You know some of the things that people say on their deathbed are truly amazing. Let me read for you a few famous last words.
“I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.” (Leonardo da Vinci, artist, 1519)
“I am ready.” (Woodrow Wilson, US President, 1924)
“How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?” (P. T. Barnum, entrepreneur, 1891)
“This the last of earth! I am content.” (John Quincy Adams, US President, 1848)
“Oh, do not cry - be good children and we will all meet in heaven.” (Andrew Jackson, US President, 1845)
“Go on, get out - last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.” To his housekeeper, who urged him to tell her his last words so she could write them down for posterity, (Karl Marx, communist revolutionary, 1883)
Tonight we’re going to examine the last words of the great Patriarch Jacob. He’s lived a long, difficult, amazing, faith-filled journey for 147 years. But now it’s come to an end and he knows it. So with his last few breaths he speaks with his sons – the 12 sons of Israel.
As we look at Jacob’s last day on earth it’s going to cause us to wonder about what we would say with our last breath. Would we lavish love on our family? Would we try and comfort them with our words? Would we give them instructions for after our death? Would we address the wrongs in their lives? Would we try and focus them on the eternal aspect of life? What would we say to our family right before we died. (That is, if we even had the chance.)
Well Jacob gives the sons a little bit of everything through his last words. And the thing that struck me is the fact that Jacob was expediently honest with his sons. He didn’t just give the things they wanted to hear. He gave them the truth that they needed to hear. He knew that his words would live on way past the emotions of the moment. With his last breaths he gave his sons everything he could to help them with the rest of their lives.
As we saw last week Jacob first spoke with Joseph and his two sons privately. He told them just how he wanted to be buried and he told them about just who God was. He told them how God was faithful, caring, loving and able to save.
Well now he asks for the other 11 sons to be brought in so he could speak with all the 12 sons together before he passed away.
[Read Genesis 49:1-2.]
It’s important to understand that when Jacob referred to “in the days to come” he was referring to subsequent times and beyond. (The promised land and the kingdom of God.)
Some of what he said would start happening soon while some wouldn’t take place for hundreds of years. Remember, they were in Egypt and would end up being there for 400 years. But Jacob is obviously prophesying here by the power of the Spirit because most of what he predicted has come true and the rest will be fulfilled in the millennial kingdom.
For some of the sons he spoke extensively. For some of the sons he spoke briefly. For some it was good news and for others it was bad news. But for all Jacob spoke expedient truth concerning their own future.
Reuben, Jacob’s first born son
[Read Genesis 49:3-4.]
I have a feeling that as Jacob spoke these words his heart was breaking. He expresses to his first born son how much potential he had. How that he would have been the leader of the nation of Israel moving forward. How all strength and power would have been his if he just would have been self-disciplined. But Reuben lived controlled by his sexual desires and had an affair with one of his father’s wives.
[Read I Chronicles 5:1.]
And I’ll bet that if Reuben had an affair with just about any other girl, the consequences wouldn’t have been this severe. But to sleep with another man’s wife, especially your father’s wife, shows a total lack of self-control. You can’t lead a nation if you have no discipline.
And just like Jacob predicted, Reuben’s tribe was incredible insignificant in Israel’s history. No prophet, judge or military hero came from his tribe. As a matter of fact it seems like his clan was in danger of dying out at one time as indicated by the way Moses prayed for them.
[Read Deuteronomy 33:6.]
Simeon, Levi
[Read Genesis 49:5-7.]
Jacob expressly condemns the savage ways of these two brothers. This stems from when they slew all of the men from the city of Shechem for what one of their men did to their sister. Instead of punishing the one who raped their sister, they killed all the city’s men, lamed all the people’s cattle, and stole from them everything of value. Their revenge was nothing short of ruthless, excessive and criminal.
Jacob distances himself and his legacy from their actions and proclaims that their legacy, and family, will be scattered throughout the land of Israel.
When the land was finally divided up when Israel reached the promised land, Simeon’s family only got a small portion of land located within Judah’s land. The Levites actually got no land but were instructed to take up residence in different citied throughout Israel. These two tribes received no glory and were scattered in the land as Jacob had said.
Judah
[Read Genesis 49:8-12.]
Finally some good news for the sons. Judah, whose name means “praise”, will be praised by all the other brothers. He would become the greatest and strongest of the tribes as attested by history. Also, royalty would rise up in Judah and never depart. This happened with David, Solomon and the other kinds from Judah.
It’s ultimately fulfilled with Jesus Christ as the king of the millennial kingdom.
[Read Genesis 49:10-12, Revelation 5:5.].]
The ultimate King, Shiloh, will reign forever as the king of the world. This of course takes place in the millennial kingdom which is a place of great abundance.
The vivid descriptions in these verses speak of two things – great abundance during the reign of Shiloh, and the sacrifice He made for it to be possible.
It is impossible to wash your garments in something that stains like grape juice. But when Jesus allowed His blood to flow it enabled the cleansing of humanity’s sins. This cleansing will allow us to partake in His kingdom some day.
Zebulun
[Read Genesis 49:13.]
In Joshua 19 the tribe of Zebulun was given their land. It wasn’t exactly positioned on the sea shore, but was close to the Mediterranean Sea located on the Via Maris which was an important trade route used by sea traders.
Issachar
[Read Genesis 49:14-15.]
This tribe was the blue-collar tribe of Israel. Hard working, industrious people located in lands positioned between Zebulun and Manasseh.
Dan
[Read Genesis 49:16-18.]
The prophecy concerning Dan started out so good. And they did at one time have a judge come from their tribe. Samson, who reigned for 20 years, was from the line of Dan.
But this tribe got off track and is referred to as an aggressive, evil snake. Why is this? I think it’s because they were the ones who introduced idolatry into the nation of Israel.
[Read Judges 18:30-31.]
This is also probably why the nation of Dan isn’t included in Revelation 7:4-8 where the 12 tribes of Israel all called to be gospel missionaries during the tribulation.
Gad
[Read Genesis 49:19.]
Where their land was situated in the promised land opened them up to frequent attacks from their enemies. But they became skilled soldiers as a result of it.
Asher
[Read Genesis 49:20.]
Where their land was situated in the promised land, on the northern seacoast, they were able to have great success at farming that fruitful land.
Naphtali
[Read Genesis 49:21.]
You see this fulfillment through the time when Deborah and Barak, who was from the tribe of Naphtali, lead Israel in deliverance from the oppressive Canaanites. After the victorious battle, they sing a beautiful song about the Lord.
[Read Judges 5:1-5.]
Just like Jacob said, Naphtali would give beautiful words.
Joseph
[Read Genesis 49:22-26.]
These verses are both biographical and predictive concerning Joseph and his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. God blessing always had been and always would be upon the tribe of Joseph. Amongst the great leaders from the line of Joseph were Deborah, Joshua, Samuel, Gideon and Jephthah.
Benjamin
[Read Genesis 49:27.]
Even though this tribe was small, they would be a warring and even cruel people. (See Judges 19 and 20.) King Saul was a Benjamite as was the Apostle Paul; (Saul).
So the 12 sons of Israel had received from their father what was to be the outcome of their lives. No matter how hard it might have been for Jacob to speak some of these things, he had to give them the truth according to God.
[Read Genesis 49:28.]
Now think about this, when the Israelites finally came into the promised land, Joshua didn’t look back to find out what kind of land the tribes were supposed to get according to what Jacob had spoken here. God spoke to him and Moses and they cast lots for the divisions of the land. They trusted God to show them who should live where and God was faithful. God’s Word never fails and the prophecies of Jacob came true.
Once the predictions had been given Jacob reminds them how he wants to be buried.
[Read Genesis 49:29-32.]
Jacob had said everything he needed to say. It was now time to go into the next life with the Lord, where his believing ancestors were as well.
[Read Genesis 49:33.]
He knew didn’t he? He knew those would be his last words so he made them count.
Makes us think doesn’t it? How would I use my last words? Just what would I say?
But let’s be realistic, we might not have the chance to get out some good, important, eloquent last words to our loved ones. So if we don’t get a chance to say “good bye” on our death bed, our loved ones will have to rely on what we said before our death to carry them through.
Have we said everything we need to say to our loved ones?
Have we said everything we need to say to our loved ones?
