We Have Seen His Star

The light showed the way to the Promised Land and the way to Emmanuel.

Numbers 24:17 I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel.

We saw in the previous post that God is always in control, it is difficult to understand this idea, but somehow this is true even when he is allowing us to have free will. We saw this truth in action in the life of Balaam, we learned that God let him have his way so that he could use this unwilling false prophet.

God shows us in his word that he is sovereign at all times and he will use anyone to work out his divine plans and his purpose despite our free will. We saw that Balaam had no desire to bless God's people and he certainly had no desire to announce the ultimate blessing.

Balaam's prophecies concluded with one of the earliest predictions of the Messiah:

• A Savior that would be the redeemer of God's people, the Star that would bring light to our darkness.
• A Ruler that would be the Lord of God's people, the Scepter would establish an eternal kingdom.

Each time that God came to Balaam there wasn't anything spectacular about it, God spoke to him like he had done so many times before in scripture, it was just a normal conversation. There are plenty of times when this was true like when God spoke to Adam and Eve, or to Abraham, or Hagar or Jacob. (Genesis 3:8-9, 6:13, 12:1, 16:7-12, 28:12) 

But that was not always the case, as we will see, sometimes God's presence was very visible.

The Light To The Chosen

1 John 1:5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.

Sometimes when God interacted with people, his presence was an impressive display of light so spectacular that it is amazing that he interacted with some people without his glory being on display.

Abraham was the first to directly experience God's glorious light, not the first time when God called him from his homeland but later when God showed himself in a ceremony to confirm the covenant to bless Abraham's descendants. (Genesis 15)

Moses saw the light as it got his attention when God's glory caused a bush to light up as if it were on fire yet it was not consumed. The voice from withing the bush makes it clear that the source of the light was not natural. (Exodus 3:1-5)

God's people saw the light as it led them away from the darkness of Egypt to the land that was promised. But first the light led them to Mount Sinai where they saw the light as a sign of God's presence.

And now we will see the same Light that was revealed to God's chosen people throughout the Torah will also guide the nations to the new Promised Land. (Isaiah 9:2; 60:1–3).

The Light Of Christmas

Matthew 2:2,9-10 "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him."

9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!

The same God that occupied the mountain in the wilderness came without the grand entrance that he deserved to occupy a lowly manger in Bethlehem. It seems that the Light was revealed only to a very select group of people that God chose. 

The men that saw the star were not part of God's original chosen people, none of the Jews, including the religious leaders in Jerusalem seem to know anything about the star even after the Magi asked about it. Even if they looked outside for it, they may have missed it because the star did not always appear or maybe the star wasn't for them.

The special star that led them to Bethlehem reminds me of the Old Testament pillar of fire that gave direction to a specific people to go to a specific place. Think about the unique characteristics of the pillar, it appeared and disappeared, it moved in various directions and it started and stopped at various times and locations. 

It is very unlikely that either of these lights were natural, it seems to me that God's glorious presence that led his people in the Old Testament is the same source of light that led the Magi. It makes more sense that God was personally guiding these men in a similar manner instead of trying to explain the source of light as a natural star or astronomical event. 

The understated entrance didn't confuse the Magi, they knew this was divine revelation that the King of the Jews was here, they had anticipated this event because they knew God's word, they knew that this wasn't an ordinary star and this was no ordinary baby. 

Once again, God chose to guide men on the right path as he did for his people in the wilderness, but this time he is lighting the way for the nations to come to him. (Psalms 119:105, Isaiah 60:3, Matthew 28:19)

The Light Of The World

John 3:19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil."

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

The light showed the way to the Promised Land and it showed the way to Emmanuel. The same God that said "Let there be light" was now with us in our world as the Light that dispels the darkness of sin and death for anyone who follows Him.

When Jesus announced at Sokkot that he is the Light of the World the people knew without a doubt that he was claiming to be the Messiah. Many rabbis and prophets understood that the blazing lights that filled the temple on the Feast of Tabernacles was pointing to the coming Messiah. (Zechariah 14:16–19)

Jesus ministry to everyone was an invitation to leave the darkness and come to the light to become children of the light that would then also become the light of the world that would show God's glory to others. (Matthew 5:14-16, Ephesians 5:8)

The Light Of Eternity

Revelation 22:5 And there will be no night there-no need for lamps or sun-for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

Our Savior proved that the light cannot be extinguished, even in death, he defeated death in his own life and he will defeat it again in each of our lives as well. He will take us to our Promised Land to dwell with him in light that is unending.

The end of the story is bright for those that have seen the Light, miss the light and you will spend eternity in darkness.

Perfect Gifts: Wisdom

The wisdom that God wants to give us is so much better than the world has to offer.

Proverbs 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!

James 1:5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

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It is easy to get caught up in the thinking of this world, to value what they say is important and pursue the things that they think are worthwhile. All of us have fallen into that trap because that is a natural part of our human wisdom but God's infinite wisdom tells us that there is a better way to live and better things to pursue.

The pursuit of temporary riches and the pursuit of knowledge can consume all of us but these treasures are not the most valuable. If you are honest with yourself you will conclude just like King Solomon did that none of these things satisfy for very long, it is is all a chasing after the wind.

We pile up all the toys that we can get our hands on (Proverbs 3:14-15), we spend our time seeking pleasure and higher education (Proverbs 3:5), but we forget that God has a gift that he is ready to give us that is far better and longer lasting.

Knowing Jesus, Priceless

Philippians 3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded  everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.

The person who is truly rich is not the one who has money, power or the most toys but the one who is wise discards all of that to gain Jesus. The person who is really wise is the one that seeks to know God and his son Jesus. 

What is God's wisdom? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us some of God's wisdom and showed us how different it is from man's wisdom. Jesus tells us that the people that live for him, seek to have the same attitudes as him and act like him are the richest people that you will ever meet. (Matthew 5:3-12)

Wise men still seek him and when they seek him they become wiser still. Digging into God’s word everyday is the only way to receive wisdom from God that will help you get to know him better and help you gain his wisdom and understanding for the difficulties that will come your way.

Thank you for giving us wisdom Lord, since your wisdom is so different from mine I need your help to discern your wisdom each day for the situations that come my way.

Doing God's Will God's Way

Our skills and talents won't help us do God's will before God is ready.

Exodus 2:11-12 Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. 

During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. 12 After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.

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The comfortable life that God's children had when they first arrived in Egypt is just a distant memory at this point. God preserved their lives during the famine by sending them to Egypt but he also allowed them to be persecuted for hundreds of years before they were released. Being in the center of God's will does not guarantee that you will live on easy street.

God sent a rescuer in the form of a defenseless baby that would have to be protected from the evil dictator that wanted him dead, instead of killing Moses, God would see to it that Moses would grow up in Pharaoh's own family. Moses would get the best education and military training that the government could provide. But as much like an Egyptian as they tried to make him Moses still knew that he wasn't one of them.

Moses could have stayed in his comfortable life but the day came when he couldn't stand the unjust treatment of his people any longer. Seeing the oppression and injustice day after day finally pushed him over the edge but the problem was that he hadn't talked to God about his decision.

Moses Thinks He Is Ready, God Knows Better

Moses thinks that he is ready to make a difference in the life of his people but he doesn't realize that he doesn't have God's blessing yet. Moses proves by his actions that he has a heart for his people, and that he has leadership skills but he was wrong to assume that it was time for him to take action. 

Seeing a need that your training and skills can handle and having the courage to solve a problem doesn't mean it is time to get to work. Sometimes God isn't ready for you even if you think you are ready to serve him. It is easy to take action in the areas that God has gifted us before God is ready for us to use those gifts. 

How God Uses Failure
1. God uses imperfect instruments who fail in their attempts to serve Him.  2. God shapes and prepares imperfect instruments before He uses them. 3. God’s gracious covenant faithfulness prepares His servants for His people and His people for His servants. Learn more>

It seems like God's people would be anxious for a deliverer but the response to Moses after he killed the Egyptian made it clear that they were not ready yet. We will see later that their opposition to Moses leadership will never go away completely, they will stand up against him over and over again and they will even beg to return to these miserable conditions.

The future leader of God's people had to be prepared for God's work by stepping into the classroom that God uses quite often. Many times the wilderness is the place that God takes his people so that they can spend time alone with him free of distractions.

Back in the book of Genesis we saw that Jacob ran to the wilderness to get away from his brother and he ran into God. The wilderness is the place where God shaped Jacob's character and brought him into a closer relationship with him. (Genesis 28:12-13, 32:22-32)

Now it is Moses turn in the wilderness classroom, as soon as he gets to the wilderness we can see his desire for justice in his successful rescue of some shepherd girls, consequently Moses gets married to one of these ladies. Moses has gone from riches and luxury to one of God's preferred occupations as a poor shepherd with a family to feed. (Exodus 2:15-22)

At the beginning of Exodus chapter two, Moses was know as a Hebrew by Pharaoh's daughter and now at the end of the chapter he is known as an Egyptian by the daughters of Reuel, that's how quickly Moses became alienated from both worlds. (compare Exodus 2:6,19)

Moses spent his first forty years thinking he was somebody. He spent his second forty years learning he was a nobody. He spent his third forty years discovering what God can do with a nobody.

-D. L. Moody

Imagine having a God given desire to rescue people but God doesn't allow you to use your gifts and training to help. Moses will be 80 years old before God lets him begin his ministry of leading his people back to their promised land. 

Moses must have spent a lot of time alone with the sheep thinking that he had ruined his life with that one impulsive decision but God will show up in a big way that should have given him a lot of courage.

God Is Ready, Moses Thinks He Knows Better

Exodus 3:1-3 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush.

Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”

When God is ready he comes in a big way to make it clear, but the burning bush that wasn't being burned up and the voice of God wasn't enough to convince Moses that God had the right man. Moses should have already realized that his own wisdom failed him when he killed the Egyptian but here he is standing on holy ground before God using his own wisdom again. This time he is making excuses about why God's wisdom is wrong.

Man's wisdom says that Moses has missed the opportunity to use his talents and influence forty years ago before he ran to the desert but God's wisdom says that this is exactly when he is ready to use us. Moses doesn't realize that the only strength that be needs is strong faith that the same powerful God of his ancestors was on his side.

Sometimes the most difficult times in ministry is in the waiting, we may feel like God is wrong for not using our ability and passion to serve. Most of the time we can't understand why he gives us a passion to serve and the ability but he doesn't give us the opportunity. 

When Moses was perfect for the job by the world's standards, God wasn't ready to use him, sometimes God's delay is being used to help us realize that we need to rely on him for his strength and his timing.

Thank you Lord for giving me a passion to serve you. Help me to wait for your blessing and your timing so that I will be in your will.

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God's Wise Men

Wise men know that anything that is not eternal will soon be out of date.

Matthew 2:1-3 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” 3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians 1:20-21 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

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Throughout history wise men have always been very difficult to find, it can be so challenging for us to be wise that God gave us an entire book of the Bible dedicated to teaching us about wisdom. Wise men are so rare that when the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon she had to take a road trip to check it out.

The most famous wise men are the ones that came to meet baby Jesus, they just suddenly show up in the Christmas story without an introduction but if you are a student of the Bible you will realize how they knew about Jesus. These guys didn't get a grand and glorious announcement from a bunch of angels, they didn't need all of that, they already knew what was going on when they saw the star.

The wise men probably learned about the Hebrew faith and the arrival of the Messiah while the Jews were living in captivity. The persecution in the New Testament isn't the first time that God was glorified as a result of his people being scattered around the world. 

Israel didn't realize that their exile was really a mission trip and what looked like a bad thing in their day we now know was being used by God to spread the good news of the gospel around the world.

Since God is the source of wisdom we need to study the truth about wisdom found in his word so that we will be truly wise.

Simple Truths About Wisdom

The Wisdom Of The World Is Dated

Wise men from every age have had their wisdom questioned by the next generation. So much of the wisdom from my grandparents generation is seen as foolishness by my generation and the next. Pick a topic and do some research and you will find that today's experts disagree with the past and a lot of things that were supposed to be true are laughed at today. Each generation thinks that their experts are the ones that are better than the previous ones.

If you monkey with the classic Christian faith and change it so it is up to date you will create for yourself a faith that soon will be laughable and obsolete.

-Timothy Keller

Christianity is the same way, today's experts have decided that the old ways are out of date and that we need to change our theology to fit with the times. Too many people act like we should know better than to believe those ancient words found in the Bible.

The Wisdom Of The World Is Shallow and Inadequate

The world has many theories about how to make myself a better version of me but none of their teaching takes care of my sin problem. The world's answers are shallow and inadequate when it comes to restoring my relationship with God. 

I know that no matter how good I am I will never measure up to the level of goodness that is required to stand before a holy God. Without an intervention I would never find peace with God on my own.

The Wisdom Of The World Is Narrow And Exclusive

The gospel is usually seen as narrow and exclusive from those on the outside but really it is the world's wisdom that is. The world tells you that you need to be pretty and have power and possessions in order to matter but the gospel is for everyone, the rich wise man and the poor unclean shepherds are on the same level in their need for a savior.

God's wisdom chooses to use the lowly and despised to accomplish his work, even the choice of Mary to be Jesus mother. A poor, uneducated, unmarried pregnant girl that would lose any status she could have had before she became pregnant.

The hope of Christmas is still available to those that put aside man's wisdom. We need to be prepared like those men that heard the teaching about the savior that would come hundreds of years later. When they saw the star they knew that the savior had arrived and they couldn't wait to worship him.

Based on a sermon by Timothy Keller "Jesus, Our God"

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Walk In Wisdom

Not all wisdom is created equal so be careful who's wisdom you follow.

Ephesians 5:15-17  So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise.  16  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.  17  Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Titus 2:11-14  For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.   

12  And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13  while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.   

14  He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

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There was a lot of interest in wisdom in the society that Paul was living in. The people of the city of Ephesus included many Greeks that would be familiar with the popular philosophy and wisdom that the nearby city of Athens is famous for.

These lovers of wisdom studied the concepts of logic and the idea of reality, our existence, and knowledge. The wisdom that these people had is foolishness to God, the Greek idea of wisdom was about the mind and having superior intellect but God wants his people to have wisdom from him which is about living by his standards, the two viewpoints do not mix well.

The converted pagans had a difficult time breaking away from the man made gods and the philosophies of man. It doesn't take any effort to live contrary to God's wisdom, the wisdom of man comes naturally to us, it seems logical to us. It takes effort to align your idea of wisdom with God's because we can't comprehend his wisdom. How can the first be last or the greatest be the least?

Job 12:13 “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his."

Since our minds are programed to think that God's wisdom doesn't make sense, we have to be careful that we are following God's wisdom instead of mans. Sometimes we trick ourselves into believing that our human wisdom is actually God's wisdom so that we can do what we want to do.

Traits of the fool: Disbelief Luke 24:25  Then Jesus said to them, "You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Disobey Galatians 3:3  How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Desire Wrong Things 1 Timothy 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. Does Wrong James 3:15  For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.

There is a connection between having God's wisdom, his righteousness and being devoted to him and there is a connection between being a fool and being involved in wicked behavior. We cannot be like God and be wise and also be involved in the pleasures of this world.

Lord, I am looking forward to the day that you return and this battle with human wisdom is over. I want to live by your wisdom and accept the truth of your word. The day of your return is way more exciting to me than the empty pleasures of this world.

Here's Something To Brag About

What makes you such a big deal?

Jeremiah 9:23-24 This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches.

24 But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!

Jeremiah 13:15-16 Listen and pay attention! Do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God before it is too late.

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So you feel like a big shot? Maybe you are pretty smart, have a fancy degree on the wall or maybe your degree is from the school of hard knocks, well if you think you can brag about your wisdom, don't.

Maybe you have authority and power, run a big company or maybe a church ministry or maybe you're just the king of your castle. Well if you think you can brag about your power, think again.

Maybe you have a big stash of money in the bank and you are feeling pretty secure in the midst of these economic troubles, its not worrying you but if you think you can brag about your finances, don't bother.

It's okay to boast, it's not a big deal, but there are some ground rules that you need to know. This is what you are allowed to boast about:

✔ That you truly know the Lord.

✔ That you know that the Lord demonstrates unfailing love.

✔ That you know that the Lord brings justice and righteousness to the earth.

✔ That you know that he takes great pleasure in these things.

What! That's not a list of things that we are ever inclined to brag about. We usually want to exaggerate about how much we have or how great we are, it is usually all about ourselves, so that we can impress others. Boasting usually puts the spotlight on ourselves and pushes God out of the picture, we loose our focus and begin concentrating on how self sufficient and capable we are. (Philippians 2:3-4)

Boasting in the cross

Galatians 6:14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.

We should be depending on God for our worth and value. Paul told us that he will boast only about the cross, that's a turn around from the man that he used to be, he had a lot of good reasons to brag about himself but after he met Jesus all of that changed. The value of all of that other stuff was equivalent to the appraised value of a pile of garbage. (Philippians 3:7-8)

My value in God's eyes = Priceless. I don't need to build myself up and try to be somebody special because I already am!