Month: October 2024

I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob;
A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.
Numbers 24:17*

Ol’ Balaam was a nasty guy; he sold knowledge of the true God for a price and showed King Balak how to bring a curse on Israel through seduction by the women of Moab. I really don’t expect to see him in heaven.

That having been said, he was still a prophet of the LORD, and he spoke these words that God gave him. God does that sometimes – reveals His word and will to unbelievers. The Almighty gave dreams to both Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar to reveal the future. Caiaphas plotted to crucify Christ, but prophesied in his capacity of high priest: “It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish” (John 11:50).

Balaam had the reputation that those whom he blessed were blessed, and those whom he cursed were cursed. His words were probably recorded, and they may be what clued the wise men into searching the heavens for a star.

When that star did appear in the East, they recognized that the Scepter would rise out of Israel, and they were ready to greet the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). Herod tried to destroy the Christ Child, but God preserved Him. The king is long since dead and his dynasty eradicated, which points out a part of the prophesy that is seldom mentioned.

This Scepter that would come out of Jacob would battle the bad guys and destroy the evildoers. As the Righteous Judge, Christ will sit on the Great White Throne and pronounce judgment on the proud and powerful who reigned on earth. Righteousness will have its final victory over “wrongseousness.”

*see also Hebrews 1:8

December 19 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
Micah 5:2*

When Herod the Great discovered that the wise men from the East wanted to worship the newborn Jewish Messiah, he called up Bible scholars to find out what prophecy had to say. The chief priests and scribes knew that the Christ was to be born in “Bethlehem in the Land of Judah” (Matthew 2:6).

There is no doubt that this passage refers to Jesus because it is quoted in Matthew concerning His birth. There is also no question that this verse is linked to the Anointed of the LORD, because it states that He was pre-existent before His birth in the stable, and even before the prophesy was given somewhere around 700 B.C.

Like most visions of the future, this prophecy is a two-dimensional snapshot of events with no depth of focus. Many prophesies lack chronological order, and this one lumps both advents of Christ in the same verse. The fact remains that the babe of Bethlehem has not yet become the Ruler of Israel.

The promised Son of David who was supposed to re-establish the throne in Israel never had the chance to reign. “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him (John 1:11). Even the chief priests who handed over the Messiah to their Gentile overlords declared, “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:15).

All that will change in the twinkling of an eye. Jesus will soon return with an army of angels to reclaim what was denied Him almost two thousand years ago. He will be hailed not only as Ruler of Israel but as king of the whole earth.

*see also Matthew 2:6

December 18 

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called  […..] Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Of all the single verse names of Christ, Prince of Peace is probably the best known. It’s seen frequently on Christmas cards, heard in Handel’s Messiah and always found in lists of the titles of the Lord Jesus. Most Americans have heard the title, but not everyone understands what it means.

All around us are wars, rumors of wars, terrorism, and even Christians tortured and killed for their faith. If you look at history it gets worse. World history is nothing but a series of wars, oppression, revolution, and civil unrest; church history focuses on the persecution of the church and divisions between those who call themselves Christians. An honest man would have to ask himself, “So, where’s the peace?”

On the global scale, the peace hasn’t come yet. Our planet is the battleground between the forces of holiness and the forces of evil; between God’s people and Satan’s. They don’t peacefully co-exist. Jesus tried to explain this: “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three” (Luke 12:51,52).

However, on a personal level, things are totally different. Christ told His followers: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The world’s definition of peace is the absence of conflict. The Prince of Peace defines calmness as the absence of fear in the midst of conflict.

When people get tired and desperate from the consequences of sin and fighting against God, life seems hopeless even when things seem to be going well. They want the peace that passes understanding which only comes from the Prince of Peace.

December 17 

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called […] Everlasting Father…
Isaiah 9:6

“Everlasting Father.” How strange that this should be a title of Christ, yet the reference is indisputable. Well known and often quoted at Christmas, Isaiah 9:6 not only foretells of the birth of the “child,” but it also gives a list of the names of God’s “Son.”

Although the doctrine of the Trinity is not always easy to understand, it becomes a lot more complicated indeed if the Son is called the Father or vice versa. Nowhere else in scripture is Jesus referred to as a father. He had no offspring of his own, and believers don’t become children of Christ. Rather, He is the only begotten of the Father, and through Him men and women are adopted into God’s family. As a result they become joint heirs with the Son.      

How then is Jesus Christ the “Everlasting Father?”        

The key to understanding the phrase is actually on the word “everlasting.” In his translation of the Bible, J.N. Darby renders the title “Father of Eternity,” expressing the truth that eternity originates with Christ. He is its source.

The Lord Jesus is the One who inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15), and His goings forth are from everlasting (Micah 5:2). Never having been created, the state of being eternal is an attribute of Christ. He is therefore, fully capable of bestowing eternal life to those He chooses.      

Everlasting Father is clearly a title of deity, and the Lord Jesus Christ owns it. There is nothing everlasting apart from Him.

December 16 

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called […] Mighty God…
Isaiah 9:6

In order to be born as the little Child in Bethlehem, Christ had to lay aside His glory and authority, but He never relinquished His titles. Lying in the hay of the stable 2000 years ago was the Mighty God. Only the angels really knew that for sure, but that’s who He was.

Jeremiah was given insight into who He was 600 years before His Advent: “You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them […] the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts” (Jeremiah 32:18). Isn’t that what Jesus is, love and judgment bound together in the person of the Mighty God?

Over the years, the church has lost its focus on just how strong and powerful our Savior really is. However, the Apostle Paul never lost sight of who He was because He boldly declared, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Our all-powerful Creator reworks broken lives. “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Christ and the gospel were such a great, unstoppable force in the first century that pagan leaders lamented, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (Acts 17:6). Opposed on every side by the powerful enemies of God, Paul knew that the ultimate victory was the Lord’s. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

The world still attacks Christ by attacking his followers, but there’s precious hope. “‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:36-37). We must never lose sight of the fact that Jesus is the Mighty God.

December 15 

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His
name will be called […] Counselor…
Isaiah 9:6

As my boys grew up, I would tell them Bible stories of David and his mighty men, hoping that this would encourage them to become men of God. I wanted to get across the necessity of faith and courage – or at least that’s what I had in mind.

In eighth-grade English class, one of the boys was studying heroes and was given a writing assignment to tell of something heroic that he wanted to do. He began his paper, “I want to kill 1,000 men.” He went on to tell about standing up to great odds like David’s mighty men and doing what was right in the face of danger, but that didn’t matter. The teacher read the first sentence and then marched my boy off to the guidance counselor’s office. For the next five years, he had to make regular visits there, even after moving on to high school.

Although the whole situation was misinterpreted, I do understand it. There are a lot of mixed up people in our world today, and counselors are there to help them work through those issues so they don’t self-destruct or hurt others. However, human counselors are limited in how much real help they can offer. Those taking anger management classes or addiction seminars usually repeat these courses many times.

Jesus Christ is the great Counselor and can set people free from the emotional pretzels they get twisted into. Grief, anger, depression, drug and alcohol addictions, and doubt can produce physical and emotional pain that robs people of joy and peace. Christ came to this world to take away the burdens that weigh people down. By coming to Jesus in prayer, people are able to cast all their cares upon Him.

Everyone who is overloaded with anxiety can find help for their souls in the heavenly Counselor. No appointment necessary.

December 14 

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government
will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful,
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

This well-known “Christmas verse” contains seven important titles of Christ, most of which are unique to this verse. Perhaps the most wonderful of all is Wonderful. It’s not just my opinion of Jesus; it is one of His names.

In a world where people pay top dollar for entertainment, production studios spend hundreds of millions of dollars to produce mediocre films where plot and character development take a backseat to flash and dazzle. Most movie-goers are bored if a film doesn’t have lots of pyrotechnics, sensuality, and computer-generated imagery. It takes an awful lot to impress the average American nowadays.

These entertainment addicted individuals are usually turned off by religion and totally uninterested in the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a pity. He offers the excitement they seem to crave and can transform them in real and meaningful ways. They don’t know Him, and they don’t know that He is Wonderful.

All I can say to those who are addicted to stimulus and troubled by reality is that I can get them an appointment with a Great Counselor who can set them free from their vices. To those who think they’re all alone in their world, I’d like to introduce them to the Mighty God. To those who are afraid to die, I’d like to show them the Everlasting Father, and to them who have given up on world peace, I know the Prince of Peace. Jesus is all these things and He is truly Wonderful!

Wonderful, Wonderful
Jesus is to me.
Counselor, Prince of Peace,
Mighty God is He.
Saving me, keeping me
From all sin and shame,
Wonderful is my Redeemer
Praise His name!
                       – Haldor Lillenas (1885-1959)

December 13 

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Son – Now that’s a title that Jesus shares with half the human race. At first glance, it doesn’t seem very important or noteworthy yet the title is among many prestigious designations that Isaiah gives to God’s beloved Son (Matthew 3:17).

It used to be that when a baby was going to be born, no one knew if it would be a boy or a girl until the day it arrived. Predictions were usually made, but they were right only about 50% of the time. But this prophesy of the Son being “given” was not a prediction at all, because Christ was “given” before the foundation of the world – long before the prophet even penned this verse.

God chose to manifest Himself as “the Son” to His human creation. “For to which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son. Today I have begotten You?’ And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?’” (Hebrews 1:5). God didn’t reveal Himself as some sort of all-powerful, fear-inducing giant. He came as a little baby – “a Son was given.”

In a normal pregnancy, people wait nine months for the child to be born. But the world had to wait a really long time for a special Son – God’s Son. The gestation period for Isaiah’s prophesy was seven centuries. Finally, the Heir of God came in the fullness of time to accomplish redemption for humankind and to bring from Adam’s race, sons and daughters that would be joint heirs with Himself.

“Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him” (Psalms 2:12). Amen!

December 12 

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given …
Isaiah 9:6

Why was Jesus born as a baby and then made to go through all the indignities of childhood? He really didn’t have to come that way. The second person of the Trinity appeared as a full grown man on a number of occasions before He was the Babe of Bethlehem.

The pre-incarnate Christ manifested Himself to Joshua as the Commander of the LORD’s Army when He ordered Joshua to take off his sandals because he was on holy ground. He appeared as the Angel of the LORD to Samson’s parents and then ascended to heaven in the flames of the altar. Finally, the Son of God was seen in the fiery furnace with Shadrach and crew, which shook up the king.

Being born in the same way that all humans come into this world left the Messiah vulnerable to His enemies. Satan urged King Herod to try to kill the child. After Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather, was warned by God in a dream, “he arose, he took the young child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt” (Matthew 2:14). Jesus needed care and protection.

Why, then, did He even have to become a child? It’s because Christ was the Heavenly Man, 100% God and 100% human. He needed to be of the Seed of the Woman to fulfill prophesy (Genesis 3:15), but He also needed to be a Man born of woman to be able to share the human experience and understand our failings. As our Great High Priest, He is able to empathize with humanity.

Being a child meant going to school, learning to read, doing chores, and being obedient to His parents. At age twelve, Jesus was able to astonish teachers, but most of His youth He spent subject to the authorities around Him. Mary’s son was an exceptional Child,  but He was a Child nonetheless.

December 11

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.
Isaiah 9:2

The Lord Jesus is not a candle in the night; He’s a floodlight, searchlight, beacon, lighthouse – Great Light. That’s a lot of light, because there’s a lot of darkness out there. Since people stumble around in the blackness and live under the shadow of death all their lives, a lot of light is needed to take care of everybody’s problems.

It’s really surprising how often Christ is associated with light. He is, after all, the brightness of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3), the Dayspring (Dawn) From on High (Luke 1:78), and the Morning Star (Revelation 2:28). Add to this that He is the Light that Shines in a Dark Place (2 Peter 1:19) and three times in the book of Revelation it says that the glorified Christ has eyes that are flames of fire. Yes, that is a lot of light.

Once, I was driving on a country road in the desert of New Mexico when my oil light went on. Those were the days long before cell phones and GPS. At that time, I had no clue which way to turn for help. I knew I passed a town about twenty miles back, but I could see the glow of something on the horizon. It was the city of Roswell about ten miles ahead. Eventually a car passed me and I got help, but the main point is that the distant city lights let me know where I was and that I wasn’t alone in the desert. I had seen a great light.

The verse above in Isaiah comes before the famous Christmas verse about a Child being born and a Son being given. It gives the context of why the Savior came to this world to redeem mankind. The human race was lost, scared, and groping around in darkness. He came to bring hope, direction, and a Great Light.

December 10