“I see him, but not in the present time. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel….” Numbers 24:17
A scepter is an emblem or sign for authority and when the word scepter was magnified from the other words in this scripture verse, I was reminded of the story Esther in the bible.
Examine these verses with me from Esther:
“The whole world knows that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his golden scepter….” Esther 4:11
“When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her, holding out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched its tip.” Esther 5:2
“Now once more Esther came before the king, falling down at his feet and begging him with tears to stop Haman’s evil plot against the Jews. Again the king held out his golden scepter to Esther. So she rose and stood before him and said, ‘If Your Majesty is pleased with me and if he thinks it is right, send out a decree reversing Haman’s orders to destroy the Jews through out the provinces of the king. For how can I endure to see my people and my family slaughtered and destroyed’” Esther 8:3-6
Anyone who appeared before King Xerxes uninvited was doomed to die unless the king held out his golden scepter, which is a great illustration of what it was like with God’s presence in the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34) and the Most Holy Place in the temple (Hebrews 9:7-8). Only priests could enter these places. The “scepter” and “inner court” of the king are great illustrations or parallels of Jesus holding out his life and sacrifice as a scepter so we can have favor with and approach God.
“Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.” Ephesians 2:18
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
“A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel.”
Jesus is the authority to receive life and receive eternal life in heaven.
The star represents the star that rose above Bethlehem. The scepter is Jesus that “emerged” from Israel. The scepter held out to us was Jesus who offers us life instead of death.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it but to save it.” John 3:16-17
We as common folk cannot get to heaven by own our deeds or accomplishments but only in relying, submitting, trusting, believing and living “in” Christ - a priesthood in God where we can enter into his inner courts. (Very powerful stuff)
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
For Jesus, transforms all who come, believe and trust him. Where the ordinary are empowered by God’s love, power, mercy, grace, peace, hope and truth, which grow and live in us as we heed the Holy Spirit.
BUT those who do not want to receive this emblem of the Father’s authority will receive a life of decay, death and eternity in hell.
For just Esther had to make a choice to come to King, her husband, to save her and her people from the plot of Haman- we all have to make a choice to come to the King, Savor and Lord Jesus Christ to be saved.
Like Haman, Satan the accuser wants to destroy you and make your eternal destination hell by encouraging your ignorance of God’s gracious gift. He doesn’t want you to trust, believe, submit to Jesus- for you to be counted innocent of all your sins and find out what true peace, mercy, grace, hope, joy and truth is.
Satan, the same as Haman, hates when Christians don’t bow down to his tricks and strategies of fear, intimidation, love for wealth, money, popularity, lust, power etc and like Haman he will see it is not enough to lay hands on you and seek in all his ways to destroy you but he cannot destroy your soul or faith unless you let him.
Does God allow Satan to have permission to tempt and test his people?
Did Jesus get tempted and tested and didn’t Jesus say when it comes to Satan, the student is no different then the Master? We are not to fret when tempted and tested for when these things come they not only keep us living in the truth. For in our submission to the truth we have the opportunity and gift to see God work in our life. We have the opportunity to see God’s power to work in and through us as simple vessels of his love as we trust and know in the scepter that has been freely given to us daily.
Satan’s plot will backfire just as Haman’s plot did against the Jews.
The bride of Christ, the Christian church, does not just have God’s favor and affection but has been given the king’s signet ring as his representative to speak and share in the Lord’s name. He has given his bride authority “in” his name.
To share the Good News and celebration of the gift of salvation in the birth of the God’s royal scepter, His Son.
We celebrate this gift in the same fashion as the Jews celebrated victory over their enemies and Haman in Esther’s day to today- with rejoicing and giving of gifts to one another. Jesus is the true gift of the season.
These spiritual truths and how they relate to the story of Esther are not new but let them became fresh and new with the prophecy the wise men knew about as they came to Jerusalem asking “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?”
“A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel.” This fact and truth of favor should encourage us.
It should tighten the pieces of this empowering message together even more. It should make your net have smaller and smaller openings where the pieces of God’s truth don’t fall through the holes but the pieces of these tasty messages and truths are gathered and shared and eaten by those who are hungry.
Merry Christmas in all its fullness to you and yours.
Jeff
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