Judah's Blessing
In Genesis 49, the Patriarch Jacob pronounces his final "blessings" on his sons who would form the 12 tribes of Israel. He begins with the oldest four: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. What is quite notable in this chapter of fatherly blessing is the LACK of blessing anyone receives until Judah is mentioned. Look at it:
Genesis 49:3–7 (ESV) “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. 4 Unstable 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! 5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. 6 Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
Genesis 49:3–7 (ESV) “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. 4 Unstable 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! 5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. 6 Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
Jacob's first three sons did terrible things in lust and anger. Reuben slept with his father's concubines while Simon and Levi ambushed a town in revenge for their sister. Jacob has nothing positive to say about these boys and the mention of their inheritance will be minimal outside the priestly service of Levi's family from here on in Scripture's record.
Then Jacob gets to Judah:
Genesis 49:8–12 (ESV) “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.
If we remember, Judah had sinned horribly as well. He had slept with his daughter-in-law thinking she was a prostitute and then wanted to have her killed when he found out she was pregnant. He also came up with the idea to sell Joseph into slavery. Yet it was Judah who interceded for his brother Benjamin's life before Joseph.
Notice Jacob's blessing upon Judah: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet..." Great leaders will come from Judah. That's Jacob's prophetic blessing here. The Davidic line will come from him. But most of all, Jesus will come from Judah. The Savior, the Messiah, the one who will be obeyed by all peoples will come from this son's line.
What's interesting is how Judah's record is expunged from this moment forward in Genesis. The same thing happens to us. It happens because God has sent Christ through Judah to regard us no longer by what we have done but by what Jesus Christ has done.
But there's so much more than no more sin! There is this strange phrase in verse 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." The commentators I read make a strong case that these are images of extravagant wealth. A vinedresser (vineyard owner) would have such a lush harvest that he would use the wine for washing his clothes. He would also bind his animals to the choice vine not caring that the donkey would consume it. The image here is of so much abundance, he has little regard for loss! The point here is Judah's line will be extravagantly blessed. Solomon will make silver as common as stones. Jesus will make grace abound beyond our wildest dreams. God's best and most prosperous blessings will be available to those in the line of Judah! How do we get there? Jesus.
Are you feeling under a curse because of what you've done with your life? Outside of Christ we are under a curse. But God in grace has sent Jesus to take that curse away and pour out his blessing on us. When we come to the true King from Judah we meet the One who takes our sins away so that we can be blessed.
Romans 8:32 (ESV) He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
From Judah's mention onward, Jacob has great things to say about his sons - some a little, some a lot (especially Joseph). But the reality is clearly imbedded here in Genesis 49, after Judah's line, comes the blessings of God.
What side of "Judah" are you living on? Come to his Son, Jesus. Be blessed.
What's interesting is how Judah's record is expunged from this moment forward in Genesis. The same thing happens to us. It happens because God has sent Christ through Judah to regard us no longer by what we have done but by what Jesus Christ has done.
But there's so much more than no more sin! There is this strange phrase in verse 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." The commentators I read make a strong case that these are images of extravagant wealth. A vinedresser (vineyard owner) would have such a lush harvest that he would use the wine for washing his clothes. He would also bind his animals to the choice vine not caring that the donkey would consume it. The image here is of so much abundance, he has little regard for loss! The point here is Judah's line will be extravagantly blessed. Solomon will make silver as common as stones. Jesus will make grace abound beyond our wildest dreams. God's best and most prosperous blessings will be available to those in the line of Judah! How do we get there? Jesus.
Are you feeling under a curse because of what you've done with your life? Outside of Christ we are under a curse. But God in grace has sent Jesus to take that curse away and pour out his blessing on us. When we come to the true King from Judah we meet the One who takes our sins away so that we can be blessed.
Romans 8:32 (ESV) He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
From Judah's mention onward, Jacob has great things to say about his sons - some a little, some a lot (especially Joseph). But the reality is clearly imbedded here in Genesis 49, after Judah's line, comes the blessings of God.
What side of "Judah" are you living on? Come to his Son, Jesus. Be blessed.
Comments
Post a Comment