Lesson 100 The Family Gets its Due Genesis 49:8- 27

Going Back Over Judah to get a Glimpse of Christ 49:8- 12

English Standard Version (Chapter 49)

8  “Judah, your brothers shall praise you;

your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;

your father’s sons shall bow down before you.

9  Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?

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. 11 Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.

12  His eyes are darker than wine,and his teeth whiter than milk.

In lesson 99, we looked for a few minutes at the person of Christ in the prophecy surrounding these verses and the tribe of Judah. If this is a last days message(vs.1,KJV) and it is, then we need to pay more particular attention to what it is saying and what the rest of the Bible says about it.

Why does the phrase in verse 8 link us to Jesus? Let’s go back to Genesis 3:14- 15

King James Version (Chapter 3)

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

The curse on the serpent was proclaimed by God that the coming generations would always be in conflict with the serpent. So much so that eventually someone sent from God would give the serpent a mortal wound to the head: “Bruise thy head.” This in fact a downward crushing blow. It is not just a concussion. It is a mortal wound. Satan’s doom is sealed from this point forward. Then we find the that the days of bowing down to Joseph have ended and that we are now looking forward to bowing down to this deliverer of Genesis 3. This is the first mention of the Redeemer. It does not say Redeemer, but we know who it is referring to. Jesus explains that these men knew there was a coming Redeemer and it goes back to Abraham: “Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day,l and he saw it, and was glad.” John 8:56.

Last week we briefly addressed verse 9 and the lion in Judah’s prophecy and that this another direct reference to Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Verse 10 will get a more complete focus as it speaks of the scepter will come from Judah for ruling(of the line of the kings of Judea) and a staff between his feet. That staff if a reference to the commander in chief and ruler over battle. That definitely is a human being this is referring to. Jacob was saying at a great distance from the cross that he believed the Messiah, would be that ruler and that “ Shiloah” will bring a whole new ballgame with HIM (Until Shiloah come.) Here’s what we see:

Genesis (Critical Notes) of Joseph Excel

The most natural rendering is the commonly received one, which regards Shiloh as a personal name. It means the same as Solomon, from a verb signifying to rest. Therefore it is a prophecy of the Messiah, “the Prince of Peace.” Jesus is called our peace. “On the coming of Shiloh the last remnant of that supremacy was removed, only to be replaced by the higher form of pre-eminence which the Prince of Peace inaugurates.”

Shiloah is a “rest giver.” He is the one who comes after Judah has lost his rule. That is the very time when Jesus came. It was just in time as the Romans ruled the land. Jacob is explaining the prophet Isaiah to us hundreds of years before.

King James Version (Chapter 9)

6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God,The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Shiloah)

7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Who dares rouse the Lion that Jacob spoke of? The Lord of Hosts, who is the commander in chief, that’s who and He will do it with all of the zeal of Heaven.

So to just run over this passage without further comment about Judah, would have been a disservice to us as believers. It is rich in truth and information as tools to understand the Bible. Let the Bible interpret itself. It does a most excellent job. The don key and donkey colt are forever tied to the Lord Jesus with not just at His birth but in His triumphant ride into Jerusalem. Beautiful verses if we only stop and think.

Let’s jump down at this point to verses 13 -15:

The Lexham English Bible (Chapter 49)

13 Zebulun shall settle by the shore of the sea. He shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon.

14 Issachar is a strong donkey(ass), crouching between the sheepfolds.(two burdens.) 15 He saw a resting place that was good, and land that was pleasant. So he bowed his shoulder to the burden and became a servant of forced labor.

When the wilderness wanderings were over and the promised land was sectioned off, Zebulun’s territory stretched from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean Sea. Jacob hit the nail on the head. Think the towns of Tyre and Sidon. It is still a strategic safe port today.

Issachar is pictured as a strong servant, willing to bear others burdens so that they can enjoy rest. He did this rather than resisting. It was far better to serve and find your freedom than to wander without plans as a wild animal does.vs. 14 and 15.

English Standard Version (Chapter 49)

16  “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that his rider falls backward. 18 I wait for your salvation, O LORD.

19 “Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels.

20 “Asher’s food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.

There is judicial leadership associated with Dan. But also he is blamed for introducing idolatry to Israel. Not wonderful testimony.

Gad means a “troop” and is connected with warlike. But it can also be related to they were like a band of highwaymen and thieves. If they robbed Gad first, he would rob them back. Expect quick paybacks with Gad.

Asher’s connection with food refers to status as in that which would be pleasing to a king.

English Standard Version (Chapter 49)

21  “Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns.

Just think of this as a different temperament gift to this tribe. Such as, Judah is a lion, Issachar is a donkey, Dan like a serpent and Naphtali as a deer. His tribe would be swift to just about anything. It may signal dependability or even to the other side. They could change their direction at any moment, easily scared and will be the first to run. It is what it is. It is a family with many faces. Joseph is up on deck next Tuesday. Think about it. Could you bless your family correctly? And would your words be prophetic? Most of all, will your words lead your family to the one who really matters in all of this, Jesus Christ.