
ajstron – anatelei astron – a
Star will
come. It may quite as well be rendered by the present; Balaam
simply utters
what passes before his inward vision. The star is a natural and common
poetic
symbol of an illustrious, or, as we say, “brilliant,” personage, and as such
recurs many times in Scripture (Job 38:7; Isaiah 14:12; Daniel
8:10; Matthew 24:29;
Philippians 2:15; Revelation 1:20; 2:28). The celebrated
Jewish fanatic called
himself Barcochab, “son of the Star,” in allusion to this prophecy. [Barcochebas, or
Barcochab (Heb. son of a star), a Jewish leader, who
persuaded his countrymen to rebel
against
in this verse,
and adopted the name by which he is known in place of his patronymic Simeon.
His followers
made him king of
135 A.D. he
was defeated and killed by Julius Severus.] - “and a
Scepter shall rise out
of
in
that sense in the dying prophecy of Jacob (Genesis 49:10), with which Balaam
was
evidently acquainted. Accordingly the Septuagint has here ajnasth>setai –
anastaesetai – will rise - “and shall smite the corners of
two corners” (dual), or “the two sides of
“and destroy all the children of Sheth.” In Jeremiah 48:45, where this prophecy is
in
a manner quoted, the word rq"r]q"
(qarqar,
destroy) is altered into rqodq;
(quadqod,
crown of the head). This raises a very curious and interesting
question as to the use made by the prophets of the earlier
Scriptures, but it
gives no authority for an alteration of the text. The expression
tveAyneB]
has
been variously rendered. The Jewish commentators, followed by the
Septuagint (pa>ntav
uiJou<v Sh>q – pantas uious Saeth
– all the sons of Sheth)
and
the older versions, understand it to
mean the sons of Seth, the son of Adam,
i.e., all mankind. Many modern commentators, however, take tve
as a contraction
of
tave (Lamentations 3:47 — “desolation’’), and read “sons of
confusion,” as
equivalent to the unruly neighbors and relations of
dubious in itself, for tve
nowhere occurs in this sense, and derives
no support from
Jeremiah 48:45. It is true that tve
yneB] is there
replaced by ˆwOav; yneB], “sons of
tumult,” but then this very verse affords the clearest evidence
that the prophet felt
no
hesitation in altering the text of Scripture to suit his own inspired purpose.
If it be
true that rq"r]q"
will not bear the meaning given to it in
the Targums of “reign
over,”
still there is no insuperable difficulty in the common
rendering. Jewish prophecy, from
beginning to end, contemplated the Messiah
as the Conqueror, the Subduer, and
even the Destroyer of all the
heathen, i.e., of all who were not
Jews. It is only in
the
New Testament that the iron scepter with which He was to dash in pieces the
heathen (Psalm 2:9) becomes the pastoral staff wherewith He shepherds them
(Revelation 2:27 — poimanei~
- poimanei – He shall rule; He shall be
Shepherding - after the Septuagint, which has here misread the text). The prophecy
was that Messiah
should destroy the heathen; the fulfillment that He destroyed
not
them, but their heathenism (Compare
Psalm 149:6-9 with James 5:20).
The final prophecy, unsolicited by Balak,
which indeed he would have been
glad to stop, goes far beyond the concerns of his kingdom and his reign. It
stretches over an ever-widening extent of space and time. As long as
there
is
any
prevail. The kingdoms of this world not only will become the
kingdoms of
our
Lord and of His Christ (Revelation 11:15), but no other conclusion is easily
conceiveable. The power by which
all;
and the disposition which leads it against one enemy must lead it against
all.
It will again and again be attacked, and must defend where it is
attacked (Ezekiel 38). It
must expand by the ever-strengthening life within. The
more it grows, the more room it will require, until at last the kingdoms of
the
world become its own. Notice:
ONE, AS SHOWN BY THE DIFFERENT FIGURE EMPLOYED.
The lion destroys, and that most
effectually, but he can do nothing more than
destroy. The horse or the ox will draw the cart, and thus serve
constructive
purposes. Even the tiniest bird can build its compact and
symmetrical nest,
but the lion can do nothing save destroy. You may cage it and
curb its
savage propensities a little, but it is not tamed; (who ever
heard of taming
a lion by petting it?
- reminds me of modern educational theory in trying
to point rebellious children in the right direction! So far it hasn’t
succeeded – I am a poor example but I was spanked in the first grade
with a wooden spoon and in high school with a razor strap and
they
only made me grow tall!
In fact this whole section is dealing with
judgment. Since modern man
has neither the understanding, nor the
resolve to do right, JESUS CHRIST WILL SET THINGS IN ORDER
and it could just be in your and my lifetime – Amos 4:12; Luke 21:31 –
CY – 2011) - the lion-nature is
there, and the smallest taste of blood will
cause it to burst forth in all its fury. The lion being thus a
destroyer, and
nothing but a destroyer, it is needful to present
able to destroy in order that there may be room for the
construction of
something more worthy to endure. (The removal of religion in
American
public life, since it was so deeply rooted, with its topple, has
left a
massive hole which has been filled with nothing, except drugs, sex
and
rebellious music. I think
there musician influence in the days before
the Flood which contributed to bringing the house down –
Genesis 4:21;
Matthew 24:36-39 – CY – 2011) It does not become
God to stay the
current of prophecy with a menace of dreadful destruction as the
last word,
and so He makes
Balaam to speak of the Star and the Scepter. The lion,
as it rages about, can make a solitude; it can take away
wickedness by
taking away all wicked men; but a solitude is not a kingdom. The true
destruction which is spoken of with such energy and almost fierceness of
illustration is for the purpose of completely taking away the evil out
of human society, so
that only the good may remain to serve and
glorify the Maker of mankind – “new
heavens and a new earth
WHEREIN DWELLETH
RIGHTEOUSNESS” (II Peter 3:11-13)
“And they shall
bring the glory and honor of the nations unto
it. AND THERE SHALL IN NO WISE ENTER INTO IT ANY
THING THAT DEFILETH,
NEITHER WHATSOEVER
WORKETH ABOMINATION,
OR MAKETH A LIE: BUT
THEY WHICH ARE
WRITTEN IN THE LAMB’S BOOK OF
LIFE.” (Revelation 21:26-27)
METHOD IN WHICH GOD WILL WORK TO CONQUER EVIL AND
ESTABLISH GOOD. The
star, it is said, is mentioned here as the symbol
of governing power, according to the astrological notions of
antiquity. It is
further said that the joining of
the scepter with the star shows that
authority and supremacy are the main things to be indicated by the
mention of the star (See Isaiah 9:6-7). Certainly the prophecy is full of the
idea of SUPREMACY and AUTHORITY; but if this idea was the only
thing to be considered, the mention of the scepter would be enough. The star
is a symbol of power, but it is also a symbol of many great realities besides.
Let us ask not only
why the scepter is joined with the star, but why the
star is joined with
the scepter.
Ø
The very first thing that a star indicates is light. God will establish
His rule by sending the
Star out of Jacob to rise in the darkness (See
Ibid. vs.
1-2).
Christ, the fulfillment of the star, has come a light into the
world, a rival to-existent lights, and DESTINED TO OUTSHINE
THEM ALL! He is a light ever protesting against the
darkness,
not comprehended by it, not swallowed up and lost in it (John
1:1-5).
Rejoice in this, that the Star out
of Jacob is INACCESSIBLE
to the MEDDLING of those who hate its inconvenient
revelations.
Christ comes to destroy, and at the same
time to construct by letting
light in upon all dark, idolatrous chambers and all self-deceiving hearts.
The light is from Him who knows what is
in man, his wickedness, his
weakness, and his wants. He
brings reality where others only bring
appearance. He brings truth where they, even in
their very sincerity,
bring error. There is no room
for a Balaam in His kingdom.
(What about you dear reader? – What a paradox? There is plenty
of room in heaven, but NONE FOR YOU!!!!!! - (Luke 12:22-24;
Matthew 8:11-12; Luke 13:27-29) - The Demas who makes a few
steps within soon retreats from
a light far too trying for THE
DARKNESS OF HIS HEART - (therein lies the problem –
II
Timothy 4:10; John 3:19-21 - CY – 2011).
Notice, further, that:
Ø
The light of the star is in some respects more
significant of the
work of Christ
than would be the light of the sun.
We must have
a figure which will keep before us both the light and the
darkness.
To us, individually, Christ
may be as the sun (and may He be!),
filling our hearts with light (See Malachi 4:2a). We know, alas, that He
is far from being a sun to many. Their light is still
darkness, but THE
STAR OF BETHELEHEM SHINES IN THE FIRMAMENT
WAITING for the hour when
in humility they may betake themselves
to it. After
all the search for truth, and whatever knowledge may be
gained, there is still THE SENSE OF INCOMPLETENESS
(God has made our hearts too big for the world to
fill - see Ecclesiastes
3:11 – ONLY GOD CAN
FILL THAT BLACK HOLE in YOUR
LIFE –
CY – 2011), THE KNOWLEDGE STOPS WITH THE
INTELLECT; it does not find its way to enlighten and comfort the
whole heart. We can by no means dispense with the Star out of
Jacob, the Star that shines from every
page of the Scriptures.
REALITY OF THE DOMINION. The scepter is that of Christ’s truth,
wielded with all the power of God’s Holy Spirit. We must have much
assurance, not only of the illumination that comes from Christ, but
of the
consequent actual illumination in accepting human hearts. We must ever be
ready in our approaches to God to say, “Thine is the kingdom and the
power (Matthew 6:13). Thine is not only the RIGHTFUL
AUTHORITY,
but also the ACTUAL AUTHORITY. What is a more
offensive sight than
a merely nominal submission to Christ? How soon it becomes evident to the
discerning eye that there is an utter want of harmony! Those who are really
Christ’s subjects soon
justify their loyalty by the commotion they make
among the accepted customs and traditions of
the world. There is a
sense in which they may covet often to hear the word, “They that have
turned the world upside down have come hither also” (Acts 17:6).
As we read the acts of the Apostles, we feel that there was not
only a new
teaching being diffused among men, but, above all things, a new power.
It was not only fresh thought
they brought
to men, but a new and gladdening life.
AS INDICATING THE EXTENT AND COMPLETENESS OF THE
DOMINION. The
details connected with each nation have of course their
peculiar significance, but the significance of the details is not quite so clear
as that of the great common element which runs through them all. All the
details point forward to a
time when the Star out of Jacob shall outshine
the star out of every other nation, when the Scepter out of
break every other scepter. The kingdoms of the world ARE TO FALL —
the kingdoms of mammon, of pleasure, of unbelief
in Christ, of science
falsely so called, of rationalism,
of atheism, of individual self-assertion.
These are kingdoms that now
stretch their authority far and wide, in all
continents, and in all ranks of men, and many are subjects of more than
one
of the kingdoms. In the kingdoms of this world it is largely true
that there is
neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female. The Star
out of
Jacob then has a large work to
do in subduing and transforming the many
and mighty kingdoms of this world. And all the glorious burden
of
prophecy heaves and swells with the emphatic assurance that HE WILL
DO IT! The day
is to come when we shall all learn that to be king over
one’s own nature is more than to sway the most populous and wealthy
territory among men. Then
indeed will the description, “King of kings,
and Lord of lords,” (Revelation
19:16) fully apply, when GOD IN
CHRIST JESUS REIGNS
over kings and lords such as these. “EVEN
SO COME LORD JESUS!”
(Ibid. ch.
22:20) - The
cry concerning man
will no longer be,
“Lord
of himself, that heritage of woe!”
but, lord of a heritage
reclaimed, purified, and made docile by the
work of Jesus as He
inspires in the breast every loving, righteous,
and truthful motive.
Matthew
1
v. 1 - "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ"
Relating the redeeming work of the "Son of God, who
loved me, and gave Himself for me"
Reverence, awe and adoring love are the tempers of
mind worthy for such a study!
Life is short - eternity is long - Set you affections on
things above!
A message for us, God's voice calling and telling us
all that we need to know of Himself, of His will, of
His redemption of the human race from sin and death!
Bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh - He was made in
all things like us, yet without sin!
Though He
appeared
in the form of man, He is in truth God!
Perfectly one with His Father on the Divine side of His
nature - He is equally one with us on the human side.
In Christ God looks at us with human eyes, speaks to us
in an earthly tongue and touches us with a brother's hand!
The Incarnation of Christ was a literal graft of the
Divine
upon human nature.
In the whole human family there is no one to compare to
Christ!
John 3:16 - He belongs to humanity - He is the Hope of the
human race - He is the Light and Life of men - He is
the
Son of God! He also is a Light
to lighten the Gentiles
(heathen)"
"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might
have life through His name" - John 20:31
"This is the work of God that ye believe on Him whom
He hath sent" - John 6:29
But it is no gospel to us, no glad tidings, but only an
ancient book unless by its guidance we find CHRIST!
In CHRIST ALONE is the life of men!
God has predestinated us to be conformed to the
image of His Son! If we have missed on this we
have missed the purpose of our being!
Jesus the Christ, the Son of God and His
human ancestry via Mary, His mother.
The promise of Jesus was originally to Adam
in the Garden of Eden - Genesis 3:15
The promise was made to Abraham - the head
of the covenant nation of
"in thy Seed shall all the nations of
earth be blessed"
Gen.
22:18
The promise was made to David - II Samuel 7:13-16
"of the fruit of thy body will I set upon
thy throne"
Ps.
132:11
vs. 2-16 - the natural descent of each son from his father
is
emphasized until we come to Jesus and then
the
phrase is varied - "Joseph the husband of
Mary, of whom was born
Jesus"
The only women besides Mary who are mentioned are
Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba - three were
stained
with sins (Tamar, Rahab
and Bathsheba) and two were
not of the race of
Matthew, in the onset of this gospel, proclaims Christ
as the Friend, even Kinsman, of sinners, and the Savior
offered to Gentiles as well as to Jews!
Sinners as well as saints are reckoned in His
genealogy. His human ancestry
was not uniformly holy, any more
than uniformly royal. The poorest have
an
interest in Him as much as the
noblest, the sinful as well as apostles and saints.
"Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac begat Jacob and
Jacob begat
Man comes and man goes - a man is born and a man goes
to his long home -
each man represents a long line of ancestors
stretching back into the remotest
past - most of us know very little
of those who have gone before us - they are
gone and we must follow - we too
shall be but names in the memory of posterity
and soon forgotten - it matters
little now to them what their rank, their wealth,
was in life - the king, the
carpenter, the patriarch are distinguished now only
by their faith and
holiness. Many that once were last are
first now and there
are first that shall be last.
Worse still, who can say how our own children and
grandchildren will turn out and what extent that their
disgrace is due to inherited tendencies?
As the promise of the Messiah was to the house of David,
and this was known to every Jew, we need not be surprised
that families, descended from that king, preserved
family
records.
v. 16 - "Jesus, who is called the Christ" -
Jesus, a form of Joshua which means
"Jehovah is help"
This begins the history which tells of this Jesus
as the specially Anointed One of God, the true
Messiah, of which all others were but a figure.
In Jesus were fulfilled all the prophecies of the
Old Testament which the Jews referred to as
Messiah and for whose appearance all the pious
Jews in
Compare Heb. 9:28
The world at the time of the birth of Christ had done
as much as it
could do without the new influence
Christ brought to it - No government
had at its disposal as much command
for regeneration than
its enlightened policy, bold
statesmanship - the Greek culture had done
its best - in the East, Buddha,
Confucius, Zoroaster had done all that
human wisdom and purity could do to
regenerate life - nothing had succeeded -
the Jewish Law had gone to seed -
there was a general feeling throughout the world
that it needed help from above and
it was given in the person of Christ-
Compare modern world and its plight and the
Second Coming of Christ on the horizon.
vs. 18-25 - the object here is to show that Messiah in
origin
was of God and not of man.
The foretelling that a son would be born, that this
Son would be the expected Savior and showing from
prophecy that such union of God with man was no
unheard of supposition, but the fulfillment of ancient
thought, suggested by God.
v. 20 - "that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost" -
insisting that the Child was by origin
Divine. Luke 1:35 compare Gen.
1:2b
Both Testaments begin with a miracle - a world of order
and beauty arising out of chaos is a miracle as truly as
is the birth of a divinely human Savior by the Divine
overshadowing of Mary!
He is born "not of the will of a man, nor of the will of
the flesh" but the holy will of God! - John 1:13
Mary was the chosen woman - Luke 1:28-30
It was the task of
be the mother of the Son of God -
It was not the task of
God Himself "will provide a lamb" - Gen. 22:8
This holy and immaculate conception is the
profoundest unity of nature and spirit - God and man!
Mary is to be the medium of the new creation!
vs. 19-20 Joseph was insistent on his personal and
family
purity but was delicate and thoughtful
to
the one he loved.
vs. 21-23 - "He shall save His people" - He and no other!
He in His own person - I John 2:2 - "by Himself" -
Heb. 1:3
and by virtue of who He was - John 2:23-25
Unfortunately, the last thing that many people want
from
Christ is to be saved from their sin - they would love
to be
delivered from its pains and penalties but
sin itself they love
and have no wish to abandon it.
"from their sins" - full salvation
from sin is the final part of
our RESTORATION
"Now all this was done" - that human nature might be
cleansed by its union with the Divine nature in the
Person
of Jesus Christ - The Messiah!
"they shall call His name Emmanuel ....
God with us"
vs. 24-25 - Joseph's obedience and restraint
"and he called his name JESUS"
Matthew 2
This chapter contains four references to the birth of Christ
fulfilling scripture:
a.
the place of His birth -
b. His stay in
c.
the slaughter of the innocents - vs. 16-18
d. His dwelling at
vs. 1-12 - Christ receives the homage of representatives
of
the heathen world.
"wise men from the east" - the
learned need a Savior as
much as the ignorant.
They were the leaders of the long procession of Gentiles who,
drawn by grace, have sought the Lord.
Wise men seek Him still! - Christmas card refrain
They traveled far -we must persevere
From the House of Bread (
True Bread, the Bread of Life!
"Where is He?" - not "whether
there is"
v. 8 - Herod - goes not to seek - sends others
- he will come
later
- he puts off the great work of life but never
gets
it done - "Today is the day of salvation" -
finally
the end comes according to the scripture in
Jeremiah 8:20 -
"The harvest is past, the summer
is
ended and we are not saved"
v. 9 - "And lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went
before
them" - guidance
God will not leave us to grope in the darkness when we
are seeking Him by faith - the great principle - "Seek
and ye shall find!"
God's will becomes clearer and more definite as the
faithful Christian draws nearer to the end of his
journey.
They had gone to great trouble and expense to see Jesus -
contrast the Jewish people
An awe was on the people - there was a universal
expectation
of the Messiah - "Who may abide the day of His coming? and
who shall stand when He appeareth" -
Malachi 3:2
That awe soon passed away, the visit of the Magi was soon
forgotten, the warning was lost,
of her visitation!
v. 11 - "they fell down and worshipped Him" - not the virgin
Mary.
They gave gifts: frankincense -
offered to God in the temple -
it confessed
Christ's Divinity.
gold - offered as
to a king
myrrh - was used
in preparing a person to
be
buried
v. 12 - God warned them in a dream.
vs. 16-18 - The innocent victims - they were martyrs indeed -
they
died for Christ, unconsciously, but yet for Him,
to
insure His safety, that He might live to die for them,
to
save them, with all His people, through His most
precious
blood!
v. 19 - "But when Herod was dead" - Wickedness, however
gilded
by rank and riches must end in misery,
probably
in this world, certainly in the world
to
come.
v. 21 - Joseph's continued obedience
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