The Twelve Tribes of Israel (Part 4) Issachar, Zebulon and Judah
“And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together,
that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” (Genesis 49:1)
Intro: Today we finish the sermon series titled “The Twelve Tribes of Israel”
My hope is that as we look at each Tribe…, it has been like going through an old family photo album, And showing pictures of grandparents and great–grandparents and uncles and aunts,
And seeing the value and richness of where the family has come from.
And hearing the struggles and triumphant of our forefathers and foremothers.
So we can see that God kept His promise He made in covenant with Abraham…,
Not only to make Abraham the father of a great nation,
But how God planned to form Israel the people…, into the Church today through Jesus Christ.
Today we are going to talk about the tribes of Issachar, Zebulon and Judah.
Let’s review all the names of the Twelve tribes…
1. Reuben Leah
2. Simeon Leah
3. Levi Leah
4. Judah Leah
5. Dan Bilhah
6. Naphtali Bilhah
7. Gad Zilpah
8. Asher Zilpah
9. Issachar Leah
10. Zebulon Leah
11. Joseph Rachel (Manasseh, Ephraim)
12. Benjamin Rachel
Now Israel…, Jacob is dying…, and on his death bed,
he calls each of children…
One by one and announces blessing and curses, judgments and promises about their destiny…
Jacob and Leah’s final two sons are Issachar and Zebulon.
Let’s first read Jacob’s prophecy of…,
I. Issachar
"Issachar is a strong beast of burden, resting among the sheepfolds." Genesis 49:14 (NLT)
The beginning of Issachar can be read in Genesis 30.
Leah became pregnant on a night with Jacob…, that she essentially purchased from Rachel…,
for a handful of “mandrake” roots…,
Mandrake are used as an herbal fertility drug.
So the bitter story of conflict and jealousy between Rachael and Leah…,
is a continuation of a true life “soap opera” of drama, scandal and deceit .
Praying to God on the one hand and then taking matters into our own hands the next…
Issachar is described by his father Jacob as a “beast of burden”
Notice the image on the banner, the “beast of burden” for the tribe of Issachar…
Perhaps Jacob was thinking of a “donkey.”
One thing that we must remember about the donkey,
is if the load becomes too heavy, with sacks weighing him down on both sides,
the donkey will just sit down, and refuse to go on.
The tribe of Issachar would be distinguished for their ability and strength to work hard,
but they would have a slave mentality and would live under the oppressive hand of their masters.
Hear is a life application point: Joseph P. Kennedy is credited for saying…,
“When the going gets tough…, the tough get going.”
(Joseph P. Kennedy was the father of John F. Kennedy)
When a situation is difficult and not easy…, people of strong faith work harder to resolve the problem. When the situation becomes hard, strong people work harder.
I don’t want to be like the “donkey-minded Issachars.”
They had the talent to be industrious,
but at times when things got bad or the enemies of Israel ... invaded the land,
instead of Issachar rising to the occasion and bearing the burden…
they were satisfied to just sit down and let others do the work and fighting for them.
(“resting among the sheepfold.”)
Do you know people who not only pull their weight…, but they also help pull others along with them?
Don’t let your gifts go un-given
Don’t let your talents be wasted
Don’t let your abilities be unused
God has made you great at something…, do something (worship) with what God has given you…
What will people say about you?
When there was a need she rose to the occasion?
When the work was demanding and challenging he worked harder and gave even more?
Or like Issachar…, when the going got tough… they were seen resting while others labored forward?
When the work becomes its most demanding…,
That’s when I try to step it up a notch. Instead of going to rest among the sheepfold…
Let’s turn our attention to the Tribe of…
II. Zebulon
"Zebulun will settle on the shores of the sea and will be a harbor for ships; his borders will extend to Sidon." Genesis 49:13 (NLT)
Notice the image of the “the ship” for the Tribe of Zebulon.
Can you see Leah, outside her tent on a hot Mesopotamian afternoon…,
Calling: Reuben…, Simeon…, Levi…, Judah…, Issachar…
Listen and hear the names and meanings of her sons…
Listen to the progression in Leah’s understanding and her faith
Reuben-- “ Behold a son.”
Simeon-- “The Lord has Listened”
Levi-- “God has joined or attached me to Jacob”
Issachar-- “I have hired or purchased favor”
Zebulon-- “I have found honor”
Her sixth son she name Zebulun which means honor.
Her explanation of that name was, “God has presented me with a precious gift.
This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have born him six sons.”
Leah the unloved one…, was the one who helped build the house of Israel.
She gave birth to Judah…, from who came Israel’s greatest king, David.
And from whom came the Lion of Judah, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Leah…, the plain older sister of beautiful Rachel
Leah …, lived in a very difficult situation and yet she survived.
Like her, we live in a fallen world. We are a people scared by faults and judgments and words from each other and from ourselves.
Life seldom comes to us in a way that is fully satisfying.
Most of the time it comes with an edge of dissatisfaction.
Not quite enough love, not quite enough care, not quite enough honor, not quite enough self esteem. Never as much as we would really like.
Like Leah, we can be more focus on what we lack than what we have…
Or we can decide to focus on what we already possess and are blessed with and give our praises unto the Lord.
Question: How do you live in such broken surroundings?
How do we live in such a sinful world?
Answer: You change your focus.
Instead of looking for faults we look for the good in people and around us…
Instead of counting the things we lack we count our blessings.
In 1897 Johnson Oatman Jr. wrote a song…
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly
And you will keep singing as the days go by.
Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
Somewhere along the way Leah got it right…
for she was given the place of honor alongside her husband Jacob… in the place of burial.
"There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried.
And there I (Jacob) buried Leah." Genesis 49:31 (NLT)
Not much else can be found in the bible about Zebulon.
A ship in a harbor is safe…, but that is not what ships were built for..
Ships are built to sail the seas.
They are built to carry goods and people safely across the water
They are built to catch fish
They may be safe in the harbor…, but that is not what ships are built for…
We are not created or born again to sit in a safe harbor of our comfort zone…
But we are called to be fishers of men…
Every day is a gift from God what you do with the day is your gift to God.
Do you honor God with by giving Him your very best?
"For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:
and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." Luke 12:48 (KJV)
Let’s take just a moment to learn a little bit of History…
Last Sunday I introduced the idea of Ten Northern tribes
which make up what is called the Northern kingdom:
(1) Reuben, (2) Simeon, (3) Issachar, (4) Zebulon, (5) Dan,
(6) Gad, (7) Asher, (8) Naphtali, (9) Manasseh, (10) Ephraim
[Joseph “Egypt” and Levi “Priestly” excluded from land]
Judah and Benjamin represent the two tribes of the Southern kingdom.
History teaches us:
In 722 BC the Assyrians conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel,
destroyed its capital in Samaria and sent the Israelites into exile and slavery/captivity
(into what is now part of eastern Iran and western Afghanistan.)
This leaves only the Southern Kingdom made up of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah.
Even the Southern Kingdom is eventually attacked by the Babylonians…
After a period of 50 years the Persians defeat the Babylonians
and allow what is left of the Southern Kingdom…, the Tribe of Benjamin and the Tribe of Judah to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple to God.
Only the Tribes of Benjamin and the Tribe of Judah emerge from the Babylonian captivity
to form what is commonly known as Israel.
Let look lastly at Jacob’s final words to his son…
III. Judah
"The scepter 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." Genesis 49:10 (NLT)
Here is the point to learn and remember about the Tribe of Judah:
The Tribe of Judah would produce the promised Messiah…, Jesus…,
The Tribe of Judah gives us a picture of who God is…
A Kindergarten teacher was watching her classroom while they were drawing.
She came to one little girl who was working carefully, and asked what the drawing was.
The little girl replied, "I’m drawing God."
The teacher paused for a moment and said, "But No one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
Throughout the centuries, many people have believed in God,
but it was always difficult really know what God was like…,
and then Jesus was born, and in Jesus, we can learn in a very personal way…,
what Divine (God) is really like.
If I were to give you a pencil and piece of paper could you draw me a picture of Jesus?
Notice the image on the banner “the Lion” for the Tribe of Judah…
Revelation 5:5 "And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." Revelation 5:5 (KJV)
Two different kinds of animals are often used as symbols to describe Jesus…
The Lion and the Lamb
The problem with using symbols to describe something is interpretation of what that symbol means. As is the case of understanding and Jewish tradition here.
When they see the image of a Lion they thought of something fierce and powerful…
They thought of a ferocious lion with the blood of their enemies dripping off his teeth…
But the symbol isn’t of a physical creature, nor man.
It is the symbol of prophecy about a particular time…
When the Jews saw Jesus they thought of the time of Judah…
A nation of Kings
A nation of military strength
A time of prosperity and material wealth for the descendants of Jacob.
A time when the enemies of Israel would pay recompense
and Israel would return to power as a nation…
When they looked at Jesus they were wanting to see the Lion of the Tribe of Judah
But what do they get instead?
They get the Lamb…
NOT what they expected
They don’t want a Lamb!
Not a harmless sweet little lamb!
They are wanting a ferocious lion to take charge, not some sweet innocent lamb.
The Lion represents a King
The Lamb represents a Sacrifice…
Jesus is both the Kingly Messiah, and the Priestly Messiah
He doesn’t have to be only one or the other…
(NOTE: Encourage deeper reading of the Davidic prophecies concerning a Messiah that would come as King compared with the Levitical prophecies concerning a Messiah that would come as High Priest.)
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus,
whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." Acts 2:36 (KJV)
See United Methodist Hymnal page 61 “Come, Thou Almighty King”.
In the Old Testament who was responsible for making the sacrifices for the nation of Israel? The priest.
Jesus is not only the One who is the perfect sacrifice but is the One who offered the sacrifice.
He did this by offering Himself as the sacrifice for all mankind.
This makes Jesus our Intercessor.
This makes Jesus the only way to God.
John 1:29 “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
On a rainy day, a brother and sister were playing “Noah and the Ark.”
They used an old shoe box as their the ark;
The puddle of water was their flood.
When one of the children remembered that after the flood was over…,
Noah built an altar made an offering to God.
Noah (the brother) ran into the house and got one of his sister’s favorite toys…
“Here, take your toy animal as a sacrifice.”
“No,” replied the sister…, She ran into the house and got one of her brother’s favorite toys.
“Let’s use your toy as a sacrifice!”
BUT They could not agree
So the brother ran into the garage…, opened a big box marked Yard Sale…
In a moment he was back with a toy lamb.
It was dirty,
One eye was gone,
The stuffing was smashed and showing through,
and it’s tail missing.
“Here,” he cried, “let’s give this as a sacrifice.
We will never want it again.”
They both agreed, and they made their sacrifice.
The little broken lamb…, that they did not want…, was given to God.
Closing: God cared enough to give His very best…, He gave His Son
When Jesus died on the cross and on the third day rose again,
He completed the sacrifice necessary for our salvation.
As Jesus died on the cross He shouted, “It is finished.”
Jesus can resurrect you from that deadness of sin…
and when He does…, resurrect you, He brings you into His royal family…, The Tribe of Israel.
