Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Today, we begin the advent season.
We are calling this series, “Roadtrip to the Manger.”
Each sermon will be themed around a region that is a part of the Jesus story.
We will start big, today, we start with Judah, and each week will zero in on our target, which is Bethlehem, where the manger is.
Each week we will get closer and closer to the manger.
Don’t read this line - The Surprised Blessing
Today, we begin with Judah.
Open your Bibles to .
This will be where our journey begins.
Let’s read it now.
Jesus came from the tribe of Judah.
There were 12 tribes of Israel, but only one of them was host to the kings.
Judah was the tribe that housed the kings.
You might already know this.
But sometimes you become so familiar with a story, that you forget the awe of the story.
You forget the wonder of the story.
We forget the surprising nature of the story.
For example, are you familiar with the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
It was written by Robert Louis Stevenson, in 1886.
The same author who wrote Treasure Island.
The story is something that we are familiar with.
Dr. Jekyll is a mad scientists of sorts, who creates a potion that turns him into Mr. Hyde, a violent maniac.
Stevenson wrote the story to be a picture of the human condition.
The affects of sin have made us Mr. Hyde.
We do things that are evil, that you would never imagine us doing.
We are too familiar with this story.
We don’t appreciate it, we don’t read it as Robert Louis Stevenson desired us to.
If you were to read it, you already know the story.
But the story itself was actually a murder mystery.
You aren’t supposed to know that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person.
For the modern day reader, the book ends with a dull thud, when the mystery is revealed, Mr. Hyde is Dr. Jekyll, because you knew all along that they are the same.
You have grown too familiar with the story.
When it comes to Judah being the tribe that would be home to the Messiah, you have grown too familiar with the story.
Because it’s supposed to be a surprise.
This passage, are Jacob’s last words.
And before he dies he gathers his sons around him, and prophesies over them.
Jacob definitely favorite sons.
His two favorite sons were Joseph and Benjamin.
The reason for his fondness of them is because they came from his favorite wife.
Earlier in Genesis, he fell in love with Rachel.
But on the night when he married Rachel, her father, gave him the old switcherroo, and gave him Leah, Rachel’s not as attractive sister.
Leah was never in Jacob’s plans.
He ended up marrying Rachel as well, meaning he had two wives.
He had difficulty having children with Rachel.
Meanwhile Leah, the unloved wife, had children with Jacob.
Reuben.
Simeon.
Levi.
All the while, Jacob never loved Leah, it was Rachel he loved.
Leah then had her fourth child with Jacob.
She thought surely this 4th son would cause Jacob to love her.
She was so hopeful, she named him Judah, which means praise.
More children were born, but eventually, Rachel gave birth.
She had two sons.
Joseph, who would eventually be sent to Egypt.
And Benjamin.
She died giving birth to Benjamin.
These two sons were very special to Jacob.
Now imagine the dynamics of this family.
You have one old man.
He’s had 2 wives.
One he loved.
One was unloved.
12 sons.
And lots of sibling rivalry.
Jacob is dying, he’s on his deathbed, and he’s about to give his final blessing to his sons.
This blessing is more than a wish.
He’s not saying, “I hope good things happen to you.”
This is not a dying father’s advice to the next generation.
Through the Spirit, he prophesies over his 12 sons.
Back up in verse 2, under the inspiration of the Spirit, he gathers his sons, and he says, “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father.”
He has adopted the name that God Jehovah gave him, Israel.
These are prophetic words.
He is speaking with authority here.
Who will receive the best blessing?
You’ve got 12 sons.
Would it be the oldest, Reuben?
Would be Benjamin or Joseph, since they came from the wife that he loved?
Who will receive the best blessing?
He first prophesies over the sons of the unloved wife, Leah.
He says something about Reuben, Simeon and Levi.
Simeon.
Then he gets to Judah.
Then he gets to Judah.
Judah is blessed, and with him his descendants as well.
Too familiar with a story you miss the surprise
The tribe of Judah will be a special tribe.
They would be a tribe that would be a leader of Israel.
Jacob’s Blessing
When they wandered in the Wilderness, it was Judah that took the head, and lead them.
The kings would come from Judah.
The land that belonged to Judah would be home to the temple.
And from the tribe of Judah would come a single king.
Some would think that this single king would be David.
But David faced insurrection.
As great of a leader as he was, he had to flee the throne, because of the evil of one of his own sons.
Some would think that this son was Solomon.
But he would lead the nation astray into idolatry.
Israel would recognize the evil of adultery, and its dangers because of Solomon’s behavior.
From Judah would come a single king, who fits the description of Jacob’s blessing to him.
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