**** The Nativity in the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ ****
2nd Nativity Vigil: Numbers 24:2-3, 5-9, 17-18 Epistle: Galatians 4:4-7 Gospel: St. Matthew 2:1-12
Numbers 24:2-3, 5-9, 17-18, especially vs. 17: "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not nigh:
a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel...." Israel's years in the wilderness drew to a
conclusion when finally they "encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho" (Nu. 22:1). Fearful at the
presence of such a great horde of people, 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 they are too mighty" (Nu. 22:6). Balaam, after consulting God, refused,
but King Balak of Moab persisted, offering greater honors, after which God said to Balaam, "...rise and go with them; but
only what I bid you, that shall you do" (Nu. 22:20). Balaam tried to oblige Balak in four different oracles, but under
inspiration of God he was not able to curse Israel. The present reading, from his last oracle, in which "the Spirit of God
came upon him" (Nu. 24:2), foretells the coming of Christ.
Balaam foretells the Lord's humanity: "There shall come a Man out of his [Israel's] seed" (vs. 7 LXX). From this oracle,
the expectation was established that the Messiah would be a man, and "when the time had fully come, God sent forth His
Son" (Gal. 4:4) Who was a man like us.
The Lord Jesus' future "rule over many nations" also was predicted by Balaam (Nu. 24:7 LXX), who 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, the Virgin and the Christ child from Herod's realm, he did
foresee that "God brings 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 through history: "He
shall eat up the nations His adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces" (Nu. 24:8). This striking prophesy of the
advance of the Lord and His Church over the centuries continues to be 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: "Blessed be every one who blesses You, and cursed be every one who curses You" (vs. 9).
The Prophet foresaw all these things about the Christ Who would come, but he knew it was "not now; I behold Him, but
not nigh" (vs. 17), for it would come 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!
In this prophecy also is disclosed 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
which worships Christ, is the living witness to the truth that He Who was born in the cave to the Virgin Mother has
dispossessed His enemies and wrought 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.