“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: “The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family.” On the east, towards the sunrise, the divisions of the camp of Judah are to encamp under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Aminadab” (Numbers 2:1-3).

As I read those words, I wondered about the significance of the positioning of Jesus’ ancestors towards the sunrise. I looked for more sunrise references in the Bible. I didn’t have to look far:

“Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death” (Numbers 3:38).

Elizabeth, who was Zechariah’s wife, John the Baptizer’s Mom, and a relative of the Virgin Mary, descended from Aaron. God awarded Moses, Aaron, and his sons highest honors and positioned them towards the sunrise. Why?

“The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth. Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the desert that faces Moab toward the sunrise” (Numbers 21:10 and 11).

“Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan, to which anyone who had killed a person could flee if he had unintentionally killed his neighbor without malice aforethought. He could flee into one of these cities and save his life” (Deuteronomy 4:41 and 42).

What is the connection with Jesus’ ancestors, God’s chosen, the east, the sunrise, refuge, and saving life? Read on!

“…Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own…You are to help your brothers until the Lord gives them rest, as He has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise” (Joshua 1:10-15).

We now have reference to the sunrise, the east, rest, and Promised Land in THREE DAYS. See a clearer picture now?

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east (OR star when it rose) and have come to worship him…and the star they had seen in the east (OR seen when it rose) went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him” (Matthew 2:1 and 2, 9-11)…

The eastern star heralded the birth of the Son who would suffer, die, and rise again in three days, defeating sin, death, and the power of Satan. The King of kings, whose star rose in the east, is our refuge and savior, giving us rest from the burden of sin.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:15).

“When Jesus spoke to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

In a world without sun, can you imagine the darkness, not being able to see? So, too, is a world without the Light of Jesus, in Whom we believe and by Whom we see.

“You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:4-6).

Before God sent His Son to live perfectly by His law, die horribly for our sins, and to rise victoriously again to defeat death and Satan for us, He gave His people the sunrise. Every sunrise then, was the symbol of the Son who would rise. God’s positioning of His chosen people prophesied what He would do for us. Now, every sunrise reminds us of God’s sacrifice for our salvation. Every sunrise promises Jesus’ second coming. The sunrise reminds us that we are to put God first in our day, every day. As the sun lights our world, so does Jesus, the Light of the world, light our feet. Because He died for us, we walk in His light. Through Him, we are given growth through the Holy Spirit. Only through Jesus, the risen, living Son and the Light of the world, can we find rest, salvation, and enter the Promised Land.

Just as no plant can live or grow without sunlight, neither can we live or grow without Jesus or the gift of the Holy Spirit. Without the Son, we have the darkness of sin without any light of hope. When we walk with God, we walk in sunlight.

“They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Revelations 22:4 and 5).

Hallelujah! Amen!