STUDY THEME: ONE SOLITARY LIFE: THE LIFE OF JESUS
UNIT 1, BEFORE CHRIST: PROMISE AND PROPHECY 10-15-00
GENESIS 49: 9-10, NUMBERS 24: 1-7, 9, 17-19.
PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO GENESIS 49.
We began this 48 week study of "The Life of Jesus" by looking at the
purpose of His coming as our Savior and Deliverer from sin. We then began
a study of the promises and prophecies concerning His coming.
In the 2nd Ch. of Genesis we have the first prophecy of the coming
Messiah. Through Adam's sin, sin and death entered the world, and all
who have lived since have sinned. God's action in seeking those first
sinners in Genesis 3 introduces the basic biblical theme of "The God Who
Seeks Sinners," which He ultimately did in Jesus Christ. The promise that
the Seed of the woman would crush the head of the Serpent was a promise
fulfilled in the victory of Jesus over Satan.
The writer of Hebrews in Heb. 2:14-15 says that "Jesus shared in man's
humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who held the power of
death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held
in slavery by their fear of death." Truly, to the Christian "Death ain't
no big deal." When my sister-in-law in Pauls Valley called Thursday to
say that her 98 year old mother had died, we both rejoiced that she had
been freed from the constant pain she has endured for several years. She
is with Jesus.
In the first verse of the N.T. the genealogy of Jesus, He is called the
son or descendant of Abraham and then proceeds to name the other
descendants of Abraham and concludes with the name of Jesus, who is
called the Christ.
In last Sunday's lesson God promised to bring blessings to all people of
the earth through Abraham. This makes us a part of God's covenant people.
The theme of today's lesson is that according to prophecy Jesus would
come to rule the lives of His people. Tim Le Haye said this week that
there are four paramount events named in the Bible. Creation, the flood,
the death and resurrection of Jesus and the second coming of our Lord.
The theme of this lesson is that according to prophecy, Jesus would come
to rule the lives of His people.
The Life Impact of today's lesson is to help us submit to Jesus'
authority because He is God's promised ruler.
Many people today struggle with the idea of someone else having authority
over them and over their lives, even if that someone else is God.
Authority and rule are unpopular words. We Americans have historic
reasons for negative reactions to words such as king, lord, and master.
People like to think that they should be able to make their own decisions
and live without any direction from God.
In the biblical worldview, people accept God's rule in their lives and
affirm that Jesus is the One whom God sent to rule their lives. Because
we are made in God's image, our lives are incomplete and unsatisfied
without His presence and leadership. Basically, sin is trying to run our
own lives without God's presence or help. Making Jesus Lord enables us to
live a we were intended to live. Jesus is not only Savior but also Lord
of believers' lives. Christians already acknowledge Him as King of their
lives and seek to live by the standards of His coming kingdom.
Both of he Bible passages for today's lesson involve prophecies that
pointed to Jesus. The first, in Genesis 49, was made by the patriarch
Jacob on his deathbed some 19 centuries before Jesus was born. The
second, in Numbers 24 was made by Balaam, a corrupt man who was called
upon by Israel's enemies to place a curse on Israel about 14 centuries
before Jesus' birth. In these prophecies we learn these truths about
Jesus.
1. Jesus is a descendant of Judah, one of the 12 sons of Jacob. (Gen.
49:9)
2. Jesus is the true Lion of the tribe of Judah. (Gen 49:9)
3. Jesus is the true ruler to whom all rule belongs. (Gen 49:10)
4. Jesus is the One who was to come. (Gen 49:10)
5. People will either bless or curse themselves by their response to
Jesus.
(Numbers 24:19.)
6. Jesus is the bright and morning star. (Numbers 24: 17.)
7. Jesus will subdue all His enemies and rule over all nations. (Gen
49:10 and
Rev. 20:1-6.)
1. PLEASE READ GENESIS 49: 9-10.
Genesis 49 contains Jacob's prophetic blessings on his twelve sons. At
this time, Jacob, his twelve sons, and their families are in Egypt. Jacob
and the rest of his clan went to Egypt after hearing that Joseph was
alive. Jacob arrived in Egypt at the age of 130 years and remained there
until his death 17 years later. All twelve of Jacob's sons were still
alive at his death and their father pronounced a prophetic blessing on
each of them.
In blessing his sons, Jacob described what the son's tribe would
accomplish in the future for the nation as a whole. For fiveof these
sons--Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, and Joseph--this oracle involved
looking at the past life of each son as a precedent for the prophetic
blessing.
Over 200 years had passed since the Lord called Abraham back in Gen.
12:1-3, and over 175 years had passed since the Lord commanded Abraham to
sacrifice Isaac. A lot had happened during those years, but the most
significant thing was that God's promised covenant blessing was passed
down from Abraham to Isaac and from Isaac to Jacob. Abraham's son Ishmael
and Isaac's son Esau were not included in the promise and were not part
of the covenant family. The critical question as Jacob's life came to an
end was: which of his sons would remain loyal to the covenant community
and pass the covenant blessing along to coming generations.
We would expect the chief blessing to be given either to the oldest son,
Reuben, or to the favorite son, Joseph. Ins tead, the most positive
future was predicted for Judah, Jacob's fourth son whose mother was Leah,
not Rachel.
Jacob's blessing on Judah predicts his superiority over his brothers.
They will praise him and even bow down to him. This reminds me of
Joseph's prediction that his brothers would bow down to him. However,
Jacob declared that the tribe of Judah, not the tribe of Joseph would
bring forth a ruler. This was accomplished first when David became king
of Israel; but an even greater fulfillment in Christ also was in view.
In Vs. 9 Jacob used lion three times to describe Judah. First, Judah is a
lion's cub. He is young and full of vigor. Judah also is a lion and a
lioness that even in rest or sleep is not to be challenged. A lion still
groggy from sleep is still a lion and is ever so mighty when fully awake.
David was the initial fulfillment of this prophecy. The Lord gave David
victories over his enemies in every direction. At Jesus' return in Rev.
5:5 He will come as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah," and according to
Phil. 2: 10-11 "all will bow before Him."
In Vs. 10 Jacob stated that "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor
the ruler's staff from between his feet." Both the scepter and the
ruler's staff refer to ornaments of royalty." "The staff was a rod used
by shepherds for tending sheep, by rulers for punishing their subjects,
and for many other purposes. The scepter was a symbol of royal
authority. Both scepters and staffs were used figuratively for royal
power.
This prophecy reveals that the line of royalty in Israel would remain
with the tribe of Judah. The Lord's covenant with David narrowed the
royal line to his offspring. Early in the rule of Rehoboam, David's
grandson through Solomon, the nation split into the Northern Kingdom of
Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Only Judah remained faithful
to the Davidic dynasty by having a descendant of David on the throne.
Israel went into exile to Assyria in 721 B.C. and Judah went into exile
to Babylon in 586 B.C. apparently ending the Davidic dynasty.
Or did it? Actually, it did not. Jesus Christ, from the tribe of Judah
and the line of David, will one day return and reign forever as "King of
Kings and Lord of Lords." This is the main thrust of Jacob's prophecy in
the latter part of Vs. 10: until he comes to whom it belongs and the
obedience of the nation is his. The royal scepter and staff belong to
Jesus by divine right as God's son and resurrected Lord. just as it
belongs to Him by human lineage as the son Abraham and son of David. In
using the phrase until he comes, Jacob indicated that after this one
arrives, no others will come forth with a legitimate claim to royalty
through Judah.
Matt. 1:2 emphasizes that Jesus was descended through Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, and Judah. In Rev. 5 we read: "The Lion of the tribe of
Judah....hath prevailed ...and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out
of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." In this passage
the Lion of Judah is also pictured as a lamb who had been slain. This is
very significant. The Lion King is also the slain lamb. He is thus a
loving, self-giving King, not a tyrant.
PLEASE TURN TO NUMBERS 24.
The next prophet to prophecy of the coming of the Messiah is quite
different from Jacob.
2. PLEASE READ NUMBER 24: 1-7, 9.
A number of significant events transpired between Genesis 49 and Numbers
24. Jacob made his prophecy after leading his family to Egypt, where
Joseph was second in command in the land. Centuries later the Hebrews
were enslaved, and God sent Moses as the human leader of their
deliverance. Then God led them to Mt. Sinai and established His covenant
with Israel. However, when they came near the promised land the first
time, the people rebelled and refused to enter. God punished the adult
generation by leading them to wander in the wilderness until they died.
The next generation finally made its
approach to Canaan. The Lord gave them victory over an enemy who stood
in their way. This struck fear into the heart of Balak, king of Moab.
The Biblical narrative about Balak and Balaam is the longest continuous
narrative in the Book of Numbers. It extends through Ch. 22-24. This
shows its importance.
When the Israelites pitched their tents in the Plains of Moab,
immediately after their victory over Sihon and Og, Balak, the king of
Moab and Midian sent an embassy of elders of Moab and Midian to Balaam, a
diviner from the Euphrates to pronounce a curse on the Israelites.
Frightened by the story of Israel's victory over Sihon and Og, he
evidently thought that the favor of Jehovah could be turned from Israel
to his own nation. Balak realized the source of the Israelite's power
was spiritual. Therefore, Balak in consultation with the elders of Midian
hired balaam to curse the victorious Israelites as they moved into Moab
on their way to Canaan.
After looking to God about the matter Balaam replied that God had
forbidden him to comply with the request. Balak hen sent some messengers
of a higher rank with more alluring promises. This time God permitted him
to go, cautioning him, however, to give only the message God gave him.
To Balak's disappointment, Balaam pronounced upon the Israelites a
blessing instead of a curse. The children of Israel are compared to a
lion that will not lie down until he has eaten his prey.
On the third attempt from Mt. Peor the Spirit of God came upon Balaam and
caused him to declare not only that God would bless Israel, but he who
blessed her would be blessed, and he who cursed her would be cursed.
These words of Vs. 9b are fulfilled in response to Jesus. People's
response to Him determines whether they receive eternal life or
condemnation.
Balaam then uttered a last prophecy---the most remarkable he had given so
far--in which he foretold the coming of a Star from Jacob and a Scepter
out of Israel which would smite Israel's enemies, including Moab.
Nothing else is said of Balaam until Numbers 31. where the seer who had
sought to turn away Jehovah from His people, and failed, tried before
long to turn the people from Jehovah. By his advice the Israelites were
seduced into idolatry and all the vile abominations connected with it. In
the judgment that followed, no fewer than 24,000 Israelites perished from
the plague, until it was evident that the nation abhorred idolatry as a
great crime against Jehovah. By God's command Israel meted out vengeance
upon her seducers, the Midianites, and in the universal slaughter, Balaam
also perished.
In the N.T. Balaam is several times held up as an example of the
pernicious influence of hypocritical teachers who attempt to lead God's
people astray. He is the pagan counterpart to Moses, man of God, who in
Numbers 31:8, l6 describes the judgment on Balaam.
Do the words in Numbers 24: 9 "he couched, he lay down as a lion, and as
a great lion: who shall stir him up" sound familiar? They should. They
are the same words in the Hebrew that Jacob spoke in Genesis 49:9! Here
again, after over 450 years, the word are applied to the future King from
the house of Jacob. "Thus within the Pentateuch Jacob's vision of the
future is carried further along and developed." And when Balaam said in
the last part of Vs. 9, "Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is
he that curseth thee," he also linked Jacob's prophecy in Gen. 49:8-12
with God's words to Abraham in Gen. 12:3: "I will bless them that bless
thee, and curse him that curseth thee."
The biblical account of Balak and Balaam shows how God turns the evil
intentions of enemies into blessings for His people. It also shows us
that while we do not need a king in our republic, we do need a King in
our lives. Only such a King can "work all things together for good to
them that love Him," as promised in Rom. 8:28.
3. PLEASE READ NUMBERS 24: 17-19.
In Vs. 10-11 Balak complained that Balaam had not done what he was hired
to do. Balaam rebuked Balak by reminding him of what he had told him at
the outset. Balaam said in Vs. 12-13 that if Balak offered him a house
full of silver and gold he could not curse Israel. Balaam simply could
not curse the people the Lord had determined to bless.
Balaam's final words in Vs. 15-24 are two more oracles about Israel. In
Vs. 14 he introduced the oracles with these ominous words to Balak. "Now
I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this
people will do to your people in days to come." Not only did Balak's
desire to have someone curse Israel, fail, now comes the bad news that
this nation would someday subdue Moab. Vs. 15-19 contain Balaam's fourth
oracle.
The coming ruler of Israel is the main focus of Balaam's fourth oracle.
This person was not alive at the time of Balaam's prophecy: I see Him,
but not now; I behold Him, but not near. Balaam was granted the high
privilege of prophetically seeing the coming of the Messiah King. But His
coming was not now nor nigh. These centuries later we are warned we are
daily drawing nearer the second coming of our Lord.
This ruler is called a STAR, a common description of a leader, and a
scepter, which represents royal authority. In referring to the scepter,
Balaam returned to Jacob's oracle about Judah. Balaam then got personal
with Balak by predicting the downfall of Moab at the hands of this coming
ruler. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of
Seth. This ruler out of Jacob also will conquer Edom, the descendants
of Esau, and cause Israel to grow strong. Who is this Leader, and when
would he do what Balaam predicted? To answer these questions, some
background on the history of Moab is necessary.
The Moabites were the product of the incestuous relationship between Lot
and his older daughter after the destruction of Sodom, and the death of
Lot's wife. Since Lot was Abraham's nephew, the Moabites could claim
kinship with the Israelites, but the history of the two nations showed
that Moab was more of a problem than a blessing.
The Moabites were idolaters. Chemosh was their chief god. Moab was a
small country located on a high plateau east of the Dead Sea and west of
the desert. In preparing to conquer Canaan, Israel avoided conflict with
Moab by going around them and fighting the Amorites. During the period of
the judges, the Moabites oppressed Israel for 18 years until the Lord
sent Ehud as a deliverer. Then Moab was forced to serve Israel.
By the time of King Saul, the Moabites had become independent again, and
he was forced to go to war against them, though he failed to subdue them
completely. That task was left to King David, who conquered Moab and made
them a vassal nation to Israel. Moab broke away from Israelite rule
during the divided kingdom, though the Northern Kingdom of Israel often
subdued Moab for brief periods of time. As O.T. history continued to
unfold, the Mobites are mentioned less and less. They finally lose their
identity altogether during the intertestamental period. On one occasion
Josephus linked the Moabites with the Arabs, which probably indicates
that they became assimilated with the Arab people.
Only David accomplished what Balaam predicted. Balaam's oracle had dual
fulfillment: one in David and one in Jesus. According to Rev. 11: 15 when
Jesus returns, He will subdue all His enemies and rule over everyone as
judge and king. Balaam spoke more than he knew, but the Lord used him to
deliver this oracle that predicted the coming of King David and King
Jesus.
Today as you hear prophecies of the end-time judgment, words such as
Edom and Seir stand for any enemies of God's people and their
Messiah-King. People of faith already acknowledge Jesus as their King and
Lord and Master. We are striving to let Him reign in our lives as we seek
to give Him the allegiance due Him and as we seek to live by the
standards of His coming kingdom.
NEXT WEEK WE STUDY THE PASSOVER AS IT FORTELLS THE THING THAT JESUS MUST
DO TO PURCHASE OUR SALVATION.
PLEASE READ EXODUS CH. 11 THROUGH CH. 15.
A.V. DAUGHERTY OCTOBER
15, 2000