Reading: Genesis chapter 49 verses 1-28
Joke:
• A frog went to see a Fortune-teller,
• Gazing into her crystal ball, she said to frog:
“You are going to meet a beautiful young woman. From the moment she sets eyes on you she will have an insatiable desire to know all about you. She will be compelled to get close to you—you’ll fascinate her.”
• The Frog replied: “Where am I? At a singles club?”
• “No!” replied the Fortune-teller: “In a biology class.”
The blessings of Jacob in Genesis chapter 49 also speak about the future:
• For some of his sons it will be good news;
• For others it will be mixed news, both good and bad.
(a). Key observations:
(1). They are Last words (Verse 33):
“When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.”
Ill:
On the day that Karl Marx died, March 14, 1883:
• His housekeeper came to him and said,
• "Tell me your last words, and I'll write them down."
• Marx replied, "Go on, get out!
• Last words are for fools who haven't said enough!"
Ill:
Last words can be very revealing.
• Showman P. T. Barnum said, as he was dying, "What were today's receipts?"
• Elizabeth 1st; "All my possessions for a moment of time!"
• The great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, said as his last words, "Jesus died for me."
• And John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, said, "The best of all is, God is with us."
The dying words of any man should not be taken lightly,
• Especially those spoken by a patriarch; head of the family clan.
• And recorded under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit of God.
(2). They are poetry.
• I hope you have a Bible that distinguishes,
• Poetry from prose (most modern versions do).
• Ill: Prose is when it looks like a newspaper,
• Straight columns.
• Ill: Poetry is when it is written in a lot more space,
• It is very spread out, with much shorter lines.
The different styles of writing conveys to us important truths:
• In prose: God or the person is communicating his thoughts (mind).
• In poetry: God or the person is communicating his feelings (heart).
ill:
When you write to a loved one:
• A letter,
• Paragraph upon paragraph - your thoughts.
• Send a valentine card,
• Rhyme or a verse - your feelings.
These blessings of Jacob are poetry:
• These are not the ramblings of a dying old man;
• There are numerous indications in the Hebrew text;
• That these final words of Jacob were thought out carefully in advance.
• Jacob had probably planned and rehearsed this moment again and again and again.
(3). They are prophecy
• While the form of Jacob’s blessings are poetic,
• The substance is actually prophecy.
Jacob’s words will actually reveal “things to come” for his descendants.
• Most of what Jacob predicts is general, it is very broad.
• It is not intended to spell out the future for Jacob’s sons as individuals, but as tribal leaders.
• The future which is foretold is the future of the nation;
• Not individual but collective (verse 28: “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel”)
Jacob’s words do not normally:
• Speak of a particular place, nor of a certain person,
• Nor even of a specific point in time,
• It will speak about the character and disposition of the various tribes;
• Throughout their history.
(4). They are a blessing:
• Genesis chapter 49 verse 28b:
• “He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him”
The blessing of the father to his children was very important:
• All the sons of Jacob were blessed;
• In that they were to be a part of the nation Israel.
• All would enter into the land of Canaan, and all would have an inheritance there.
• Some would certainly receive a greater blessing than others.
• But even those who were rebuked by Jacob and whose future was portrayed as dismal;
• Were also blessed.
(5). They are linked to the past.
Ill:
One man said to his friend:
• “Say, you look depressed. What are you thinking about?”
• “My future,” was the quick answer.
• “What makes it look so hopeless?”
• “My past.”
Note:
• The future which is foretold is not independent of the past,
• But an extension of it.
• In verse 28 we are told that every one of the sons was given;
• “The blessing appropriate to him”.
As we think our way through these blessings of Jacob, we will find that each of them was related to the past.
• e.g. The blessings of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi (verses 23-24).
• Relate to the various sins, which they had committed in the past.
Others found their blessings related to the name they had been given at their birth.
• e.g. Judah, derived from the Hebrew root, ‘to praise’,
• In verse 8: it is prophesied that he will be praised by his brothers.
• e.g. Dan whose name derived from the Hebrew meaning ‘to judge’,
• In verse 16 is foretold that he will “judge his People”.
I think these verses underline the fact that:
• Prophecy, then, is not detached from history,
• But an extension of it into the future.
(B). Brief look at the blessings:
Note:
• Jacob had two wives and twelve sons.
• Jacob had six sons with his first wife Leah.
• Rachel and Leah (2 wives) gave him servants (Bilah & Zilpah) to sleep with.
• This produced another four sons.
• The last two sons are the children of Jacob and Rachel,
• Rachel was the wife of his preference. His favourite.
(1). Reuben (verses 3-4):
"Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honour, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father's bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.
Reuben is a good example of how both positive and negative statements blend together:
• Verse 3 is the positive:
• He was the firstborn, the pride of his father.
• In the Near East it was believed;
• That the first born inherited the best of the father’s physical strength
• But verse 4 is the negative
• It tells us how he failed to live up to his privilege and abused his place.
• He is described as ‘unstable as water’,
• The thought is water out of control ill: dykes burst and a reservoir is breached.
Reuben had been passionate and headstrong:
• And because of his lack of control by having sex with one of his father’s wives. (35:22)
• He had forfeited his privileged place in the family.
Quote:
“He who would rule must surely first rule himself”.
(2). Simeon and Levi (verses 5-7):
Simeon and Levi are brothers—
their swords are weapons of violence.
6 Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,
for they have killed men in their anger
and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury, so cruel!
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.
• Jacob describes them as brothers (literally were full-brothers, sons of Leah)
• But the meaning probably goes much deeper,
• They were similar characters. ‘Chips off the same block’
• Jacob denounces them for their cruel cunning and cruelty and anger.
• Simeon and Levi are dealt with together because in the past;
• They had united together in an act that had grievously offended Jacob (chapter 34: 25-31)
Ill:
• Their sister Dinah had been raped and Simeon and Levi took revenge.
• But it was not righteous indignation.
• And in their anger they slew the men of the city.
• And showed excessive cruelty to their animals.
Verse 6 is not easy to translate, in the K.J.B. it says:
“O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.”
Most modern versions say something like:
“You slaughtered people in your anger,
and you crippled cattle for no reason. “
• This is a detail not mentioned in the account of Genesis chapter 34 verses 25-30.
• Cutting the hamstringing of the oxen was evidence of their uncontrolled anger,
• Ill: Horses were hamstrung because of their military use,
• Became unfit for battle ill: Tank with no tread, plane with no wings.
• But oxen were used for peaceful purposes.
• Cutting the hamstringing of these oxen demonstrated violence and senseless destruction.
• The alliance of Simeon and Levi was an unholy one,
• And Jacob brings this to their attention.
No direct blessing is given to either tribe:
• Simeon became weak;
• And became of no great significance.
• When Moses blessed the tribes in Deuteronomy chapter 33.
• They are not even mentioned;
• Levi would later find another blessing, this time from Moses.
• Levi answered the call of God to side with Moses against idolatry among the people.
• The incident is found in Exodus chapter 32;
• As a result they were given a place of privilege in Israel as the priestly tribe.
• They were not to have any territory of their own;
• Instead the Lord himself would be their inheritance.
(3). Judah (verse 8-12):
"Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will defeat your enemies.
All your relatives will bow before you.
9
Judah is a young lion
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness--who will dare to rouse him?
10
The sceptre will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will obey.
11
He ties his foal to a grapevine,
the colt of his donkey to a choice vine.
He washes his clothes in wine
because his harvest is so plentiful.
12
His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.”
The destiny of Judah introduces at last an element of hope:
• Judah and Joseph come in for most praise;
• And together they make up almost half of the space in this series of blessings.
• Verse 8: The fourth in line will achieve dominance over his brothers;
• Verse 8: And also over his enemies.
In verse 9: Judah is compared to a young lion:
• One who fears no-one, destined to be supreme.
• Just as lions are more than a match for every other creature & dominate the animal kingdom.
Ill:
• A lion woke up one morning feeling really rowdy and mean.
• He went out and cornered a small monkey and roared,
• "Who is mightiest of all jungle animals?"
• The trembling monkey says, "You are, mighty lion!”
• Later, the lion confronts a ox and fiercely bellows,
• "Who is the mightiest of all jungle animals?"
• The terrified ox stammers,
• "Oh great lion, you are the mightiest animal in the jungle!"
• On a roll now, the lion swaggers up to an elephant and roars,
• "Who is mightiest of all jungle animals?"
• Fast as lightning, the elephant snatches up the lion with his trunk,
• Slams him against a tree half a dozen times;
• The elephant then stomps on the lion several times;
• And leaves the lion feeling like it'd been hit & run over by a safari wagon.
• The lion lets out a moan of pain, lifts his head weakly and hollers after the elephant;
• "Just because you don't know the answer, you don't have to get so upset about it!"
Verse 10: Having linked Judah to a lion:
• He is now exalted to royal privileges:
• “The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants”.
Then the prosperity of the tribe of Judah is depicted in verses 11 and 12:
• His vineyard is so blessed that his vines will be strong enough to tie a young donkey too,
• Normally a donkey would easily destroy the vine, but not these strong, healthy vines.
• Verse 11: the produce of the vine is so abundant; as abundant as water.
• That he could, so to speak, wash his garments in its wine.
• Verse 12 speaks of his abundant health;
• That is seen in his eyes and his teeth.
Much of this prophecy has come to fulfilment:
• Judah came to prominence. With David being raised up by God as his chosen king
• Under King David the nation would experience incredible blessing.
• And from Judah would come an even greater king; The Lord Jesus Christ.
• Who will sit on his throne in his Messianic kingdom.
(4). Zebulun and Issachar (verses 13-15):
Zebulun will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon.
14 "Issachar is a rawboned donkey
lying down between two saddlebags.
When he sees how good is his resting place
and how pleasant is his land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and submit to forced labour.”
• Zebulan was the youngest son born to Jacob’s first wife Leah;
• Though younger, he is named before his older brother Issacher.
• Zebulan would appear to be a trading tribe;
• Hence the references to ships, the sea and the great trading race, the Phoenicians.
• Zebulun’s allotted land (Joshua 19:l0-l6) did not actually reach the coast.
• Although Naphtali and Issachar together controlled the south-west shores of Galilee.
Quote: Kidner comments:
• Zebulun’s allotted land did not reach the coast,
• Unlike the neighbouring Asher’s, nor did it closely approach Sidon.
• But it was near enough to both to be enriched by seaborne trade
• And the prepositions in the verse could mean ‘towards’ or ‘near’ the seashore.
Little is actually said about Zebulun;
• The impression gained is of a tribe successful in trade and prosperous.
• There is no hint of any criticism in Jacobs blessing.
Issachar is pictured as a donkey (being strong and durable) but also lazy:
• “Lying down between two saddlebags”.
• K.J.B: “Between the sheepfolds”.
• The impression given is of unrealised potential;
• In contrast to Judah, who subdued his enemies like a lion, Issachar failed to do so,
• And as a result,
• They submitted to the service of the Canaanites.
Quote:
“That which we do not master often tends to become our master”
Note:
• It is worth noting that the two tribes who enjoyed the materiel prosperity;
• Both failed to make a mark on the spiritual history of the nation.
Quote: New Testament application in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 17:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s.”
(5). Dan (verses 16-18):
"Dan will govern his people
like any other tribe in Israel.
17
He will be a snake beside the road,
a poisonous viper along the path,
that bites the horse's heels
so the rider is thrown off.
18
I trust in you for salvation, O LORD!”
• The opening comment on Dan is a play on his name:
• Dan means ‘He judged’.
• He was given he name at birth when his mother Rachel said; ‘God had judged her;’
• What she meant was ‘God had given her a son through her maidservant Bilhah.’
Dan would never be a strong tribe:
• They occupied the most northerly territory;
• And so they were exposed to attack from the countries that bordered with them.
Verse 17: Describes Dan as a poisonous viper:
• In other words other nations would see them as a possible easily target;
• But when the attacked they would often got their heels bitten!
Ill:
• Perhaps the most famous Danite was Samson;
• The stories that are associated with him in the book of Judges;
• Illustrate his guile as he repeatedly outwitted the Philistines;
• And in the end of his life, he had of course a sting in his tail.
• While chained and blinded and being mocked;
• He killed more of his enemies during his death than when he was alive.
Jacob’s words in verse 18: "I look for your deliverance, O LORD.”
• It’s as if Jacob felt that this weak and inconsistent tribe (like Samson);
• Would have to in a special way, trust in God in their times of trouble.
(6). Gad and Asher (verses 19-20):
"Gad will be plundered by marauding bands,
but he will turn and plunder them.
20
"Asher will produce rich foods,
food fit for kings.
Ill:
• A husband and wife, prior to marriage,
• Decided that he’d make all the major decisions and she the minor ones.
• After 20 years of marriage, he was asked how this arrangement had worked.
• “Great! In all these years I’ve never had to make a major decision.”
Gad had a decision to make and they got it wrong:
• When Israel was going in to possess Canaan;
• Gad chose to settle east of the Jordan.
• As a result they were constantly exposed to the attacks of their enemies;
• Jacob’s words became very, very true; they were “Plundered by marauding bands,”
ASHER MEANS ‘HAPPY’:
"Asher will produce rich foods,
food fit for kings.
• The tribe were camped West of Zebulun and Naphtali,
• Along the Mediterranean coast from Mount Carmel.
• They had fertile lands and they also bordered on the Phoenician trading posts;
• All this led to material prosperity.
Asher isn’t all good reading:
• In Joshua chapter 1 verse 30;
• They were disobedient in not driving out the original inhabitants.
• We are told that they “Dwelt among the Canaanites”
• They made compromises that would hinder and trip them up.
Ill:
• A New York family bought a ranch out West where they intended to raise cattle.
• Friends visited and asked if the ranch had a name.
• “Well,” said the would-be cattleman,
• “I wanted to name it the Bar-J. My wife favoured Suzy-Q, one son liked the Flying-W,
• And the other wanted the Lazy-Y.
• So we’re calling it the Bar-J-Suzy-Q-Flying-W-Lazy-Y.”
• “But where are all your cattle?” the friends asked.
• “They all died, because none of them survived the branding.” -
(7). Naphtali (verse 21):
"Naphtali is a deer let loose,
producing magnificent fawns.
Or as the K.J.B:
“Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.”
• Although there are many interpretations as to how this blessing should read.
• The portrait of Naphtali’s future appears to be one of unhindered freedom and increase.
• Naphtali was a prosperous tribe materially,
• They enjoyed good fertile land, and had good relationships with their neighbours.
• Like Asher they did not completely subdue the Canaanites in their allotted territory;
• Apart from that, I’ve nothing more to say!
(8). Joseph (verses 22-26):
"Joseph is a fruitful tree,
a fruitful tree beside a fountain.
His branches reach over the wall.
23
He has been attacked by archers,
who shot at him and harassed him.
24
But his bow remained strong,
and his arms were strengthened
by the Mighty One of Jacob,
the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
25
May the God of your ancestors help you;
may the Almighty bless you
with the blessings of the heavens above,
blessings of the earth beneath,
and blessings of the breasts and womb.
26
May the blessings of your ancestors
be greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains,
reaching to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills.
These blessings will fall on the head of Joseph,
who is a prince among his brothers.
• The blessings of Joseph is mainly one of abundant fruitfulness,
• Verse 22:“A fruitful tree beside a fountain. His branches reach over the wall”.
But the blessing also speaks of struggle and victory:
• He had been bitterly attacked, yet remained steadfast..
• Verse 23 is a reminder that Joseph was as good as dead; rejected by his brothers.
• Verse 24: Jacob poetically summarises the famous words of Joseph;
• Concerning his trials and troubles; “Go meant it for good”. He was stronger for them!
In this blessing Jacob seems to use all the names he had come to know about his God:
• Each name refers to some attribute of God.
• He gathers them all together and uses them to pronounce his blessing on Joseph.
Verse 26: Jacob desire for him is the blessings of nature itself:
• E.g. The blessings ‘of heaven above’ of ‘Of the eternal mountains,
• Were primarily the rain and dew that ensured a good harvest.
Ill:
The story of Joseph:
• Is of a man marked out and separate from his brothers.
• Not involved in their wrongdoing and later living far from them.
• So too in the blessing;
• Joseph is marked out for special distinction.
(9). Benjamin (verse 27):
"Benjamin is a wolf that prowls.
He devours his enemies in the morning,
and in the evening he divides the plunder."
28These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and these are the blessings with which Jacob blessed his twelve sons. Each received a blessing that was appropriate to him.
Finally in his blessing Jacob comes to his favourite son, Benjamin:
• Emphasis is that he would be fierce and aggressive:
• This side of Benjamin can be seen in Judges chapter 19-21.
• He also led the tribes to battle under Deborah and Barak;
• (Judges chapter 5 verse 14).
Moses, later on in Deuteronomy chapter 33 verse 12 gives Benjamin another blessing:
“About Benjamin he said:
"Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him,
for he shields him all day long,
and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders."
• A reminder that we cannot fight or live for God in our own strength!
• Success is resting in the Lord.
Ill:
• Gideon – not the weight of numbers
• David ordered a census.
The past will always impact our future
• For the Christian we might know forgiveness from the past;
• But have to live with the consequences of our folly.
• Ill: Penny - a child out of wedlock.
• Good decisions will also shape our future;
• “What we sow is what we shall reap”
Punch line: What seeds are we sowing in our lives?
