When the son of Hamor in Shechem
Simeon and Levi: Cursed Anger
took Dinah and raped her, essentially, and then these two sons executed all of the males in that particular city. Jacob was not pleased with that, and obviously here he expresses that displeasure, and then he highlights the result of their condemnation. In verse 7, he says, 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.
Well, we know that the Levites ultimately do not receive their own portion of land. it does end up being a blessing to them. I think there's 48 cities scattered throughout the land that are Levitical cities, but they don't actually possess or own their own piece of land. And then Simeon is ultimately within the confines of Judah. So Simeon doesn't have its own territorial allotment, but rather it is confined in Judah.
In fact, Joshua, rather, when it deals with the division of the land, highlights that specifically. So the Levites receive no tribal allotment, and then Simeon would dwell within the inheritance of Judah. So Joshua 19.1, the second lot came out for Simeon for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families, and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah. I know we talked a little bit about that last week in the tribal allotments.
Well, that's it. Simeon doesn't have its own. It is a part of or included in Judah. So those are the signs that he has disfavorable or unfavorable words toward.
Now
The Shiloh Prophecy: Judah's Royal Preeminence
as we move to the third instance, as I said, this is the Shiloh prophecy and there is much writing on this or there is much in terms of later redemptive history that alludes to or has this in the backdrop. And essentially what we have is the royal preeminence of Judah. As Matthew Poole highlights, the crown or the dominion would not be Reuben's, rather it would go to this tribe of Judah. And that's what we find in verse 8.
So the tribe of Judah would be praised by the other tribes. The tribe of Judah would be the royal tribe. Others would bow down to them. And then the tribe of Judah, according to verse 9, would be as strong as a lion.
When we get to the book of Judges, for instance, it is Judah that initially begins the conquest in the land. It is the tribe of Judah that immediately begins to seize upon their inheritance. Unfortunately, it's Judah later on that gives up Samson to the Philistines. So the one tribe, the royal tribe, that is the bravest and most courageous in terms of the tribes that are first and going to take their portion of the land is also a tribe that expresses great cowardice when it comes to the man Samson.
I think that's probably Judah's sort of worst blight in the Bible in terms of cowardice. They gave up Samson to the Philistines and basically said to Samson, We kind of like what's happening, even though the Philistines are our overlords. I mean, I'm paraphrasing quite a bit, but essentially that's what they do. They deliver up Samson to the Philistines.
But nevertheless, Judah is in fact the royal tribe. Notice as well that from the tribe of Judah comes David, and then ultimately comes David's greater son, and that's the backdrop of this particular prophecy. And again, this isn't just a Christian interpretation. Jewish interpreters apply this to Messiah as well.
They see that last day's reference in verse 1, they link it to the coming of the Messiah, and that's precisely what this prophecy concerns.
Duration and Scope of Judah's Reign
Notice the duration of Judah's reign, verse 10a. And again, some of the language is a bit difficult. Some of the concept or the metaphor or the imagery that is utilized, it's poetic. The whole thing is a poem in terms of blessing and prophecy.
But in verse 10a it says, the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet. So essentially, Judah will be preeminent among the people of Israel up until this time that Shiloh comes. So the royal scepter would not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet. Most likely that language refers to childbirth, not that men give birth to children. but the idea that this lawgiver from between his feet refers to men being born.
So they would possess that royal prerogative, and they would possess that royal position until Shiloh comes. And the Shiloh there is the messianic reference. I know it's a city in the Old Testament. It was the place initially where the tabernacle was and where the people of God went to worship.
But the things that are spoken of concerning this particular figure is not what we would expect with reference to its city. It is with reference to the Lion of the tribe of Judah, as he is referred to by John in Revelation chapter 5 verse 5. That language itself, Lion from the tribe of Judah, has in its background this Shiloh prophecy in Genesis chapter 49. As well, Zechariah chapter 9, there's a reference coming, binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine.
The idea there is that under Messiah's reign there will be such prosperity, the vines will grow so rapidly and so extensively that it won't be a problem tying your donkey to those vines. You won't care that your donkey eats the vines or the fruit of the vine, because there will be so much. There will be such benefit under the reign of Messiah. In fact, Wenham points out that throughout the Old Testament, the golden age of future blessing is associated with bumper harvests, including grapes.
In fact, there's one particularly you can look at, the prophet Amos. In the Old Testament prophet Amos, you see this. Hosea, Joel, Amos, the third of the minor prophets. In Amos 9.13, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes, him who sows seed.
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine and all the hills shall flow with it. I will bring back the captives of my people Israel. They shall build the way cities and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them.
They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land. And no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God. So the idea is not profuseness in terms of use, it's profuseness in terms of availability.
And it highlights again prosperity under this Shiloh, under this messianic figure. But this binding his donkey to the vine suggests as well that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, Zechariah chapter 9 verse 9. 21 verse 2. We see those sorts of things, and again, many commentators connect it back to this Shiloh prophecy that we have as Jacob speaks concerning the tribe of Judah. So in verse 11, after the binding his donkey to the vine, his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine.
Again, I think that highlights the profuseness and availability of it. You're not supposed to take from this that everybody's getting hammered and they're drinking way too much wine. That's not the point. The point is that this was a sign of God's blessing upon Israel when the vines were profuse.
That last bit, I don't know. It's anybody's guess. I read a lot of commentary today and I don't know that anybody sufficiently answered what that means in verse 12. His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk.
I don't know that it's supposed to be a description of the Lord in terms of his physicality, that he had really bright white teeth. and really dark. I don't think that's the point. I think there's other significance. Again, there are things involved in this particular expression of poetry that are a bit difficult to nail down from this vantage point.
One of the commentators, Robert Alter, suggests that this is one of the most ancient pieces of discourse that we have in the entirety of the Bible. Now, most people have said or recognized that Job is the oldest written book in the Bible. Obviously, the events of Genesis predate Job, obviously, but Job was, in the minds of many, the oldest piece of written literature in the Bible. but in terms of this narrative block, the fact that there are things that aren't even in consideration yet indicates the ancient character of this poetry. There are things in here, the firstborn, for instance, the double portion, the specifications in Deuteronomy 21, there's some things that predate the legislation that are given later in the Mosaic Law, so it's a very difficult passage to try and get one's head wrapped around.
But again, I think this Shiloh prophecy is the most preeminent portion of Genesis 49, and it speaks of the times of Messiah. One other thing that I failed to mention is if we look at verse 10, the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and then notice, and to him shall be the obedience of the people. Again, it's not just Christian commentary, but Jewish commentary saw that Messiah would exercise sway not only over Israel, but Gentiles as well. And that's how they would interpret that last reference there, shall be the obedience of the people.
Not some of the people, not just Israel, but the people. Jew and Gentile will ultimately bow before Israel's Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. And then the next one is the tribe of Zebulun. Verse 13, Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea.
He shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall adjoin Sidon. Now, the tribal allotment did not border the Mediterranean Sea or the Sea of Galilee, but they were on an important trade route where persons that were sailors and seamen and sea merchants would have passed through there and they would have benefited greatly as a result of that. And then the tribe of Issachar finishes out the sons of Leah in verses 14 and 15. Notice the prophecy there.
Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between two burdens. He saw that rest was good and that the land was pleasant. He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden and became a band of slaves." Again, some of the contours of that language are difficult to unpack. But later, redemptive history indicates that they were, in fact, mighty men of valor.
They were known for their abilities in terms of battle and military prowess. In 1 Chronicles 7, 1 to 5, And then 1 Chronicles 12, verse 32, it tells us about the sons of Issachar. In fact, look at 1 Chronicles 12, 32. I've always loved this statement about the sons of Issachar.
It's an intriguing statement. It's one that indicates that they had something on the ball. 12, 32. of the sons of Issachar, who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred, and all their brethren were at their command." It's said incidentally. I mean, that's not the point. The point is, you know, numbering the amounts of persons in terms of the the army there at Hebron, but they had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do.
So the sons of Issachar, at least in later redemptive history, mighty men of valor, certainly men who understood those things affecting Israel and the way of progress there. And now
Sons of the Handmaids: Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali
he moves to the sons of the handmaids, and there's a chiastic sort of an approach here, an A-B-B-A pattern. He deals with Dan, who is a son of Bilhah, and then he deals with Gad, who is a son of Zilpah, and then Asher Zilpah, and then Naphtali is Bilhah. So that's that A-B-B-A pattern that is utilized here. But
Dan: Serpent by the Way
with reference to Dan, Notice in verses 16 and 17, Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. That's the name or that's the meaning of the name Dan. When he was given that name in Genesis chapter 30 at verse 6, that's what it meant then and that's what it meant now. Now, when it says, as one of the tribes of Israel, again, that's a difficult statement to try and figure out.
They were, in fact, a tribe of Israel. Why the language suggests as one of, I don't know. You can read commentaries and hopefully find the answer and report back to me, because I obviously didn't get it as I read the commentaries today. I think I got some of the main, I got the main ideas, but some of these other things, and there's not a lot of agreement.
When you get into some of these things, there's a lot of difficulty in terms of nailing down precisely what is in view. Again, I think the poetic nature, the ancientness of the writing certainly affects the ability for modern commentators and students to figure it out with pinpoint accuracy. So, for the most part, biblical prophecy is not simple, but it's not difficult. This is more difficult prophecy than I'm certainly used to in terms of New Testament, or even the prophetic prophecies concerning Jesus Christ and that sort of thing.
But why it says, as one of the tribes of Israel, not quite sure. And then verse 17, Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path that bites the horse's heels so that its rider shall fall backward. Now in terms of judges, there are a handful of commentators that see the primary emphasis or the primary application of this prophecy in the life of Samson. Samson was in fact a Danite, and he was in fact a judge over Israel, and he did a most excellent and effective job while he did so.
Now with reference to Dan, the tribe would later abandon its tribal allotment. That's specified in Joshua 19, verses 40 to 48. If you're not familiar with the book of Joshua, the book of Joshua follows naturally after the five books of Moses. So the book of Deuteronomy ends with the people of Israel on the plains of Moab poised to go into the promised land.
And so Deuteronomy is a series of exhortations by Moses to encourage the people of God, to remind the people of God, and to prepare the people of God to go in on the conquest. Joshua records the conquest. It records entering the land, it records taking the land, it records dividing up the land, and then retaining the land. Joshua is a very favorable approach to the conquest.
Judges, not so much. Judges does it, they get in there and they do dispossess the land of the Canaanites, but not entirely. So what we see in terms of positive in the book of Joshua, we start to see it unfolding in the book of Judges. Now there are great heroes in the book of Judges.
One of my favorites is Samson, certainly Jephthah, Ehud, Gideon, these were wonderful judges that served the Lord God most high. They were typical of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Judge in that context doesn't mean like a circuit judge or a judge that hears, you know, small claims or that sort of thing. Judge in the book of Judges is more like a king.
They're not kings, but they're more like that. They're tasked with providing protection to the people. They're tasked with the vanquishing of the enemies of the people. But with reference to the book of Joshua, that's where you see the various allotments given to the various tribes.
And then they go into the land, they take those portions, they settle there. But then in Judges, as I said, things start to deteriorate. So the emphasis in Judges is on those wonderful leaders, those wonderful saviors in Israel, But what the author is showing us is the increasing Canaanization of Israel. In other words, what happens to Israel when they go into the land of Canaan is not that they purify the land of Canaan, but they become like Canaanites.
And that sets them up, ultimately, for expulsion from the land. If anyone ever tells you that what God does is not fair in terms of expelling or expunging the Canaanites from the land of Canaan, it's most certainly fair. It's righteous and it's just. Because when Israel acts like Canaanites, they get kicked out of the land as well.
God doesn't say, well, I'm going to go ahead and bypass your sin for whatever reason. I'm capricious and arbitrary. That's not how God functioned. When Israel goes into the land and they act like Canaanites, and the book of Judges ends on that, you know, unfortunate note.
I mean, if ever there looked like a Canaanite civilization, it's Israel and the land at the end of the book of Judges. I mean, it's absolutely horrific. what goes on there. But that's kind of the flow from Pentateuch into Joshua and Judges. But with reference to Dan, they would ultimately migrate to the north of Israel.
You've heard the expression, Dan to Beersheba. Dan is up here in terms of the city. The tribal allotment is a bit lower, but with reference to city, Dan to Beersheba. So they move from the place that God had given them to another place.
Verse 18, it looks like it's attached to the specific prophecy concerning Dan. It most likely is, but it probably applies to everything else. It's an expression of Jacob's faith in the living God. As he rehearses the various prophecies concerning the various tribes in Israel, he expresses his faith, he expresses his confidence in the Lord God Most High.
Wenham again says, within the context of a prophecy about the nation's future, this prayer of Jacob seems to be a reflection of the difficulties he sees the tribes facing. He prays to the Lord that he will deliver his descendants in the future. So that's why verse 18 is in that particular position.
Gad, Asher, and Naphtali
The next is the tribe of Gad. Again, Gad came from the handmade zilpah. Now, the statement concerning Gad recognizes that they will frequently be engaged in warfare. They are a transjordan tribe, so they settle on the eastern side of the Jordan.
Their neighbors are the Ammonites, Just below them is Reuben, but then you've got the Moabites. So they're in a position where they're going to see a lot of battle. That's just what's going to happen with reference to Gad. So verse 19, But he shall triumph at last.
And again, 1 Chronicles chapter 5 and 1 Chronicles chapter 12 highlights that they were famed for their military prowess. So that's what Jacob is alerting them to here. The next is the tribe of Asher. Now with reference to Asher, bread from Asher shall be rich and he shall yield royal dainties.
Now the best I can do is that he's going to inherit a good piece of land, a good piece of agriculturally rich land that will yield good benefits to that particular tribe of people. And then Naphtali, the tribe of Naphtali would be a deer let loose. That may refer to their swiftness and agility on the battlefield. With reference to that last statement, he uses beautiful words.
Some suggest that Beric, Beric was from the tribe of Naphtali. Beric helped Deborah pen the Song of Deborah in Judges chapter 5, which was basically praise to God for deliverance from their enemies. So some say he has or was used beautiful words, and you can see it there in Judges chapter 5. Others have suggested he was a good talker and able to talk, you know, diplomatically, keep themselves out of battle.
He had the swiftness, he had the ability, he had the agility, he was a dear let loose, But he used beautiful words in order to be able to not enter into battle and not enter into warfare with a whole host of various peoples. And then
Sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin
we move to the sons of Rachel in verses 22 to 28. The two of them, Joseph and Benjamin. Now we spent a lot of time on Joseph, beginning in chapter 37. When the text indicates that this is the story of Jacob, the text then treats Joseph in great detail.
So the story of Jacob comes to an official end in verse 33 in our chapter. The story of Jacob certainly involves his sons, and what happened with reference to Joseph takes a lot of chapters and a lot of ink to inform us concerning. And basically what we have in this brief section concerning the blessing of the prophecy of Jacob concerning Joseph rehearses what we already know and what we've already seen.
Joseph: Fruitful Bough and Divine Sustaining
Notice there is first a comparison, verse 22. Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well, his branches run over the wall. And then it indicates the challenges. Verse 23 says, the archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him, and hated him.
Now, as I recall, going from Genesis 37 to this point, I don't remember a place where he was out in the open field and archers tried to shoot at him. Remember, this is poetry. And poets often use word pictures. They use metaphor.
They use simile. They use word pictures to try and describe life events. Well, I think we would all agree that if it wasn't the case that there were actually persons with physical bows and arrows shooting at him, It certainly was the case metaphorically. You had his brothers who sold him into slavery.
You had the Ishmaelites whom they sold him to. I'm sure that wasn't a pleasant experience. The text doesn't get into life with the Ishmaelites until he's ultimately delivered up to Potiphar's house. He gets to Potiphar's house and there he's got this woman shooting arrows at him, essentially trying to destroy him.
He moves from there into the prison. And there he's got the royal cup bearer that assures him that he'll give a good report to Pharaoh, and of course he forgets him. So there's this enmity against Joseph from sort of day one. I mean the moment we meet that young man, You know, in Genesis 37, it's like everything goes downhill until, of course, God exalts him and puts him in a position of great prestige and great power.
And that's what verses 24 to 26 express. This is Jacob's confidence in the living and true God who has sustained, who has blessed, and who has, in fact, delivered Joseph. So after that statement of verse 23, the archers had bitterly grieved him, shot at him, and hated him. But notice verse 24, but his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.
So Jacob understands it wasn't Joseph's natural ability, it wasn't Joseph's savvy with a bow and arrow, it wasn't Joseph's natural endowment, but it was rather the hands of the mighty God of Jacob that delivered Joseph. And so in terms of this blessing, in terms of this prophecy, he is rehearsing the faithfulness of God to each of these particular patriarchs. It's as if he's saying, look back at your lives and see how the Lord has dealt with you. This gives you confidence for the present, and it certainly gives you confidence and perseverance and expectation and hope going into the future.
The past faithfulness of God steadies us in the present, and prepares us for life in the future, and that is essentially what Jacob is communicating to him at this particular time. So he was able to defend himself and overcome by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. Wenham says verse 24 tells how the attacks on Joseph failed because of divine assistance. So every step of the way, when we started with Genesis 37, when we saw this young man's dreams, we saw that report given to his brothers, we saw their enmity and their animosity, we see them hatching their plan, first to kill him and then ultimately to sell him into slavery, all the Every step of the way it was God there upholding him.
It was God there in Providence moving him from one place to another. We looked at that in great detail and we can testify along with Jacob and Joseph by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. That's where the deliverance came for this man Joseph. He goes on to say, from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel, and then verse 25, by the God of your father who will help you and by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph and on the crown of the head of him who is separate from his brothers. So he is the one that receives the double portion. Remember, when you look at your map, that's not the right map.
If we had a map of the tribes of Israel, we wouldn't see one named Joseph. We'd see two. one called Ephraim and one called Manasseh. In fact, Manasseh, half of it is on the east side of the Jordan and the other half is on the other side of the Jordan. So you see that double portion brought to fruition in God's blessing upon Joseph.
And so Jacob rehearses that, and Jacob says it will be multiplied. The blessings of your father, verse 26, have excelled the blessings of my ancestors. And then
Benjamin: A Ravenous Wolf
the final is the other son of Rachel, the tribe of Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin would also have a warlike and a fierce disposition, and that's what we find in verse 27. Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
Ehud was a Benjamite. Remember, he was the man that gave that message to the king. That message to the king happened to have a point on it and came out of his... and lodged into his great big fat belly. Eglon was the king that Ehud dispatched when he said, I have a message for you.
And he stuck the knife in his belly. So Benjamin was certainly a warring tribe. As well, they were known as archers and slingers. The Old Testament indicates that to us.
And they were the ones involved in civil war in Judges 19 and 20. Every other tribe was against Benjamin, and Benjamin had to hold their own in that exchange. So Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
And then the summary concerning the blessing is mentioned, though there is some condemnation for Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. Overall, it's a blessing. Those men are patriarchs of their respective tribes, and there will be tribal allotments, land in the land of Canaan, that will come to these people, and they will benefit and prosper as a result of the God of Israel, as a result of the God who is faithful. Also, they will be looking to that Shiloh prophecy.
They will be looking for that Messiah that's described with reference to the tribe of Judah, that one who will come, David, and then ultimately the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Going back to Benjamin, there were two other famous men in the tribe of Benjamin, and that was King Saul, and then Paul the Apostle. Paul was a Benjamite as well. I'm not sure if he was a good archer or a good slinger, but he was certainly within that tribe.
And then
Jacob's Burial Instructions and Land Title
in the next place we have the instruction of Jacob's sons. And this shouldn't be any bit of a surprise to us. Jacob has already told Joseph back in chapter 47 that he does not want to be buried in the land of Egypt. He wants to be buried in the land of Canaan.
Remember, the two blessings that the book of Genesis holds forth, or the two primary themes, are land and seed. Seed is preeminent. Seed is ultimately realized in our Lord Jesus Christ. Land is preeminent in terms of an Old Covenant concept, in terms of God's gracious gift to the nation of Israel.
And so this desire on the part of the patriarch to be buried in the land of Canaan reflects that conviction. And then the instructions that he gives are very detailed when he describes the piece of land that he wants to be buried in. Do you notice what he says? I am to be gathered to my people, bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place.
Remember when we were back there. It was offered to him for free. You can go ahead and bury Sarah here, Abraham. Abraham insisted.
Abraham insisted on paying for it. Why? Because he owns dirt in the promised land. This was down payment.
This is, you know, the beginning of what would ultimately flow from the hand of God. Verse 31, he says, there they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife. And there I buried Leah.
The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Hath. Again, very descriptive. He doesn't say, just send my bones back to the land of Canaan. No, he pinpoints the place and there's a reason.
I think Robert Alter gets this reason correct. He says, Jacob, in his last words to his sons, exhibits an elaborate consciousness of the legal transaction between his grandfather and Ephron the Hittite. Like the account of the purchase in chapter 25, he emphasizes the previous owner, the exact location of the property, and the fact that it was acquired as a permanent holding. Thus, at the end of Genesis, legal language is used to resume a great theme, that Abraham's offspring are legitimately bound to the land God promised them, and that the descent into Egypt is no more than a sojourn.
Very crucial and very key to get that, because when we turn the page and we get to the book of Exodus, they're in the land of Egypt. But as Alter points out, this language indicates the binding legality, the reality that based on God's faithfulness, they will inherit the land of Canaan. There may be a detour. There may be an unwanted time in the land of Egypt.
But as this brother says, it will only be a sojourn in Egypt. They have title to the land of Canaan. And that's where this section ends.
Jacob's Death and Legacy
And then, of course, his death in verse 33. And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people. The only way I can visualize that he was sitting on the edge of the bed and then laid down, put his legs on the bed and died. And that was that.
And now chapter 15 is going to deal with the final disposition of his body in terms of Joseph, and then it will deal with the last words of Joseph and his death. So that is Genesis 49. As I said, there's a whole lot more that can be gleaned from a study of this chapter. I would recommend John Gill.
Calvin spends a lot of time on it as well. Matthew Poole, very helpful. Typically the bulk of the place where those men stay is in the Shiloh prophecy concerning Jesus, specifically in verses 8 to 12. Some very helpful stuff.
Lennon, very good. Robert Alter, very good as well. Brief. Alter's strength is that he's brief.
I think he's Jewish. And the basic thrust is a new translation. That's what he's working on. A translation of the Old Testament.
But he does provide commentary in the footnotes section. But again, it's very brief. He doesn't get into 10 pages of discussion on things. So if you're interested in delving further into Genesis 49, there's certainly further to delve into.
But hopefully this will at least provide some sort of an overview in terms of Jacob's blessing of his sons that are prophetic in nature concerning ultimately the scope of God's dealings with Israel. And in terms of the scope of the prophecy, it is programmatic for the entirety of the tribes of Israel. Calvin said, and this prophecy is comprised the whole period from the departure out of Egypt to the reign of Christ. Again, it's very powerful.
In Genesis 49, we have a formal, articulated messianic prophecy. Not that Genesis 3.15 isn't. It is, most assuredly, but it's not sort of set off the way that this is. This is a wonderful specimen of biblical prophecy concerning the coming Messiah.
Christological Fulfillment and Application
In terms of the Shiloh prophecy, the Lord Christ did in fact come from the tribe of Judah. You see that in Matthew, you see it in Hebrews chapter 7. Paul's whole argument with reference to the priesthood of Jesus, he connects him not to Aaron because Jesus wasn't from the tribe of Levi. He was from the tribe of Judah.
That's why his priesthood is connected to Melchizedek. It isn't connected to the Aaronic or the Levitical priesthood. So you see that in Hebrews 7, 14. And then the Lord Christ is the one to whom shall be the obedience of the people.
And to him shall be the obedience of the people. Again, not just Jew, but Gentile. He is the Messiah of Israel with the scope of the entirety of the earth. And then the Lord Christ is the one who brings blessing and prosperity to his people.
I think that's what verses 11 and 12 indicate or highlight in that poetic, sort of highly charged, symbolized language. And then a third observation in terms of practical application is Jacob's confidence in God. You know, I just talked about Joseph, and he had a difficult life, to be sure. I would argue that in terms of the patriarchs, in terms of the people that we have studied in the book of Genesis, not many people had it more difficult than Joseph.
I mean, he's right up there with, you know, hard lives. But Jacob had a tough life as well, and what did Jacob learn in the midst of his life? At the end of his life, he has confidence in God. Verse 18, I have waited for your salvation, O Lord.
And then in verse 26, the blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph and on the crown of the head of him who is separate from his brother. So there is this great confidence in God that Jacob manifests and expresses in this particular chapter. And I would suggest that finally, in terms of practical observation, Jacob can have that great confidence in God because of the faithfulness of God as it has been expressed throughout the book of Genesis up to this point.
For every single one of these patriarchs, for every single one of these instances, the Lord has been there. We tried to see that as we've moved our way through the book of Genesis, tried to see God's providence, and it's very obvious, and it's very conspicuous for the most part. You see how, especially in the life of Joseph, each move is calculated to put him in the next spot where he needs to be to ultimately ascend to the throne, second throne, in the land of Egypt, so that he can provide that safe haven, and he can provide that shelter for his brothers, so that he can afford them life. In fact, that is going to be his confession, God willing, next week when we look at chapter 50.
He is able to say, but as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. In the final analysis, Jacob, the patriarchs, Joseph included, have or has confidence in God because of the faithfulness of God. When we have experienced that, when we have seen that, not only in scripture but in our own lives, hopefully it will promote in us that confidence, that trust, that ability to rest upon the Lord and not fret and not freak out and not lose our minds when things happen in this world. There is that steadiness and that settledness that the people of God manifest.
And I would have to say this text also manifests what one brother in the church has said, not this church, in the history of the church, our people die well. Jacob certainly died well according to verse 33. I mean, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people. He was able to say what he needed to say.
He was able to provide that blessing and prophecy to his sons. He breathed his last and entered into the presence of the man who would indeed achieve, or the one, the pre-incarnate Christ who would achieve the Shiloh prophecy. So it's a blessed thing. to appreciate God's grace, God's mercy, God's faithfulness, to increase our confidence and our trust in Him. Well, let's close in a word of prayer.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for this series of prophetic statements by Jacob. We thank You for the one respecting Christ, our Lord, that one that has come into this world, sinners to save, and that one who brings great blessing and prosperity and great joy to His people. We give praise to You that this was no afterthought in the mind of God.
The very beginning of Scripture indicates that it would be the seed of the woman that would crush the serpent. All of this in accordance with that covenant made between the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to save His people from their sins. We give praise, Most High, for Your goodness, for Your graciousness, and for Your faithfulness. And I pray that you would increase our trust, increase our confidence, and increase our stability and security as we reflect on who you are.
Again, Father, we ask that you would go with us. We ask that you would bless and protect all of the people in this local church. We pray that you'd move the hearts of the civil magistrate so that these restrictions placed upon churches would be lifted and that all of your people could gather together on the Lord's Day in the house of God to worship and to glorify you. And we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.