#125 Days to Come Genesis 49

Genesis 49: 1-12

49 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Come here, and let me tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.

2 “Gather around and listen, sons of Jacob.

Listen to your father Israel.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my strength, the very first son I had,

first in majesty and first in power.

4 You will no longer be first

because you were out of control like a flood

and you climbed into your father’s bed.

Then you dishonored it.

He climbed up on my couch.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers.

Their swords are weapons of violence.

6 Do not let me attend their secret meetings.

Do not let me join their assembly.

In their anger they murdered men.

At their whim they crippled cattle.

7 May their anger be cursed because it’s so fierce.

May their fury be cursed because it’s so cruel.

I will divide them among the sons of Jacob

and scatter them among the tribes of Israel.

8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.

Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies.

Your father’s sons will bow down to you.

9 Judah, you are a lion cub.

You have come back from the kill, my son.

He lies down and rests like a lion.

He is like a lioness. Who dares to disturb him?

10 A scepter will never depart from Judah

nor a ruler’s staff from between his feet

until Shiloh comes

and the people obey him.

11 He will tie his donkey to a grapevine,

his colt to the best vine.

He will wash his clothes in wine,

his garments in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes are darker than wine.

His teeth are whiter than milk.

Jacob calls all his sons together and what is said is said before all. Let there be no mistake in the will or intent for all will here and all will learn from the hearing. Reuben is acknowledged as the firstborn and the right of this emphasized, but he has by his actions lost this place. He was described as unstable, like water, and I would take such a critique of myself quite painfully. It is to say that your honor is wavering, that you stand trying to fall down. He is a stumbling block to himself, and he has dishonored his father by sleeping with his step mother. So many times we feel entitled, and for what, just being born or being born first? It is interesting that the Bible uses the term firstborn both in instances of chronology and preference. Reuben was the first out of the womb, but his days were not preferred. He gave up first place, honor and majesty. His offspring would follow the path of least resistance.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.… Ephesians 6:1-3

Simeon and Levi destroyed a whole city after deceiving them with talks of peace. Jacob was again dishonored by his sons, whose secret meetings did not go unnoticed by their father. I would not want to be influenced by their scheming either. He condemns their anger and their fury. They do not seek justice, but rather revenge and his sons are cruel. They are scattered among the tribes, and it is from the tribe of Levi that there comes the priests. Some would see this as a reward of honor, but only if the man is honorable, for he is the servant of God. His accountability will be to God, for all his practices, what he teaches and how he measures others. 

Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Joel 2:17

We have seen the rise of Judah, and the wisdom of Judah. His line will contain Kings, and one of whom will be the Psalmist David. David will share much of this wisdom, and though being seduced by power, he will be a man after God's own heart. He will fail and yet repent; his heart will long for the pleasure of his God. Solomon, his son, will have one of the riches kingdoms ever known, but he too will chase after his own lusts. What the father does will seem in moderation to the excess of the son. And yet, when the nation sleeps again, in the bondage of Roman rule, there will come a mighty Lion of Judah. He will not be seen as a lion though, for he will come as the Lamb. 

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!30"This is He on behalf of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'…John 1:29 & 30