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; (Numbers 24:17 ESV)
Not just A King, but THE King
At the time that God, through Moses, wrote the book of Numbers, Israel had only had one King. The people of God had lived under the representative authority of Adam, but he was not a King. Abraham was a chieftain or tribal leader, but he was not a King. The other Patriarchs, similarly. Pharaoh was a king, but not THEIR King. Moses was king-like, but not the King.
But as God gave instructions to those wandering Israelites, describing what life would be like when God’s Kingdom was established, God’s description was not of a better King, or more Just King, a Wiser King, a more faithful King.
But simply THE King was coming.
They heard of the perfect eternal King, before they ever experienced a lesser, human king.
On the other hand, we know of failed Kings. History is filled with the records of Kings were were far less than Kingly. In fact, we experience every day imperfect modern Kings. Sometimes we even act, in those areas that we have some authority, as imperfect Kings and Queens.
For the Israelites, the perfect King, without context, was coming. That is a pure and simple hope. But our hope is richer, because our awareness is deeper. We know the tragedy of imperfect Kings, so we hope in THE King to come. We know the pain and suffering when under imperfect Kings, so we hope in THE King to come. We know the inevitability of hard times under imperfect Kings, wo we hope in THE King to come.
The King is coming… way back in the book of Numbers.