Genesis 49.8-15-Israel's Prophetic Blessings on Judah, Zebulun and Issachar
Wednesday April 18, 2007
Genesis: Genesis 49:8-15-Israel’s Prophetic Blessings on Judah, Zebulun and Issachar
Lesson # 315
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 49:8.
This evening we will continue with our study of Genesis 49, which gives us the record of Jacob/Israel bestowing prophetic blessings and antiblessings upon his twelve sons as well as giving instructions for his burial and this chapter also records his death.
On Sunday morning we studied Genesis 49:1-4, which records Israel pronouncing an antiblessing on Reuben, his firstborn because Reuben committed adultery and incest with his concubine Bilhah.
Last evening we noted Genesis 49:5-7, which records Israel’s prophetic anti-blessings that he bestowed upon Simeon and Levi for the massacre of the city of Shechem.
This evening we will study Genesis 49:8-15, which records Israel’s prophetic blessings that he bestowed upon Judah, Zebulun and Issachar.
Genesis 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 to you.”
“Judah” (hd*Why+) (yehudhah) (yeh-hoo-daw) was the fourth child that Leah bore to Jacob and his name means, “I will praise the Lord” and his birth is recorded in Genesis 29:35.
Both King David and the Lord Jesus Christ descended from the tribe of Judah.
Hebrews 7:14, “For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah.”
In Genesis 37 we saw that in an attempt to save Joseph’s life, Judah proposed to his brothers that they sell Joseph to the Midianites.
The fact that Judah proposed to his brothers the sale of Joseph to the Midianites rather than killing him along with the phrase “Judah departed from his brothers,” which is recorded in Genesis 38:1 is a clear indication that Judah did “not” agree with his brother’s desire to kill Joseph and so he separates from them.
If you recall, in Genesis 37 we read that Reuben intervened and prevented his brothers from killing Joseph and proposed as an alternative to killing him with their bare hands that they throw him into an empty cistern, letting him die of natural causes.
This alternative was proposed by Reuben with the intention of saving Joseph when his brothers were not around.
However, while Reuben left his brothers to check on their flocks and they ate a meal, during the meal the talk turned back to Joseph again and the idea of killing him resurfaced as implied by Judah’s proposal to sell Joseph into slavery.
Genesis 37:25-28 records Judah proposing to his brothers the sale of Joseph to the Midianites in order to prevent the murder of Joseph by his brothers.
Judah’s statement in Genesis 37:27, “Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh” reveals that he has a conscience in that he acknowledges and reminds his brothers that Joseph is their brother.
Judah, like Reuben, disguised his desire to prevent the murder of Joseph because he feared for his own life since Simeon and Levi had recently killed all the men of the city of Shechem in retaliation for the rape of their sister Dinah.
Even though Judah’s proposal only substituted one evil for another since like murder, kidnapping was a capital offense (See Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7), his rationale was that Joseph was better off alive than dead, even if it meant he would spend the rest of his life a slave.
Like his brother Reuben, Judah was guilty of a lack of moral courage and self-sacrifice in that he was not willing to stand up to his brothers and sacrifice himself if need be, to prevent the murder of Joseph.
Then, in Genesis 38, we saw his great failure with Tamar where he left his brothers at Dothan, and spent time with a heathen named Hirah and married an unbelieving Canaanite and had three children with her, two of which were killed by the Lord for their involvement with evil.
Judah failed to provide their widow Tamar his third son Shelah to carry on the line of the two deceased brothers because of his fear that he would die as well.
This resulted in Tamar disguising herself as a temple prostitute and deceiving Judah to solicit her unknowingly, which resulted in her getting pregnant through him and she bore him twins, Zerah and Perez, the latter was in the line of Christ.
In Genesis 44:18-34, we read where Judah appealed to Joseph to release Benjamin, offering himself in place of Benjamin so as to not break his father’s heart.
Judah’s offer to be a substitute for Benjamin typifies the Lord Jesus who is our Substitute.
1 John 3:16, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
Genesis 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 to you.”
The prediction “Judah, your brothers shall praise you” contains a play on words and is a paronomasia.
In the Hebrew text, there is a play on the proper noun yehudhah (yeh-hoo-daw) (hdWhy+), which means, “I will praise the Lord” and is translated “Judah” since “shall praise” is the verb yadhah (hdy) (yaw-daw) and “hand” is the noun yadh (dy) (yawd).
A “paronomasia” is designed to get the readers attention and to emphasize the two or three words that are placed alongside of each other that are similar in sound and appearance.
Here in Genesis 49:8, the nouns noun yehudhah, “Judah” and the verb yadhah, “shall praise” and the noun yadh, “hand” are similar and sound and appearance and are placed alongside of each other in order to emphasize the preeminence of Judah.
Israel’s prediction “Judah, your brothers shall praise you” was fulfilled in Judah’s lifetime by becoming the leader by virtue of his conduct during the process leading up to Joseph revealing his identity where he offered to sacrifice himself for the sake of Benjamin and their father.
1 Chronicles 5:1-2 speaks not only of the birthright being given to Joseph rather than Reuben because Reuben slept with his father’s concubine but also that the rulership over the family went to Judah.
This statement “Judah, your brothers shall praise you” is also prophetic meaning that in the future, the descendants of Judah’s brothers would recognize his descendants as the leader of their nation since God will achieve great victories through the descendants of Judah such as King David and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This prophecy was fulfilled in a “near” sense with David when the leaders of Israel anointed him king over the nation according to 2 Samuel 5:1-3 and will be fulfilled in a “far” sense during the millennial reign of Christ according to Ezekiel 37:22, Hosea 3:5 and Zechariah 12 and 14:1-17.
The prophecy “Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies” means that Judah’s descendants would triumph over their enemies since seizing the fleeing enemy by the nape of the neck is a symbol of conquest (See 1 Samuel 18:7).
This prophecy was fulfilled in a “near” sense under the reign of David as fully documented in 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings and it will also be fulfilled in a “far” sense when the Lord Jesus Christ will defeat antichrist and the Tribulational armies according to Isaiah 42:13, Zechariah 12 and 14, Revelation 19:11-21.
Israel’s prediction “Your father's sons shall bow down to you” means that all the tribes of Israel will be under the authority of a member of the tribe of Judah, which was also fulfilled in a near sense with David and in a far sense with the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign.
Genesis 49:9, “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?”
“Lion’s whelp” is composed of the noun gur (rWG) (goor), “young lion” and the noun `aryeh (hy@r+a^) (a-ree), “mature lion” and so therefore, this expression literally reads, “a young lion of a mature lion.”
This expression does “not” refer to a young cub but rather a young lion that has finally mature and is able to capture prey for itself.
In the ancient world, the lion was a proverbial symbol of courage, strength and kingship because of its majestic appearance with its mane and swift, powerful movements and prowess as a fearless predator.
The lion was used as a figure in Israel for the Messiah and was applied by the Holy Spirit to the Lord Jesus Christ who is called “the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah” in Revelation 5:5.
Therefore, in Genesis 49:9, the phrase “Judah is a lion’s whelp” is a prediction meaning that the tribe of Judah would have a lion-like nature, which refers to its military prowess.
This was fulfilled in a near sense when the tribe of Judah became the leader of the other tribes militarily (See Numbers 2:1-3; Judges 1:1-2; 3:9; 20:18) and it was fulfilled through the military successes of King David.
In a far sense it will be fulfilled through the lion of Judah, the Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Advent when He will destroy Israel’s enemies including antichrist and the Tribulational armies (See Revelation 19:11-21; Zechariah 12 and 14).
Israel’s statement “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?” means that just like a lion inspires fear and respect because of her prowess in devouring prey so the tribe of Judah would inspire fear and respect because she conquers her enemies (See Numbers 24:9; cf. 23:24; Deuteronomy 33:20, 22; Nahum 2:11-12).
Genesis 49:10, “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.”
The “scepter” in the ancient world was a symbol of authority, sovereignty and kingship (See Numbers 24:17) and “the ruler’s staff” refers to the one who establishes laws and decrees.
The expression “from between his feet” is a reference to kings who were seated on their throne with a ruler staff between their feet.
“Until” is the preposition `adh (du^), which does “not” mean that the kingship in Israel will change from the tribe of Judah “until” the Messiah has arrived but rather indicates that kings would arise from the tribe of Judah right “up to” the arrival of the Messiah.
“Shiloh comes”: (1) Conjunction ki (yK!) (kee), “when” (2) 3rd person masculine singular qal imperfect form of the verb bo (aoB) (3) “He comes” (4) Relative particle `asher (rv#a&) (ash-er), “which belongs” (5) Preposition le (l+) (lamed), “to” (6) 3rd person masculine singular pronominal suffix, “him.”
With the exception of the RSV and NIV, most English translations incorrectly translate the Hebrew expression hOyv! as “Shiloh” since the expression is almost identical to the spelling of the proper noun Shiloh, which is hOv!.
The proper noun Shiloh refers to a Canaanite city captured by the Israelites but in Genesis 49:10, the reference is to a person since the context is speaking of the rulership or kingship in Israel coming from the tribe of Judah.
“Peoples” is the noun `am (<u^), which is used to denote all the inhabitants of the earth.
The conjunction ki is used in a temporal sense meaning “when” referring to the moment the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ assumes the Davidic throne at His Second Advent to establish His millennial reign.
Therefore, the preposition `adh when coupled with the conjunction ki means, “up to the moment when.”
The relative particle `asher means “which belongs” referring to possession of the scepter and ruler’s staff mentioned in the previous clause, which must be inserted into the translation in order for it to make sense in the English.
Corrected translation of Genesis 49:10, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet up to the moment when He (the Messiah) comes, which to him belongs the scepter and ruler’s staff and to him the obedience of all the inhabitants of the earth.”
In Genesis 49:10, Israel is prophesying that the kingship in Israel shall come out of the tribe of Judah and this will continue up to the time that the Messiah arrives.
This prophecy has been fulfilled once the tribe of Judah under David assumed the leadership over the nation, the kingship in Israel has never departed from Judah up to time of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s First Advent who will establish His millennial reign at His Second Advent.
The inhabitants of all the earth will be subjugated to the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign since God the Father bestowed upon Him the rulership of the entire earth because He obeyed the Father’s will in going to the Cross and dying for the sins of the entire world (See Philippians 2:5-11; Ephesians 1:20-23; Colossians 1:18; Psalm 89:27; Zechariah 14:9).
Israel’s prophecy in Genesis 49:10 is a reference to the “Davidic” covenant, which was an unconditional covenant and deals with the dynasty that will rule the nation of Israel as indicated in 2 Samuel 7:16 where God promised David that a descendant of his would sit on his throne forever.
The “Davidic” covenant is reconfirmed throughout the Old Testament (Psalm 89:24-27; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 30:8-9; 33:14-17, 20-21; Ezekiel 37:24-25; Daniel 7:13-14; Hosea 3:4-5; Amos 9:11; Zechariah 14:4, 9) and the Lord Jesus Christ will literally fulfill this covenant during His millennial reign.
Genesis 49:11, “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.”
“Foal” is the noun `ayir (ry!u^) (ah-yeer), which refers to a young, vigorous male donkey.
In the Hebrew text, “donkey’s colt” literally reads, “the offspring of a female donkey” since it is composed of the noun ben (B@) (bane), which means, “offspring” and the noun `athon (ota*) (aw-thone), which refers to a female donkey.
The statement “He ties his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine” is also prophetic in that it is reference to the Messiah during His millennial reign who will have power over creation and every creature as evidence in that when He ties his donkey to a vine, the donkey will not eat it since the animal will obey Him.
The vine is a common biblical figure of divine favor and prosperity and in Genesis 49:11, the “vine” is used prophetically illustrating the extraordinary prosperity that will take place during the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Israel’s statement “He washes his garments in wine and his robes in the blood of grapes” refers to the extraordinary prosperity that the nation of Israel will experience during the millennial reign of Christ and signifies wine will be in such abundance at that time that it will be common as water used to wash clothes!
Genesis 49:12, “His eyes are dull from wine, and his teeth white from milk.”
The statement “His eyes are dull from wine” should be translated “His eyes are sparkling from wine” since “dull” is the adjective chakhlil (lyl!k+j^) (khak-leel) which means, “sparkling” and is a figure for wealth and prosperity.
In a literal sense, the statement “His eyes are sparkling from wine and his teeth white from milk” means that the Lord Jesus will have sparkling eyes and white teeth or in a figurative sense, He will be the ideal of beauty and health.
Genesis 49:13, “Zebulun will dwell at the seashore; And he shall be a haven for ships, and his flank shall be toward Sidon.”
“Zebulun” (/l%Wbw+) (zeb-oo-loon) was the sixth child that Leah bore Jacob and his name means, “honor” and his birth is recorded in Genesis 30:19-20.
In the Hebrew text, the statement “Zebulun will dwell at the seashore” literally reads, “Zebulun will dwell towards the shore of seas” since the Hebrew text contains the following: (1) Preposition le (l+) (lamed), “towards” (2) Noun choph ([oj) (khofe), “coast, shore” (3) Masculine plural noun yam (<y*) (yawm), “seas.”
Notice that the Hebrew text says that the tribe of Zebulun will dwell “towards the shore of seas” which refers to the Mediterranean Sea and not “at the seashore.”
Therefore, we can see from the Hebrew text that the territory of the tribe of Zebulun would not border the Mediterranean Sea but would face “towards” the Mediterranean Sea.
The statement “His flank shall be toward Sidon” teaches that the northern border of Zebulun’s territory will be towards Sidon.
The tribe of Zebulun occupied inland territory and was blocked from the Mediterranean Sea by the tribe of Asher according to Joshua 19:10-16.
However, her border was still only approximately 10 miles from the Mediterranean permitting her to enjoy access to the seafaring trade according to Deuteronomy 33:18-19.
The prophecy “he shall be a haven for ships” has never been fulfilled and will be during the millennial reign of Christ.
The prophecy of Zechariah 14:8-10 reveals that the entire topography of Israel will be changed because of the great earthquake caused by the Lord Jesus Christ landing on the Mount of Olives at His Second Advent.
This great earthquake will elevate Jerusalem whereas at the present time she is imbedded in the midst of mountainous rough terrain.
Jerusalem, who throughout her history has been an inland city, will become a seagoing city, or port town at the 2nd Advent of Christ according to the prophecy that appears in Zechariah 14:8.
Therefore, the prophecy “he shall be a haven for ships” will be fulfilled at that time.
Genesis 49:14, “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.”
“Issachar” (rkccy!) (yis-saw-kawr) was the fifth child that Leah bore Jacob and his name means, “reward” and his birth is recorded in Genesis 30:16-18.
“Sheepfolds” is the noun mishpethayim (<y!t^P+v+m!) (mish-paw-thay-eem), which does “not” refer to sheepfolds but rather denotes two saddle-baskets of a pack mule.
Israel’s prophecy “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags” means that although the tribe of Issachar was strong, they were lazy and docile, stubbornly refusing work and preferring comfort.
Genesis 49:15, “When he saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant, he bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, and became a slave at forced labor.”
The statement “When he saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant” was fulfilled since the territory of Issachar was in the fertile plateau of lower Galilee, which was the best farming land in Israel (See Joshua 19:17-24).
The prophecy “he bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, and became a slave at forced labor” was fulfilled when the tribe of Issachar submitted to the Canaanites rather than exterminate them as they were commanded by God to do or subjugate them as the rest of the tribes did.
Zebulun is mentioned before Issachar even though Issachar was the fifth child of Jacob and Leah and Zebulun the sixth since the tribe of Issachar would be lazy and submissive to the enemy.