All right now, if we're honest, reading the Bible consistently can be a challenge, but it's never too late to start and we're in this together.

This is the Join the Journey podcast.

Thanks for joining and Merry Christmas.

Today, we're reading numbers 2417, Jeremiah 33, 14, 16, and 2 2 Samuel 7, 4 through 17, answering the question,

how do these verses point to Jesus? Each of these scriptures points us forward to Jesus,

even though they were written centuries before his birth. Here's what we're going to do today.

First, we'll break down the cultural and biblical context of each prophecy, then we'll connect the dots to see how they're fulfilled in Jesus.

Finally, we'll talk about how this impacts our lives today. So let's start with Numbers 2417.

This verse comes from the story of Balam, a prophet who was hired by Balak, the king of Moab, to curse

Israel. But instead of cursing them, Balam delivers blessings because God is in control, not

Balak. Here's what he says in verse 17. I see him, but not now. I behold him, but not near.

A star will come out of Jacob, a sceptre will rise out of Israel.

So what's going on? The star and scepter are symbols of a king, a future ruler who will come

from Jacob's descendants. This prophecy isn't just about any old king, it's about a ruler who will

bring ultimate victory. The star imagery in

numbers 2417 not only points to Jesus but also had symbolic significance for rulers in the

ancient Near East. Stars were often associated with divine authority in kingship. Interestingly,

some scholars connect this prophecy, some, with the star of Bethlehem and Matthew 2.

There's speculation that the wise men were influenced by Jewish prophecies because of exposure to

Israelite culture during the Babylonian exile centuries later.

This connection could explain why they recognized the star as signaling the birth of the

king of the Jews. But how does this verse specifically point to Jesus? Well, fast forward to the New

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