Jacob Blesses His Sons

We're in Genesis chapter forty nine, Genesis chapter forty nine, and as we arrive in Genesis chapter forty nine, it's hard for this chapter to not be anti climatic, because as we arrive in Genesis chapter forty nine, what we see is what we've been saying for months now. For months, as you've been following along, you've heard us say over and over and over again that the story of the life of Joseph is really not about Joseph, but that the story of the life of Joseph was about God redeeming Jacob and ultimately positioning Judah to take pre eminence in the family. And that Joseph coming to power in Egypt was not about us looking to Joseph for a lesson on how to come to power in a pagan land. But Joseph coming to power in Egypt was about God's providence. It was about God rescuing his own It was about God moving the ball forward, so to speak, so that the plan of redemption might take the next step. We've said that all along, and we've said that so much that now when we get to Genesis chapter forty nine, we're not going to be surprised. We get to Genesis chapter forty nine, and we see exactly what we've said all along. We see Judah arrive at the place that God intended. If you'll join me here in Genesis chapter forty nine, what we have is a beautiful picture of a man in his last days, in his waning moments, blessing his sons as they stand before him. Look with me here, getting in verse one, we'll look at the verse twenty seven verses today. Then Jacob called his sons and said, gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in the days to come. Assemble and listen, O, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father. We've talked before about the use and interchange of those two names, how Jacob's name is changed to Israel, and how the nation gets its name from that change that happened to Jacob. And we've seen in this part of the Genesis narrative, as Jacob had sort of gone astray, that he was referred to as Jacob again and again and again. But as he turned the corner and came to the place where God intended once again, we saw him referred to by his covenant name of Israel, and so here we see both of those things. Listen to the subtlety here, as this man at the end of his life says, as symbol, listen, O, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father. This is about the covenant. You are my boys, But what I'm about to say to you is not about you being my boys. What I'm about to say to you is about to covenant that God has made, about the work that God has done and the work that God is going to continue to do. Verse three, Reuben, you are my first born, my might, and the first fruits of my strength, pre eminent in dignity and pre eminent in power, Unstable as water. You shall not have pre eminence because you went up to your father's bed, then you defiled it. He went up to my couch. So now son number one shall not have pre eminence. We've already spoke of this. The double portion blessing is already gone to Joseph. But now we see here that specifically Reuben will not have preeminence. So perhaps it will be Simon the next one. Verse five, Simeon and Levi number two and three are brothers. Weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their council. Oh my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their wilfulness they hamstrung oxen. 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. So it will not be Son number one, it will not be Sun number two, it will not be Sun number three. If you'll remember if it was Sons number two and three who avenged their sister by the sword, after deceiving check them and having all of the men there, circumcised themselves so that they could be awarded not only this sister, but others in their family, and unite with their family. And on the third day, when these men were sore, it was Simeon and Levi who led the raid that killed every man there. And so Jacob says, you will not have pre eminence. Now we come to Son number four. Judah, your brothers shall praise you, your hands shall be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's cub for the prey my son, you have gone up from the prey, My son have gone up. He stooped down. He crouched as a lion, and as a lioness. Who dares rouse him. The scepter shall not depart from Judah and the ruler's staff from between his feet until tribute comes to him, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples, binding his foal to the vine and his donkey colt to the choice vine. He has washed his garments and wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. Now of the next time, Zebulin shall dwell at the shore of the sea. He shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon. It's a car is a strong donkey crouching between the sheep folds. He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant. So he bowed his shoulder. Excuse me to bear and become a servant at forced labor. Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path that bites the horses. Heels so that his rider falls backward. I wait for your salvation, O Lord. Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. Assure Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies. Joseph is a fruitful bow, a fruitful bow by a spring, a fruitful bye, by a sprint, by a spring. His branches run over the wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely. Yet his bow remained unmoved. His arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty one of Jacob. For there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel, by the God of your father, who will help you, By the Almighty, who will bless you with blessings of heaven, above blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts of the womb and of the womb. The blessings of your Father are mighty, beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers. Benjamin is a ravenous wolf in the morning devouring the prey, and that evening dividing the spoil. And there we have it. The next scene we come to is Jacob's end. But this is what he leads his twelve sons with, and in this we see the answer to the question that has been asked since we started this journey through the life of Joseph, what is it all about? And the answer to that question is that it is all about Judah. Four things I want you to see here, and they happen to be alliterated. You know, I'm not one for alliteration, but this one couldn't be avoided. The four things we see here we have to understand the pre eminence of Judah, the praise of Judah, the power of Judah, and the prosperity of Judah. As we look at what was said specifically to Judah, and as we juxtapose that with what was said to all of his brothers, these are the four things that stand out that leap out at us first his pre eminence. His pre eminence first and foremost is seen in the contrast between his blessing and that of his brothers. If you look at what was said to Judah and contrast it with what was said to his brothers. With the exception of Joseph, it is clear that there is something very different going on with Judah. Listen to Kiel and delish. Judah, the fourth son, was the first to receive a rich and unmixed blessing, the blessing of an an alienable supremacy of power. His brothers who go before him are basically told, you are not going to have the right of the first born. You're next. You're not going to have the right of the firstborn. You're next. You're not going to have the right of the firstborn. And it's not until you get to Judah that you realize that he is going to have the pre eminence and that right of the firstborn. So when you juxtapose what is said to him as opposed to what is said to his brothers, you see the pre eminence of Judah. It's also evidence of the work of God in his life. If you'll remember, we start this in Genesis chapter thirty seven, and we look at the strife between Joseph and his brothers. Judas speaks up in Genesis chapter thirty seven, and the first thing we hear from Judah in Genesis chapter thirty seven is let's not kill Joseph because he's our brother. And before we can lift our hand to pat him on the back, the next phrase that comes out of his mouth is if we do that, we get nothing. Let's sell him into slavery instead. Then we go to Genesis chapter thirty eight. And if you remember, we said Genesis chapter thirty eight looks completely out of place because Genesis chapters thirty seven and following is understood to be the life of Joseph. We're about to end Genesis. The next chapter is the end of Genesis, and from Genesis thirty seven on we talk about the life of Joseph. We culminate this life of Joseph as the family comes back together. What does Genesis chapter thirty eight have to do with the life of Joseph. The answer nothing and everything. Remember, the life of Joseph is about the providence of God preserving Jacob, preserving Israel, and ultimately preserving Judah, who will be the pre eminent son. But in order for that to happen, God has to do a work in both Jacob and Judah. How do we know that God has to do a work in both Jacob and Judah the answer Genesis chapter thirty eight. You look in Genesis chapter thirty eight, and it is one of the darkest moments in the history of this family. It's the story of Juda and his daughter in law Temar. It's the story of his immorality. Why is Genesis chapter thirty eight plopped down in the midst of this narrative. I'll tell you why it's plopped down in the midst of this narrative because of what happens later on in Genesis chapter forty two. Go back with me if you will Genesis chapter forty two. All right, Actually, Genesis chapter forty three. Look at forty three, nine and ten. Miss Judas speaking verse eight, Judah said to Israel, his father, send the boy with me. Remember, Jacob does not want to send Benjamin. Joseph has tested his brothers and he has said that if you come back, you must come back with Benjamin. He kept the second brother, and he's been there the whole time. They have gone through the food. Now they must go back, But Jacob does not want to give up his boy Benjamin. Verse eight, Judah said to Israel, his father, send the boy with me, and we will arise and go that we may live and not die. Both we and you and also are little ones. I will be a pledge of his safety from my hand. You shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and send him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. If we had not delayed, we would have returned by now. Now turn over to chapter forty four, and look beginning in verse fourteen, when Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house. That phrase, in and of itself is a message to us. When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, Why mention Judah first. He's not the oldest boy, he's number four. Why mention him first, because this story is about him. When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. Joseph said to them, what deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination? And Judah said, what shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants. Behold, we are my Lord's servants. Both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found. But he said, far be it from me that I should do so. Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go in peace to your fathers. Then Judah went up to him and said, O, my lord, please let your servants speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servant, saying, have you a father or a brother? And we said to my lord, we have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him. Then you said to your servants, bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him. We said to my lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die. Then you said to your servants, unless your younger brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again when we went back. He continues on and tell the story and ultimately relates to Joseph his position as guarantre for his brother Benjamin. Why is Genesis chapter thirty eight dropped down in the beginning of the story of the life of Joseph, because without Genesis chapter thirty eight, you don't understand what God has done in Judah's life chapter forty two, and in chapter forty four and beyond. It's there because we recognize that there must be a change, There must be redemption of Judah. Somebody has to come forth, and it has to be as a result of the work of God, not a result of his own performance. This covenant promised that God has made is not a promise that God made because he looked down and found the most obedient, perfectly ordered family that he could find. There was no such thing. This is not about God finding someone who is worthy of the covenant. This is about God's covenant making someone worthy. This is about the work of God in the life of those whom he calls to himself. This is not a picture of Judah rising above the fray because he out performed everyone else. This is a picture of the hand of God on this man, sending him apart. The pre eminence of Judah the scenmen. What God has done in Judas's life, The pre eminence of Judah is not because of anything that he was able to conjure up in and of himself. Here's the amazing thing. Think about this when you think about your own calling and election. Think about this when you think about that moment when the role is called, and that moment, imagine if you will, God's saying you're not mine, You're not mine, You're not mine, and then coming to you and saying your mind, at that moment, the last thing in your mind would be to look at those who were pointed out before you and say, oh God, I am oh so grateful that I was able to outperform those others and become worthy of your calling. All my life. Judas preeminence was not because of anything that he'd done. In fact, here's probably Judah. He sits there and his father looks at Reuben and says, you will not have pre eminence because of what you did, and you went into your father's bed. Then his next two older brothers, Simeon and Levi, you will not have pre eminence because you are murderers. Here's probably what's going through Judah's mind. Yeah, well, me either, because chapter thirty eight, Judah at that moment is not looking at his brothers shaking his head or holding his head aloof while he thinks of himself as far more worthy than they are. At that moment, he's probably being reminded of all of his shortcomings, all of is frailty, and all of his faults. And yet in spite of them, he has pre eminence. Why because God chose him. That's why, because God chose him new splash. Any man, any woman, whom God ever chooses to use, is chosen in spite of not because of who they are. If God uses a man and that man feels that he was chosen because of who he is or what he's done, that man does not know God, and he does not know himself, because if he knew God, he would know that he was not worthy of his calling. If he knew himself, he would know that he was not worthy of his calling. Juda's pre eminence is not a result of anything in Judah, but it is about God. Secondly, the praise of Judah. And look with me, if you will and verse, say 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. Your brothers are going to praise you. Now, several things that we see as a result of the praise of Judah. Here's the first thing we see. Judah can only be praised by his brothers because God has finally brought unity to the family. He can only be praised by his brothers because God has finally brought unity to the family. Now, remember, Joseph had a dream, and his dream was that he would be in this position before his brothers, and he ultimately was in that position before his brothers, but only because they were going to kill him decided not to put him in a pit, and he ended up for over twenty years in Egypt. Therefore, they come to Egypt and they bow down before him. But because of this lack of unity in the family, there was no sense whatsoever that these boys were willing to acknowledge that they would bow down before Joseph. But now Jacob says to Judah, your brothers are going to praise you. That's different than your brother's just bowing down before you. Your brothers can bow down before you because you're powerful and they're afraid of you. This is not your brothers are going to bow down to you. This is your brothers are going to praise you. There's a play on words here, because Judah means praise, and several of the blessings that Jacob gives to his sons are based on plays on words from their names. This one is based on a play on words from Judah's name, Judah, you are going to be praised by your brothers. By the way, in all of this, let me back up for a moment. What we need to recognize in the statements that Jacob makes to Judah is this that, like many prophecies that we find in the Old Testament, there are mo the pole layers of fulfillment. For the most part, what we see here because of what we've been listening to over and over and over again. Immediately we think that this is about the person in the work of Jesus Christ, and ultimately that is absolutely true, but this is about another as well. See before Christ comes, these things are fulfilled for Judah in the life of King David, and Christ is understood to be who he is in light of being in the line of King David. So the first time we see the fulfillment of this is in King David. When the nation is unified, the nation comprised of what the twelve tribes of Israel, and they surround this one who is their king. But ultimately there is a picture of the twenty four elders in revelation doing what, praising the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, which is the ultimate fulfillment of this In heaven we see a picture, and the picture is of the heads of the twelve tribes are representatives of the twelve tribes, these elders bowing down before the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. There is unity in the family, and that unity is not a false unity. They unify around the covenant that God has made their singleness of purpose. It's the only way you praise Judah is if there's singleness of purpose. No longer do we have this family that is divided, but we have a family that is unified and that has a singular purpose. Brothers and sisters, may I suggest to you that the only thing that ultimately unites us as a body, that unites us as followers of Christ, is our praise of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. That is what makes us one. When men strive for unity based on anything other than the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is a false unity or a tenuous unity at best. It is only when we unify and our praise of the lion of the tribe of Judah, that we truly become one. That is why our corporate worship as a body is so incredibly important. When we gather together, we don't gather together and have this section sing one song and this section sing another, and this section go off and do something else. No, when we gather together, we gather together and we praise the lion of the tribe of Judah, and it makes us one. We also see the power of Judah. There's a picture here. Look with me, if you will. Back in our text in verse nine, 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 lion, asked who dares to rouse him? This is a picture of power. I don't know if you have ever been close to a lion outside of a zoo, but there are several of us in this room today who were together in a vehicle in Botswana a little over a year ago, where we were within feet of two essays who had just feasted on their prey, and all of a sudden, the vehicle that we were in was silent, as all the air was sucked out. As an open vehicle, but still all the air was sucked out of it. As we sat there and looked at these big cats. And as we looked at these big cats, here's the thought that we all had at the same time. This is beautiful and terrifying because what that beautiful, powerful creature just did to a cape buffalo, it could easily do to me. And I remember thinking to myself, God, thank you that they're not hungry right now. That is the imagery that Jacob chooses to speak about Judah, a lion that has just killed its prey and has gone up to rest. Don't mess with him. Judah is powerful. This is fulfilled during the time of the Judges, then later in the reign of King David, but ultimately in the victorious reign of Christ. What is Judah is what is David known for? Saul has killed his thousands, but David his ten thousands. And when we come to the look of Matthew Matthew chapter one, what do we hear in Matthew Chapter one and Matthew chapter one, we see the genealogy of Jesus, the son of David, the son of Abraham. He's connected to Abraham through the Great King David, and yet he is Great King David's greater son, as great as David was in slaying Goliath. That victory that he won on behalf of his people against the champion of their foe, thus winning freedom and liberty for all those he represented as a substitute pales in comparison to the substitutionary atonement that his greater son, Jesus Christ achieved on behalf of his people. And so he is referred to as the lion of the tribe of Judah, beautiful and terrible all at the same time. And we don't think of Christ this way. Why don't we, Well, because we've been brainwashed by our culture. I've read this for you before, and I'll probably read it for you again because I just love to read it. Turn over with me in the Book of Revelation, Revelation chapter nineteen. As she turned to Revelations chapter in nineteen, listen to this from a Revelation five, five and then nine and ten. One of the elders said to me weep no more. Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has conquered. Notice that the lion of the tribe Jude to the root of David. He connects him two places, where to Judah and to Judah's great son David. That's where he connects him, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. And they sang a new song, saying, worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals? For you were slain, and your blood, and by your bloods gives me your ransomed people for God, from every tribe and language, and people and nation. And you have made them a kingdom and priest to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. There you have the lion and the ruler with his scepter. There you have your brother's bowing down before you, and the nation's bowing down before you. All in one fell swoop. But they refer to him is the line of the tribe of Judah. We're used to thinking about him as the lowly lamb of God, meek and mild. Revelation nineteen, beginning verse eleven. Then I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. The one sitting on it is called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire. On his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood. And the name by which he's called is the Word of God. The armies of heaven a raid in fineland, and white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his sigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. That, my friends is the lion of the tribe of Judah. So David, he is a foretaste of that it's ultimately fulfilled in Judah. There's also this picture of the scepter. Look at the next part of this verse ten. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until tribute comes to him. That it phrays until tribute comes to him. Some of your translations have until Shiloh comes, or until the one to whom the tribute is due. The picture there is that Judah will not have this scepter removed from him until the one to whom the ultimate tribute is due arises and receives that tribute. This is a reference to Christ, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. To him shall be the obedience of the peoples of the nations. Now we have gone from your brothers will praise you till ultimately there is one who will come from you, and all nations will bow down to him and obey him. Listen to Calvin's comment on this. Though this passage is obscure, it would not have been very difficult to elicit its genuine sense. It is certain that the Messiah who was to spring from the tribe of Judah is here promised. Yes, King David is going to come from this tribe, but ultimately his significance will be surpassed as great. King David's greater son shows us the fullness of these promises made to Judah. Listen to Tewod Samuel seven, verses twelve to sixteen. Listen to this how we sort of intermingle the idea of King David and his coming earthly sons, and ultimately the reality that there will be an everlasting king. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body and will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Now we've gone, it seems from talking about Solomon who will build this temple, to talking about one who will ultimately have this throne forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men. But my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you, and your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever. There is the picture of earthly kings, because Christ will have no iniquity to be punished, but also the picture of the ultimate eternal king, who will also come from this line. The scepter will not depart from Judah. There is the final picture, and that is the prosperity of Judah Verse eleven, binding his to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine. Here's a picture of vineyards that are so plentiful that you use him as hitching posts. He has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. Again, a picture of vineyards that are so plentiful that you use them to dye your clothes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. If you've read the Song of Solomon, you recognize references like these that speak of health and strength and beauty. This is the prosperity of Judah. Now here's what's interesting. God prophesies this coming prosperity of Judah, and after we get through with Genesis we read at face is God promising that Judah will always be rich and wealthy and no, absolutely not difficult days lie ahead. This promise that God makes has to do with the coming lion of the tribe of Judah and ultimately our hope in him. Now here's what's interesting. Jesus comes on the scene and I think of two things in reference to this passage. Today, Jesus shows up on the scene, and the first thing that we see there in the Book of Matthew is him announced by way of what his lineage, connecting him to David and connecting him to Abraham. He goes forth and he teaches, but he also performs miracles, the first of which is to turn water into wine. Do not think for a moment that the Messiah turning water into wine got past those who were waiting for his coming. The line of the tribe of Judah. The vineyards will be so plentiful that you use them as hitching posts. The wine will be so plentiful that you'll use the fruit of the vine to dye your clothes. The wine will be so I've heard this before, and now I'm following this one. And he tells me through his mother to go and get these huge jars of water, and in a moment they're overflowing with the choicest wide. Judah is significant not because of what he has done, but because of what God has done in him, what God has done through him, and what God is going to do with him. Ultimately, the significance of Judah lay in his offspring King David, King David, who was so great that all of the kings after him. You know, when you read and the kings and the chronicles, you read about these kings, And how are these kings introduced? Either walked in the ways of his father David, or he did not walk in the ways of his father David. Doesn't matter how many generations he is from King David. They go back to King David to determine whether or not this was a godly king. And the king of kings shows up, and to whom is he connected? King David? Yet this time David is the one who pales in comparison to the greatest king. Have you given pre eminence to another? Or have you given all pre eminence to the lion of the tribe of Judah. Have you saved some of that pre eminence for yourself, or do you, like his brothers, give him preeminence and praise. Have you reserved some of the praise that belongs to the line of the tribe of Judah for yourself, or have you surrendered all praise to him? Have you yielded to the power of the lion of the tribe of Judah, or are you still living under the delusion that somehow you have in your puny, pathetic, insignificant self the ability to do anything apart from him. Finally, are you seeking the prosperity of Judah or are you satisfied with the meager things that this world has to offer you. I suggest to you that you've bend the knee to the king of kings. Ultimately, that is where all our hope lay. It is not even in Great King David, as great as he is, because I don't know if you realize this or not, but Great King David's kingdom was divided and wiped out. There is another king, however, whose kingdom will last forever. It is not divided, it cannot be divided, and it cannot be defeated. That is the king whom we serve. And the reason that Judah is significant is because of this is offspring. Are you found in him or are you trusting in another? If there has been pre eminence given to another, praise given to another, power entrusted to another, or prosperity. And I say to you what the lion of the tribe of Judah said, Repent and believe the Gospel turn from your sin and from yourself, and turn to the line of the tribe of Judah. He is beautiful and he is terrible, all at the same time. The question is are you. Will you praise him or merely be forced to bother me