Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Numbers chapter 24 verse 17.

I see him but not now.

I behold him but not near.

A star shall come out of Jacob

and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. So when you hear those words star sceptre,

these are words that relate to kingship. In fact, before this Genesis chapter 49, I think it's

verse 10, and promises to the tribe of Judah,

we see a picture of a sceptre coming from Judah, and it's a picture of a king. And that's the

same picture we have here in Balaam's final oracle here in verse 17 of chapter 24,

when he's talking about a king coming out of Jacob and a king rising out of Israel.

This is a theme we see all throughout the Old Testament, a coming king.

The Old Testament keeps pointing forward to God in different ways in the history of his people,

keeps pointing forward to a king who's to come.

And you think about it.

Just in our day, you look at rulers or leaders in the world and you think, so imagine a leader

that you are struggling under that leadership.

And you think, okay, well, another leader is coming. A better leader is coming.

And that's the picture we see all throughout the Old Testament. A better leader is coming.

And not just a better leader, a perfect leader. Not just a better king, but a perfect king is

coming. And this is what we celebrate at Christmas.

The perfect king has come.

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