A STAR WILL COME OUT OF JACOB — JESUS AND THE CHRISTMAS STORY BEGIN

By Jill Roberts and Michael Canalé

 

Have you ever asked yourself or have you ever had others ask you this central question: “What makes the Bible credible? After all, is it not critical to establish this before you, yourself, spend a lifetime or before advocating that someone else spend a lifetime, studying and living by this Book?

 

Michael answers this question so very well:

 

“The Bible is credible because it shows humanity’s character flaws and failings, yes. But, in contrast, it also shows what you could be like when you are on the right path and how much better the world flows when you are.”

 

We are made in God’s image. As Michael always says, “God is complicated.” We derive from our Creator a bit of that complexity. Mankind is correctly perceived as flawed and, at the same time, capable of greatness.

 

With this context, we turn back to Jacob. The flaws in this master deceiver have been painfully obvious. We have all been shocked and full of wonder that God has chosen, time and again, to bless him, to stand by him. Michael sees all this exceptionally well:

 

“God saw something in Jacob. In God’s will, Jacob became a player. Sometimes making the wrong moves turns out to be the right one – in God’s provision and plan.”

 

Michael continues:

 

“God uses the Bible to fine tune your thoughts. Jacob, after great deception against Laban, a fellow deceiver, was on the run from him, while, up the road, Esau was waiting for his revenge from Jacob and had brought four hundred men with him to exact it. Looking at all this, it’s like the Wild West!”

 

That said, however, Michael continues so brilliantly:

 

“With God, Jacob is not judged. With God, Jacob is blessable. In this Bible, God doesn’t sugarcoat the nonsense of man. He showcases it! To God, nonsense means acting in a way that has no sense to it. The Bible is written so that we can see the pattern of evil – so that we can make sense out of nonsense. And, if God didn’t judge Jacob, WE are certainly not allowed to judge him. What are we allowed to do? We are allowed to wonder about it all, about the One whose ways are higher than our ways.”

 

We need to step off our judgment seats and step toward those WE would not bless. These kinds of calls belong to God and God alone. Only God has the power of judgment. Who are we to exclude from God’s service, those whom He is not excluding? The record of SCRIPTURE records sinners serving God in high places throughout both the OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS. 

 

What is evil in the first place? Michael says, and I’ve never heard it better put,

 

“Evil is causing another person to be sad.”

 

When we assume our thrones of judgment, something forbidden in both the Old and New Testaments, we involve ourselves in evil, as just defined. We make others sad.

 

Michael states,

 

“The Old Testament is all about God’s moulding mankind.”

 

We are in that number who need moulding.

 

All of this important context and preamble lead us back, full circle, to the title of this week’s study. A STAR WILL COME OUT OF JACOB — JESUS AND THE CHRISTMAS STORY BEGIN. One might ask, “Are you saying that the star referred to, the one who came out of Jacob, is Jesus? Are you implying that Jesus could have come out of the deceiver, Jacob, and that God chose Jacob, of all people, to have this, the pinnacle of honor? Yes, this is exactly what we are saying. Why? Because Scripture says it:

 

“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…

A RULER WILL COME OUT OF JACOB…

(emphasis added)

Numbers 24:17,19) NIV

 

Clearly a Messianic prophecy of Jesus and, just as clearly, a theological accolade for Jacob, this amazing passage drives home an even stronger and more startling truth that God did and still does use the sinful and misguided for glorious service in His salvational plan for mankind.

 

The speaker of these verses in Scripture was handpicked by God to deliver a critical prediction of Jesus’ first coming to Earth. Who was this speaker? Wouldn’t we expect him or her to be of the godliest character, the most renown credibility? Truly, wouldn’t a saint be best fitted for such a role in the Holy Bible?

 

Or have we all learned something about God and His choice of His spokespersons in Scripture? Have we all now come to wonder more than understand? Yes, I think that this is the case.

 

The man whom God chose to speak these verses was Balaam, a deceptive and mercenary diviner as well as a non-Israelite. An evil king and an enemy of Israel had attempted to bribe Balaam to curse Israel and he was on his way to do just that when he, amazingly, first decided to inquire of God. After more than one conversation on the subject, Baalam acquiesced to God and spoke the words just set forth and cited from Numbers 24.

 

What an amazing turnaround in this sorcerer’s life, it might at first appear. Unfortunately, this valiant act did not develop into a pattern. In a story told in Numbers 22-24, Baalam went right back to his nefarious ways, trying to curse Israel on two occasions. 2 Peter 2:15 says of him, “He loved gain from wrongdoing.”

This was his more lasting legacy.

 

To return to the credibility of Scripture and Michael’s great insight that it is credible because it allows us to see its players’ flaws and all, as well as what might have been for good, had these persons stayed on a road of well doing. This is clear as to Balaam and, after Christmas, we will explore this very thoroughly as to Jacob and his family, as well.

 

But, to conclude today, let’s revisit our title and theme once more. Christmas and its joy is almost here. “A STAR WILL COME OUT OF JACOB” — incidentally, not ISRAEL, Jacob’s holier name. Out of a Patriarch, who so often fell short of the mark, will come Jesus. BECAUSE of mankind missing the mark, will come Jesus. A STAR WILL LEAVE HEAVEN.

 

It’s Christmas.

 

POSTSCRIPT:

On Tuesday, Michael and I will send our Christmas blog.

May we see ever more clearly that God has HIS WAYS. He calls us to His beautiful work, based on HIS WAYS. He places us in that work according to HIS WAYS. He blesses and refuses to judge, like with Jacob, according to HIS WAYS. He would have us do the same, according to HIS WAYS. He causes us to marvel and wonder according to HIS WAYS.

Blessed be the name of the LORD and HIS WAYS!