DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS

Friday, December 28, 2007       Venerable Simon, Founder of Simonopetra on Mount Athos

2nd Vigil Nativity: Numbers 24:2-3, 5-9, 17-18        Epistle: James 2:1-13         Gospel: St. Mark 12:1-12

 

Balaam’s Prophesy: Numbers 24:2-3, 5-9, 17-18 LXX, especially vs. 17: “I will point to Him, but not now; I will bless Him, but He draws not near: a star shall rise out of Jacob, a Man shall spring out of Israel.”  Israel’s years in the wilderness concluded when finally they “encamped on the west of Moab by Jordan toward Jericho” (Nu. 22:1).  Fearful at the presence of such a great horde, the King and the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian - the two nations east of the river Jordan - sent emissaries to the famous Prophet Balaam inviting him to come from his home in Mesopotamia near the river Euphrates and “curse this people...since it is stronger than we” (Nu. 22:6).  Balaam, after consulting God, refused to join Balak, but King Balak of Moab persisted, offering greater honors, after which God said to Balaam, “rise and follow them; nevertheless the word which I shall speak to thee, it shalt thou do” (Nu. 22:20).  Balaam tried to oblige Balak, but under inspiration of God he was not able to curse Israel.  The present reading, from the last of four oracles (Nu. 24:2), is a prophecy of the coming of the Christ.

Balaam declares that “there shall come a Man out of his [Israel’s] seed” (vs. 7 LXX).  This word established the expectation that the Messiah would be a man, which proved true; for “when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son” (Gal. 4:4), born of a woman.

The Lord Jesus’ future “rule over many nations” also was predicted by Balaam (Nu. 24:7 LXX).  He foresaw that “a Kingdom greater than Gog’s [would] be raised up” (vs. 7 LXX), and the Kingdom of God is greater than Gog’s (one of Scripture’s names for Satan).

The Lord Jesus’ Kingdom has been “enlarged” or “increased” and will continue to expand until all nations shall come before Him and worship Him (vs. 7 LXX).

Although the Prophet did not speak of the flight of Joseph and the Virgin and the Christ child from Herod’s realm, he did foresee that “God led Him out of Egypt” (vs. 8), a vision given to the Prophet Hosea years later (Hos. 11:1), and fulfilled when Joseph, in Egypt, obeyed the angel, “arose and took the young Child and His mother and came into the land of Israel” (Mt. 2:20).

Balaam likewise prophesied the Lord’s power in overcoming nations and the adversaries of the Gospel: “He shall consume the nations of His enemies” (Nu. 24:8).  This striking prophesy of the advance of the Lord and His Church over the centuries is steadily being fulfilled.

The Holy Spirit revealed to the Prophet how men would respond to the Messiah, and also how their responses to Him would affect them in turn: “They that bless thee are blessed, and they that curse thee are cursed” (vs. 9).  How tragic are those who accept the religions of false gods!

The Prophet foresaw all these things about the Christ Who would come, but he would only say, “I will point to Him, but not now; I will bless Him, but He draws not near” (vs. 17), for the coming of the Son of Man would occur in the age of Rome.

Most wonderfully, Balaam was even given a hint of the star of Bethlehem: “a star shall come forth out of Jacob” (vs. 17), which, indeed, led the Magi from the East to the cave!

Balaam’s prophecy discloses that the true Messiah of Israel would “crush” the enemies of the People of God, and all the traditional enemies of ancient Israel were named - Moab, Edom, and Seir (vss. 17,18).  The Church, as the true Israel that worships Christ, is the living witness to Truth Himself, He Who was born in the cave to the Virgin Mother.  He has dispossessed His enemies and established His People valiantly.  How blessed we are, Beloved, for we do not look ahead into the future as did Balaam.  Christ is Born!  Glorify Him!

Let us, therefore, praise and magnify Him, the God born in flesh from the Virgin, the King born in a cave, the God worshiped by the Magi, Who hath delivered us from the curse.

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