Symbols of the Season: Star
DECEMBER 2, 2023

When [the Wise Men] heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
Matthew 2:9

Recommended Reading: Numbers 24:15-17
The intriguing story of the Bethlehem star—and what it represents for us today—makes it a traditional treetop ornament at Christmas.

In a prophecy to Israel, a pagan prophet named Balaam said, “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17), an obvious reference to a coming king in Israel. Did the Wise Men—probably Persian astrologers and scholars—know this verse? Were they scanning the skies for signs of a star, and king, over Israel? Perhaps so, since they followed the star directly to the newborn King. The star of Bethlehem provided light and truth to these foreign seekers, and it reminds us today that God will do the same for us: guiding us to the One who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

If you crown your Christmas tree with a star this year, remember God’s provision and promise to always guide you.

As the star brought the wise men to Christ, so should all the stars in the world bring up your thoughts to God.
Thomas Manton