June 11, 2004

A STAR OUT OF JACOB

"A star will come out of Jacob" (Numbers 24:17, NIV).

In one of the most intriguing messianic predictions, the prophet Balaam attributes to the coming Messiah the title, "a star out of Jacob." The star is a common biblical symbol of brilliance and royal greatness. It is frequently used to describe a great personage. In our contemporary society, a star is popularly used to describe a brilliant person or someone who has achieved fame and notoriety in sports, entertainment, or acting.

As applied to Christ, the title fittingly depicts the one who left the splendor of heaven to become our Saviour. The prophecy of Christ as the star that would come out of Jacob met its grand fulfillment when Jesus appeared in history as "a light for the Gentiles" (Isaiah 42:6, NIV). This is the star to which the wise men referred when they declared to the people, "We have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2). Jesus Himself was the star the Magi saw on that glorious Christmas night. It was the birth of Heaven's star of deliverance and hope for a lost world.

That star is still shining today, pointing a disjointed and lost world to hope and redemption. Jesus Christ is the star that "will come out of Jacob" (Numbers 24:17, NIV). He is "the bright Morning Star" (Revelation 22:16, NIV). For His redeemed people, Jesus remains the guiding star, the star of hope, the star of deliverance, the star of peace, and the star of righteousness. Ellen G. White reminds us that He is also "The Bright and Morning Star, shining amid the moral darkness of this sinful, corrupt world. He is the Light of the world, and all who give their hearts to Him will find peace, rest, and joy."--Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, p. 804).

My Prayer Today: Lord, help me, like the wise men, to follow the star that guides me to Jesus. Amen.