The Blessings of a Father

I want to speak to the older folks in the room for a minute. I need to ask you a question. For those of you who have had a parent pass away, do you remember the last words they said to you? I hope that I am stirring up positive emotions. I have a theory that for those of you who have had a parent pass away the answer to that question is yes.

There is nothing like mortality and recognizing that the time is short that focuses our attention. The uncomfortable truth is that we are not going to be around forever, and I imagine that many people have some things they want to say before they pass if they are able.

In Genesis, Jacob’s life is coming to an end. He has one final task. He is going to give blessings to his children as Isaac did before him, as Abraham did before Isaac. This was common in ancient cultures, and especially common in the covenant family of God. The blessings of a father were like a parting gift before his time would come. They also had a way of functioning like a prophecy or an oracle from the Lord. Genesis 49 looks to the future, and each son gets a picture of his destiny.

It is through these blessings that God also teaches us today about how he works and how we relate to him. It gives us important things to consider as we think about identity, purpose, and obedience.

The entire book of Genesis is about the origin of the people of God. But it is not just the covenant people called Israel. It is about us. It is about where everything comes from, how it got to be in the state that it is in, and about the restoration God is planning through a single man, the seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15. The book traces that line through a thread of promises made to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, and now to his sons.

As we explore this text, I want you to see what is true, and from that understand how the blessings of a father to his sons thousands of years ago inform how we walk with God our Father today.

Let’s jump in. The chapter begins with Reuben.

Genesis 49:1–4 NASB95

Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come. “Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob; And listen to Israel your father. “Reuben, you are my firstborn; My might and the beginning of my strength, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. “Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.

Reuben was the firstborn son. He was the beginning of Jacob’s family. To be preeminent is to be more important, to have first place or priority over others. This was Reuben’s position by his birthright. But verse four shows us this won’t be the case. Reuben has disqualified himself. The reason: he went up to his father’s bed and defiled it.

What did Reuben do? The answer lies in Genesis 35:22

Genesis 35:22 NASB95

It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.

Reuben slept with one of his father’s wives. This was a treacherous act. It is quite a betrayal. Jacob’s reaction to this isn’t recorded except that he had heard of it. But the full consequences of this act are revealing themselves now. Because Reuben did this, he disqualified himself from the birthright and inheritance that would have been his.

Simeon and Levi are the next oldest brothers and they come next.

Genesis 49:5–7 NASB95

“Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence. “Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen. “Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.

If there is anything positive for Jacob to say, it is that Simeon and Levi are skilled warriors. However, their employment of those skills is misguided. Jacob chastises them. He wants to distance himself from them. His reason was for their behavior just like Reuben. In Genesis 34, a man named Schechem defiled their sister Dinah, then wanted to marry her. These brothers devised a plan that the entire city get circumcised. While they were recovering, Simeon and Levi went in and slaughtered them all. Jacob condemned their actions then, and he is now announcing their disqualification to inherit what would be theirs.

These words are going to stay with these men for the rest of their lives. Jacob is not just telling them what will become of them, but of their descendants. It doesn’t look so good so far. But then we get to Judah.

Genesis 49:8–12 NASB95

“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you. “Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. “He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes. “His eyes are dull from wine, And his teeth white from milk.

Judah is one of the longer blessings (that is actually a blessing) and with good reason. As the next in line to inherit the birthright and carrying on the family name, he is chosen for leadership. The scepter is the ruler’s staff. It coincides with a king’s crown.

We know Jesus as the lion of the tribe of Judah. The Messianic line will pass through Judah. David is from the tribe of Judah. Verse 10 provides an interpretive challenge. The NASB renders the third line “Until Shiloh comes.” Other translations will read “until tribute comes to him.” The word Shiloh can mean a number of things. It is the name of a city. It can also mean tribute. But it can also mean “until he comes to whom it belongs.” I favor the last rendering because it fits theologically with the story of scripture. The child of promise who will defeat the serpent and rescue his people will come from Judah. The right to rule will never leave his bloodline. This is fulfilled in Jesus, who is a descendant of David, who is a descendant of Judah.

Verses 11 and 12 speak to abundance when this rule takes place. If you jump to the time of Joshua and tribal land allotments, Judah is the largest of them all, and it is where Jerusalem sits. The blessing of Judah provides the hope that God’s promises will not be forgotten or unfulfilled.

But you might say to yourself, “But wait a minute. Why Judah? Wasn’t he the instigator for selling Joseph into slavery? Wasn’t he also the one of such great moral character when he withheld his son from Tamar even though he promised to give him to her? Is he not also the one who slept with her when she disguised herself as a prostitute? Why does he get to be the one who inherits the promises?” Those are great questions, and that brings us to a point the Lord wants us to see.

God is a God of grace and second chances.

God’s standard is perfection. We must be as holy as he is if we are to enjoy relationship with him. The trouble is we fail to meet that standard. But that’s why Jesus offered his life in place of ours. The holiness he maintained stands in the gap for us. We are brought in because of his holiness, his righteousness. God also does not cast us out for every infraction. However, closeness to him is dependent on our willingness to turn from our sin and turn to God.

The prodigal son is brought back into the family though he squandered his father’s wealth. Jonah is given a second chance after he initially ran from God. Psalm 103:8-12 says,

Psalm 103:8–12 NASB95

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Aren’t you glad that God is a God of second chances? His mercies are new every morning. His lovingkindness endures forever.

So what gives with Reuben, Simeon, and Levi? Well, that’s answered when we consider the second point.

A defining characteristic of God’s children is repentance.

The key difference between Judah’s older brothers and himself is repentance. Reuben is never recorded as being remorseful for sleeping with his father’s concubine. Simeon and Levi sought to justify themselves when their father confronted them. They insisted that their sister’s honor should be protected through violence. Judah was confronted when his sin was revealed with Tamar, and he never touched her again. He sold Joseph into slavery but offered himself in place of Benjamin when he thought he would end up an Egyptian slave. The change of character in Judah is evident.

A defining characteristic of God’s children is repentance. Be honest with yourself. Are you one to quickly confess your sin, or do you justify it?

Proverbs 28:13 NASB95

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

Ephesians 4:17–24 NASB95

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Was Judah perfect? Absolutely not. Was he qualified to lead? Probably not. Did he deserve this high calling? No. But he was transformed as evidenced by a change in mindset, he changed his behavior, and God honored it by using him.

Though God’s children we are, our blessings may be forfeited through disobedience.

I want you to notice that everyone gets something from their father. Some of them receive chastisement, and others receive genuine blessings. Zebulun will be blessed by maritime trade. Issachar will be a tribe of hard workers, but they will be forced to work for others. Dan is supposed to bring justice for his people, but he doesn’t live up to that calling. Gad will be raided, but he will raid them as well. Asher will dwell in very fertile territory and they will produce food fit for kings. Naphtali dwells in the mountains, and Joseph’s tribe is split between his two sons. They are blessed by abundance. Benjamin is marked by a level of cruelty, and is seen in places like Judges 20 and the life of Saul.

Some men receive great blessings. Others get stern warnings. But everyone receives something. What they receive from their father is a mix between God’s sovereignty and patterns developed in their lives.

On the night of his betrayal and arrest, Jesus shared some final moments with his disciples. John 14:2 says,

John 14:2–3 NASB95

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

This is a comforting passage to us. It means that we have a dwelling place. In the place that Jesus is preparing for us, there are many rooms. In Jewish marriage customs, the groom would go and build a room onto his father’s house before the wedding day. He’s using that imagery. But I want you to hear me. Everyone who belongs to Christ will have a room. The size of that room may be dependent on your obedience. You are going to have a room. But don’t you want all that God has to offer? It comes with obedience.

There were men who were loved by their father. They received an inheritance. But there were blessings they forfeited because of their action, and more importantly, their belief about their actions. What if God wanted to give you more, but you were too stubborn to listen, submit to him, and follow in obedience?

Don’t seek to justify sin. Confess it. We all have sins that maybe others don’t know about, and we have a multitude of reasons why we can’t let them go. God will transform the repentant heart.

Remember that God is the God of second chances. The lineage of Jesus is filled with flawed men. Imperfection doesn’t disqualify you from God’s use. How does God want to use you? How do you need to take a step of faith and let him without the “right qualifications?”

What action do you need to take today?