Messiah: Star Out of Jacob

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” (Numbers 24:17. NIV). “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2. NIV). “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:32-33. NIV). “Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79. NIV). “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Off-spring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” (Revelation 22:16. NIV).

The prophecy of Jesus as a “Star out of Jacob” was made, strangely enough, by Balaam, who was a non-Israelite prophet, soothsayer and magician whom God used to speak the truth. Recorded in Numbers, we have this account of the Israelites under Moses’ leadership encamped at Acacia Grove with the Moab nation all about them. King Balak of Moab engaged Balaam to put a curse on the Israelites. We recall the story of Balaam’s donkey—how the animal saw the angel of the Lord in the road and refused to go forward. Balaam beat his donkey unmercifully, and the donkey spoke to his master. It was only then that Balaam saw the angel, heard the instructions the Lord had given, and went on to pronounce his oracles. It is in the fourth oracle that the Messianic prophecy is given: “I see him but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” The prophet Balaam was given an amazing vision of one who would arise to be a Star—a brilliant and anointed leader, and with a scepter, a symbol of authority. This was joyful good news for the nation on its way to the promised land, with Moab to conquer. But, as the prophet Balaam stated, this Star, this Scepter was not for that present time, not near (in time). This joyful good news for Jacob and Israel would be a long way off and would be realized in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy. The Star and Scepter would not be another king like the earthly David. The enemy would not be the idolatrous nation of Moab. The conqueror would be the triumphant Jesus. The enemy He would conquer was sin and death. The expanse of His kingdom would not be just for Israel but to any “living in darkness and in the shadow of death.” The prophecy made by Balaam in the time of Moses was summarized in John’s vision given in Revelation. Jesus is, indeed, “the Root and Off-spring of David, the Bright Morning Star.” The breaking of a new dawn signifies hope and joy. And the bright Morning Star shines on all who come to that light! Selah!

c Ethlene Dyer Jones; Monday, December 20, 2010

Ezekiel’s Good Shepherd Prophecy

"For thus says the Lord God: 'Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the fountains, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down,' says the Lord God. 'I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice.'" (Ezekiel 34:11-16, RSV) [Read Ezekiel 34]

Ezekiel 34 is another Messianic prophecy in which the prophet foresees the day when the Lord Himself will be the Good Shepherd, restoring with compassion and every provision necessary His scattered sheep. His people who have been exiled to other lands will be returned to the green pastures of Israel and their good shepherd will be one who guides with mercy and tenderness. The prophet encourages a scattered people with his hope of restoration. God Himself will intervene, end strife and division, and bring the people back to their beloved land, even as a Good Shepherd cares for His sheep. We are reminded when reading this prophecy in Ezekiel 34 of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want." We remember the words of the Lord: "I am the good Shepherd" (John 10:14)

Israel (and Judah, considering both kingdoms in the divided period) had endured some poor shepherds, those who had exploited teh people for their own good. Taht was one reason the whole nation was punished and scattered abroad. They had not taken warning of the prophets to repent and change their ways. Like sheep that wander from the fold and become lost, so they had to be punished. The Good Shepherd is not intrested in reestablishing the grandeur of David's and Solomon's powerful kingdoms. Rather, He will come to heal the sick, bind up the broken-hearted, take home those who are lost and wandering, and they will no longer be prey to devouring beasts (or false doctrines). And in that day, when restoration occurs, the Good Shepherd Himself will watch over them, and be their God. This prophecy of Ezekiel was given about 585 B.C., many years before Jesus came. We who are on this side of Jesus' life, ministry, death and resurrection and his declaration as the Good Shepherd have not seen a physically restored kingdom. But we know a spiritual kingdom of belivered, and we look forward to the Second Coming when all will be made right and glorious, as Ezekiel saw it and as our Lord Promised. "Even so come, Lord Jesus" (Revelations 22:20). Amen!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones;

Suffering Servant Song V-Part 5-Rewarding Results

"Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he was put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offering; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:10-12, ESV) [Read Isaiah 52:13- 53:12]

Today we conclude the Suffering Servant Songs from the prophecy of Isaiah. Why did I begin this series? Say it was from my intense interest in studying the Word of God and seeing how one portion explains another, how the whole is tied together in one great and marvelous story of redemtpion of mankind. Recently, my pastor has been preaching through The Revelation in his Sunday morning sermons. As hard as that book of the Bible is to interpret and understand, his deligence in preaching-teaching has made clear that Scripture (even the visions of John on the Island of Patmos) is relevant today and exceedingly important. Any my pastor's plea that we be serious in our own personal Bible study led not only to my examination of these important Suffering Servant Songs in Isaiah, but also to all the studies that have gone into these devotionals back to January 1, 2010 when I began them. Pardon this personal testimony about the importance and benefits of studying the Word of God. As I study, rich avenues open up, and the Spirit reveals truths of which I have been hitherto unaware. I pray that something I have written will make you want to study more deeply the riches of God's Word and find and apply its relevance to your lfie.

In the verses for today, we see how the Messiah's life was a sin offering for our guilt. As a result, we are His spiritual offspring. Let us never forget that truth! We learn here that God was pleased that the Savior's death paid the price; it was not some happenstance but was predetermined with much purpose and forethought. This sacrifice, God's love for us, and His plans to establish a worldwide kingdom began with the removal of guilt and proceeded with the restitution. Many will be justified-that is, will choose to belive that the Messiah came and became the propitiation for guilt and the ent4ance way to the Kingdom of God.

"His days will be prolonged." This result, as I interpret it, means the resurrection from the dead of the Suffering Servant Himself and of His followers. The Suffering Servant is satisfied about His suffering and himiliation. "It is finished!" He said on the cross (John 19:30). After three days He rose from the dead. At His ascension, He gave us a commission which is still intact until His second return: "Go, tell, baptize, teach.." (Matthew 28:18-20). And for all the faithful, and those who "confess with thy mouth...and believe in thine heart" (Romans 110:9-10) that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, we will have a portion with Him, not only in work and sometimes suffering here, but in results and rewards of faithfulness. The John, in giving us his visions of Heaven, gave a foretaste of what is yet to come for the redeemed. Here is one of his glimpses: "And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever." (Revelation 22:5, ESV) Selah!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Parable of the Wedding Feast

“Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come’…Then He said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find. So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.” (Matthew 22:1-3; 8-10. NIV) [Read Matthew 22:1-14 and Luke 14:16-23]

I think we all like weddings. Something in the ceremony speaks of faith and new beginnings, of promise and commitment. And the wedding feast, or reception, as we commonly call the post-wedding celebration now, is a time for gladness and rejoicing. But what if the wedding feast is prepared with the finest accoutrements you can imagine, the best of repasts, and those invited refuse to come? The King in our story had such a predicament. What did he do? So as not to waste the carefully prepared feast, he sent his servants into the highways and byways and invited all who would to come. But even then, as we saw in the last of this parable, one slipped in without the wedding garments on, and had to be bodily removed from the feast. Was this cruel treatment? Was not everyone invited? Yes. But there were still some requirements for admittance. Everyone had to be clad in wedding garments.

Taken symbolically, we see this as our “doctrine of election”. Everyone is invited to the marriage feast of the Lord, and into His kingdom. But there are certain things the invited guests must do. The Jews had the first opportunity. They were the first-invited guests. But when Jesus did not meet their expectations for the Bridegroom sent from God, they refused to participate in the marriage feast or the union God had prepared. Other guests were then invited. And they came from all walks of life, every tribe and condition. Election depends upon God’s grace to all, not on their goodness or worthiness, their race or religious affiliation. God’s invitation must be met on the basis of His standards for the wedding feast. We know those as repentance (turning from our old way of life in the highways and hedges of life) and by faith (putting on the new life in Christ). The proper dress for the wedding feast of the Lamb, then, is that we are dressed in repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In this respect, by our personal choice, we become one of the elect, eligible for the wedding feast.

Our entrance is due to God’s goodness in inviting us. Our remaining depends upon not our goodness but upon His forgiveness and grace when we have turned to Him, expecting the marvelous feast He has for us in the Christian walk and way, and the rewards in store in eternity. Enough said! That is the essence of the wedding feast! We don’t need to be cast out. Not if we wear the garments of grace and His goodness! And that invitation to the wedding feast is still open. Read about what is yet to come in Revelation 21 and 22. Until Jesus, the Bridegroom, returns to claim His bride (the redeemed church) the invitation is still open: “The Spirt and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life…The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” (Revelation 22: 17, 21. NIV). Praise be to God!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Sunday, September 5, 2010