Christ, The Lion of Judah

LET’S PRAY

Introduction

If you have a copy of the Scriptures with you, please open them with me to Genesis 49:1-12.

It is quite easy to get sucked in to all the hustle and bustle of Christmas, to be sucked away into the pressures of life and be distracted from what the true meaning of Christmas is.

Of course, we all look forward to the giving and receiving of gifts.

Of course, we all look forward to the time we get to spend with family, especially as we were hunkered down because of the invasion of the North Pole that is the winter storm we just had.

So, our time together in the Word of God is going to be spent tracing the true meaning of Christmas throughout the Bible.

Our goal today is to see the crimson thread spun throughout the entire loom of the Scriptures.

Not a thread, used to sew together a calorically challenged man’s robe.

But a Crimson thread, that points to the ultimate purpose of the Incarnation of the Son of God.

So let’s read, Genesis 49:1-12.

Background (Survey of Genesis)

You may be familiar with the immediate context of Genesis 49. We find Jacob in Egypt, the last of the three Patriarchs of Israel on his death bed. He got here, years earlier, by his son Joseph inviting him and the rest of his sons down to Egypt to escape a famine that had been ravaging the world.

Not only that, but Israel’s sons had devised a plan to sell Joseph into slavery, because he was their father’s favorite.

Through the providential working of Yahweh God, Joseph was elevated to vice-regent, or Prime Minister over Egypt.

God used Joseph’s faithfulness and brilliance to provide sustenance for the entire known world, especially his own family, during the famine.

Jacob, being on his death bed, now calls his sons to him, so that he may impart a blessing upon them.

However, this death bed blessing fulfills much more context that just the end of Joseph’s story. The Narrative of the entire book of Genesis comes to its climax, here, in these few verses before us.

From the very beginning of Genesis there is this expectation of the “Promised Seed” that will right every wrong:

Genesis 1:26-28. Mankind was placed in Earth reign over it, and to exercise dominion, as God’s Image on the earth.

Mankind was tested: Genesis 2:15-17.

Mankind failed: Genesis 3:1-7. Plunging the whole world into the dominion of sin and death.

Genesis 3:15. As God gives the consequence of sin, to Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, God gives the promise of the Seed of the Woman, that will crush the head of the serpent.

After Adam sinned, we find that this enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent is going to end in the serpents defeat.

Here we see that this defeat is going to be by the hands of a human being! Even from the very beginning, the humanity of Son of God was indicated.

This hopeful expectation is already given.

Genesis 4:25-26. Here we see the hopeful expectation of Eve, using the same language God did when He gave the promise in Genesis 3.

After Abel was murdered by Cain, Eve hope is seen in her rejoicing over the “seed” given by God in Seth.

In Genesis 5, we see the line of Adam all the way to Noah. What is interesting here, is what Noah’s name means.

We see in v. 29 the meaning of his name, “This one will give us rest from our work and from the pain of our hands arising from the ground which Yahweh has cursed.”

Noah’s name is very similar to the Hebrew word of “Rest”, which is “Noach”.

The expectation is already that the Promised Seed is going to restore Creation back to its Eden-like state.

In Genesis 10, we see the accounting of Noah’s sons and their families: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

However, if you look over after The Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:10-26, only Shem’s line is given enough detail to show the Promised Seed.

Look at Genesis 11:26, we see the Promised Seed came from Shem in Abram.

Notice the narrowing down of the story as well. We went from a worldwide focus, now all the way down to one man, and his family.

We see God give Abram , or Abraham, the Promise that the whole world will be blest through His offspring, or his seed, like Genesis 12, or Gen. 15:2.

but Look at Genesis 22:18 with me. After passing the test of faith, that Abraham would believe God, Yahweh God says this to him (vv. 11-18).

Abraham had several sons, but the two that constantly lived in conflict with each other were Isaac and Ishmael, because the biblical narrative is showing how the Promised inheritance would pass down.

Ishmael, born by Hagar, was the firstborn, and in the rightful place to receive the inheritance. But God chose Isaac, as we see in Genesis 17:16-22.

We see this in Genesis 26:4, that Promised Seed would pass through Isaac.

Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau. The Bible again spends an extended amount of time explaining the conflict that takes place between these two sons, almost like a divine drama, indicating where the promise would come.

to the point that Esau sells his birthright for some bread and lentil soup (Genesis 25:34).

However, we see this amazing and famous dream that Jacob has, while he is exiled from the Promised Land in Genesis 28:10-22.

Look at verses 13-15. God again passes the promise that He gave to Abraham and Isaac onto Jacob (READ).

The Biblical Narrative from Genesis 29 to the end of Genesis 36 is an explanation of how Jacob took wives and had 12 sons.

But then from Genesis 37 to the end of the book we catch another conflict between brothers, one of which, again, the Promised Seed is delineated.

This we see in our passage, Genesis 49. Please turn back there.

Jacob’s Blessing

Notice, first, the nature of the blessing.

According to verse 1, it is prophetic.

Notice he says, “that I may tell you what will befall you in the last days.” This is only used in reference to a prophetic announcement.

We see similarly in Isaiah 2:2 “Now it will be that In the last days The mountain of the house of Yahweh Will be established as the head of the mountains, And will be lifted up above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.”

Reuben: The first son that Jacob speaks to is Reuben, the firstborn. Traditionally and naturally the inheritance rights would pass to the firstborn son.

This has been the custom of almost every society up our day.

Jacob’s pronouncement is different.

Verse 4, he says, “you shall not have preeminence...” He was not to receive the birthright.

We see why in the next phrase (read).

Reuben lay with Bilhah, and defiled in father’s bed (Genesis 35:22).

Truthfully, it seems that Jacob was silent about this taking place until this moment. All we see is that Jacob “heard” of it.

The fulfillment of this prophecy is seen in from the decline of this tribe. The two censuses taken in Numbers reveals that Reuben went from having 46,500 men to having 43,730 men.

Moses even cries out in Deuteronomy 33:6 ““May Reuben live and not die, Nor his men be few.””

If the firstborn wouldn’t be able to have the birthright, then it would pass to the second, or maybe the third, right?

According to verses 5-7, Simeon and Levi were both disqualified from being the Promised seed.

Their anger, and their murder of the Shechemite men in Genesis 34 disqualified them.

As we see in verse 7, their tribal allotments in the Promised Land would be scattered among the other Tribes.

We see the Levites in different cities throughout the whole land, given the privilege of serving God, as they seemingly restored their honor as they stood with Yahweh after the Israelites stood up to play at Sinai.

The Simeonites were given only 17 cities within the land allotment of the Tribe of Judah.

The amount of men even decreased from 59,300 to 22,200 in those same censuses.

That brings us to Judah in verses 8-12.

If you know the story of Judah up to this point in the Genesis narrative, you will note that he is not much “better” or not anymore “righteous” that his brothers Reuben, Simeon, and Levi.

In fact, there is even an account of his seeking out a temple prostitute to lay with, only to find out later that it was his daughter-in-law Tamar.

When she reveals herself as his daughter in law, he says in Genesis 38:26 “And Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.”

From that time, we find that she bore him twins: Perez and Zerah.

Why, then, would the Promised Seed pass through him? Why would God let that happen?

Of course we can say that it was God’s grace that He chose to work with Judah, or that He chose to work with humanity at all!

It seems that after this encounter with Tamar, his character totally changed.

Every time we see him after this, he seemingly is making good choices and taking the leadership role.

to the point, we see him offering himself to be in the place of Benjamin to stay back as Joseph’s slave in Genesis 44:33.

In Jacob’s blessing, we see similar language used for Judah that was used for Joseph in Joseph’s dreams.

“Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.” Remember that Joseph’s dream pointed to that all of his brothers would bow to him. This now is said of Judah.

But it doesn’t happen for another 900 years or so when King David would reign over all Israel.

However, the Tribe of Judah begins to take a more prominent role in the life of the descendants of Israel, to the point that when they were wandering in the wilderness, as the broke camp their Tribe would lead on.

When then see Jacob prophesy about him as a “Lion”. This is where the phrase “Lion of Judah” comes from.

This showed the preeminence of power that the ruler from the Tribe of Judah had over the peoples.

As the Lion is the “King of the jungle”, so the tribe of Judah is the king of the people.

In verses 10-12, we will see that this prophecy turns away from the Tribe or the family of Judah, to a specific person.

First, we see the elements of the Kingship and authority will be given to the Tribe of Judah.

A Scepter and Ruler’s staff.

We even see symbols of authority given to Monarchy in England today.

The kingship and authority is inaugurated in the Line of David: 2 Samuel 7:8-17.

There is a notion of Eternality of this Kingship.

The duration of the passing down of kingship in the tribe of Judah is given: Until Shiloh Comes.

This phrase may be the most hotly debated phrases in all of the Scriptures.

However, both Jewish and Christian scholars tend to land on this being Messianic in nature. That there is this One person coming, in the Line of Judah that when He gets here, the kingship will never pass to another generation, because it is His eternally!

That is what “Shiloh” means. Like all Jewish names have meaning; Like Efraim meaning “fruitful”, Shiloh means “the one to whom it belongs”.

What belongs to this one person: Kingship and Authority.

Ezekiel 21:24-27, uses very similar language to this, pointing to the Monarchy of Israel, and to One who all authority belongs.

The Monarchy of the Line of Judah, of the Line of David is done, until the one to whom it belongs comes, and until Shiloh comes.

This is compounded by the last phrase of verse 10: The nations will submit to Him and His authority; not just the tribes of Israel.

The Nature of this “one to whom it belongs” kingdom is hinted at in the verses following (vv. 10-11).

Without feeling the slightest notion of loss, this King will be able to wash His garments in wine, and park His donkey by tying it to the choicest of vine.

v.12 is pointing out that the jaundice and yellowing of teeth are not going to set in during His kingdom, because everyone is going to be well fed and well nourished.

The Cursed Land that the people were expecting Noah to deal with, will finally be dealt with in Shiloh’s kingdom.

There is only one King that will bring about the Obedience of the Nations.

There is only one King that will abate the curse on the earth.

There is only one King that will bring about the end of sin and crush the serpent’s head.

Micah 5:2 ““But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from everlasting, From the ancient days.””

Isaiah 7:14 ““Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this.”

Isaiah 11:1-9.

This King is Jesus.

Matthew 1:1-3, 6, 16. (Legal line of his adopted father).

Luke 3:31, 33, 34. (Genetic line of his mother).

Romans 1:1-6.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

THIS IS CHRISTMAS!

The Promised Seed has come. The One to Whom all authority belongs, and King of Kings and Lord of Lords has come.

Of course, we celebrate with friends and family with the giving and receiving of gifts, but that cannot be the essence of Christmas.

Christmas is the realization of the seed of the woman!

The One who would crush the head of the serpent, HE has come!

Putting and end to the Serpent’s Kingdom, and rendering his power over sin and death moot to all who believe in this seed.

THIS is Christmas, that the blessing of Abraham and His descendants, to the Nations has come in the Person & Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, being Light to all who believe.

THIS… this is Christmas. The King has come. The royal line has eternally been restored, and He reigns in the hearts of all who have been transferred out of the Kingdom of darkness, and in to the Kingdom of the Beloved Son.

He will one day rule visibly, from His Davidic Throne in Jerusalem. The King HAS COME… and the King WILL come again.

THIS. IS CHRISTMAS.

Let Earth receive her king.

Hymn #270 Joy to the World!