Star Donkeys

A series of advent reflections regarding donkeys and stars designed for the church.

Numbers 24:17

Zechariah 9:9

Matthew 2:10

Revelation 22:16

Hebrews 1:1

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, (use)

Luke 24:27

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (use)

Matthew 12:40

For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (use)

Numbers 24:17

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. (use)

Numbers 22:5

sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. (use)

Numbers 22:6

Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” (use)

Joshua 13:22

Balaam also, the son of Beor, the one who practiced divination, was killed with the sword by the people of Israel among the rest of their slain. (use)

Numbers 24:2

And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, (use)

Numbers 24:3

and he took up his discourse and said, “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened," (use)

Numbers 24:4

the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered: (use)

Deuteronomy 23:3–5

No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the LORD forever, because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. But the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loved you. (use)

2 Peter 2:15

Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, (use)

Revelation 2:14

But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. (use)

God usually revealed His will in visions and dreams; and Balaam's birth and residence in Mesopotamia, where the remains of patriarchal religion still lingered, account for his knowledge of the true God. His real character has long been a subject of discussion. Some, judging from his language, have thought him a saint; others, looking to his conduct, have described him as an irreligious charlatan; and a third class consider him a novice in the faith, who had a fear of God, but who had not acquired power over his passions.

Jamieson, R., 1871. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.
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Numbers 22:28

Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” (use)

Who is there, then, who shall now impose a law upon the Maker of the world, to prevent Him from adapting the mouth of a beast to the utterance of words? Unless perhaps they would suppose Him to be bound irrevocably, because He has once appointed a certain order in nature, to abstain from displaying His power by miracles.

Calvin, J., 1555. Commentary.
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Genesis 49:10

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. (use)

Numbers 24:17

Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (use)

Proverbs 25:2

It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. (use)

...we must conclude that Scripture is not general communication from God to humanity, but deeply personal communication because it is empowered by the illuminating and applying ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Challies, T., 2018. What Does Prophecy Offer that Scripture Does Not?.
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The idea that God declares his future purposes to his servants is at the heart of the book's theology.

Wenham, G., 1977. Daniel The Basic Issues.
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Matthew 21:2

saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. (use)

John 12:14

And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, (use)

John 12:15

Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt! (use)

Matthew 2:10

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. (use)

The ancient legend of a star that is said to have appeared in the sky at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ has been speculated about for many centuries. According to the Gospel of Matthew, it supposedly led three men to Christ, so was it supernatural? Of course it wasn’t. There’s no such thing.

Carter, J., 2022. Will You See The New Christmas Star? The Truth Behind 2022's Star Of Bethlehem.
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Genesis 14:18

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) (use)

Genesis 25:6

But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. (use)

1 Kings 4:30

so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. (use)

Daniel 5:11

There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, (use)

Daniel 7:13–14

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (use)

Daniel 9:25

Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. (use)

Daniel 9:26

And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. (use)

Daniel 9:27

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator. (use)

Mark 13:14

But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (use)

Numbers 24:17

Psalm 66:5

Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. (use)

Matthew 2:2

saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (use)

The meaning placed on the star.

Matthew 2:3

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; (use)

Matthew 2:8

And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” (use)

Matthew 2:16

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. (use)

Matthew 2:17

Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: (use)

Jeremiah 31:15

Thus says the LORD: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” (use)

Revelation 22:16

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. (use)

Jeremiah 23:5

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. (use)

Revelation 2:28

And I will give him the morning star. (use)

2 Peter 1:19

And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, (use)