God also has many laws but His laws are always enforced. For example, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” is a law that almighty God put in place. It is not a law that is applied to some people; it is a law that applies to everyone.
Jacob’s sons lived an ungodly life.
• In Shechem, they killed a lot of people. And it looked like they got away with it. But decades later, their sins caught up with them.
• They sold their own brother into slavery. And over twenty years have gone by and it looks like they got away with it. But as we will see in Genesis 49, their sins have caught up with them.
They sowed a lot of bad seeds; so many that their father did not trust them when they spoke to him. But now, many years have gone by and those seeds they sowed are beginning to sprout.
Just because God does not pay each Friday, many think they can sow bad seeds and get away with it. This is the subject of this passage of scripture in Genesis 49.
In this chapter, Jacob, on his death bed is not calling all of his other sons to his bedside. As he spoke to them one at a time, he spoke to them prophetically letting them know some things they were facing in the future. Everything he spoke prophetically came to past as he said they would.
Today we are beginning to hear people from some denominations claiming they are prophets and some claim they are apostles. But these two offices no longer exist.
APOSTLES NO LONGER EXIST
• There is no longer a need for Apostles because God created Apostle’s to be men who could verify the RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. You see, everything hinges on the resurrection of Christ, that proves Christ is who He said he was. To be an apostle, you had to be able to say after the resurrection… “I SAW HIM.”
Illus: Even today, if you went into a courtroom and said, “Someone told me this or that,” that evidence would not be admissible. But if you could say, “I was there and I saw the resurrected Savior.” That would be allowed.
If there was no resurrection, everything in this Bible would be no good. There had to be men and women who could say, “I SAW THE RESURRECTED SAVIOR.”
On repeated occasions, the apostles gave witness to their personal observations of Jesus, making such statements as we read in Acts 10:39-40, “And we are WITNESSES of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly.”
No biblical evidence exists to indicate that these apostles were replaced when they died. After the apostles’ deaths, other offices besides apostleship, not requiring an eyewitness relationship with Jesus, would carry on the work. Today there is no need for having apostles, that foundation has been laid.
PROPHETS NO LONGER EXIST
In the Old Testament they did not have the Word of
God as we have today. God spoke through the prophets. Through the prophets, God said everything He had to say to mankind.
In Revelation 22:18-19, we read, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
God calls men today to PREACH THE WORD!
In Genesis 49, God showed Jacob things that applied to every one of his sons, and they happened just as he prophesied they would. Remember, he is on his death bed and he has already spoken to Joseph, in Genesis chapter 48. Now, in Genesis 49 he is going to speak to his other sons.
We see . . .
I. THE CALLING
Jacob called his sons together in verses 1-2. We read, “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. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.”
Once they were gathered together, he began to tell them some things they would be facing. He did not hold back, he told them in this prophetic address what would BEFALL THEM.
We see THE CALLING and . . .
II. THE PROPHECIES
(1) REUBEN (the ?rstborn)
In verse 3-4, we read, “Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.”
Jacob had placed all his hope in Reuben. By being the ?rstborn son, Reuben was to receive the birthright, to be the head of his brothers and receive a double portion of the family’s inheritance. By all earthly rights, he was to excel in honor and authority over the family after Jacob’s death.
But note the prophecy: Reuben had proven weak and unstable; therefore, he would not excel, neither he nor his tribe. Look at verse 4, we read, “Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.”
Reuben had sinned: he had gone to bed with Bilhah, the servant of his mother, in Genesis 35:22. Reuben did not have the discipline to control himself. Therefore, God gave Jacob this prophetic declaration: Reuben would not excel as a tribe.
Apparently, this trait was to carry over into his descendants. The tribe of Reuben did not cross the Jordan River with the other tribes but prematurely settled on the east side of the river. The tribe showed a lack of godly discipline by helping to erect a false place of worship, in Joshua 22:10-34. The tribe was never important in the history of Israel and never produced a leader of any stature whatsoever for the nation. Everything that Jacob prophesied about Reuben proved to be true.
(2-3) SIMON AND LEVI
Look at Genesis 49:5-7 we read, “Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. 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. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.”
These two sons were classed together because they were full brothers, sons of Leah. This was the prophecy concerning Simeon and Levi. The sin of these two brothers was anger, cruelty, and vengeance.
Remember they had taken vengeance upon the city of Shechem because the prince had raped their sister, Dinah, in Genesis 34. They killed all the males and plundered the city, enslaving the women and children.
Jacob also made a very special pronouncement upon their anger: their anger was to be cursed, for it was cruel and ?erce. Look at Genesis 49:7, we read, “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.”
The prophetic declaration was a strong warning to the two tribes: they were to be divided and scattered throughout the Promised Land. They would never again be able to band together in an evil plot in anger and cruelty.
Note that the prophecy happened to the tribe of Simeon just as Jacob had predicted. The tribe of Simeon was not given a separate region within the Promised Land. The tribe was entirely passed over at the end of Moses’ life. When he was blessing the tribes, he never mentioned Simeon.
Levi was also judged to be scattered. His tribe was dispersed as priests throughout the land (Joshua 21:1-40). The priests never owned any territory, but they were given homes in forty-eight Levitical cities scattered all over the Promised Land.
God appointed the tribe of Levi to become the great teachers of the nation. The tribe of Levi produced more great leaders than any other tribe except Judah. They produced...
• Moses (Book of Exodus)
• Eli (1 Samuel 4:12-18)
• Aaron (Book of Exodus)
• Ezra (Book of Ezra)
• Phinehas (see Numbers 25)
• John the Baptist (Luke 1:5)
(4) JUDAH
Look at Genesis 49:8-12. We read, “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.”
This is the prophecy concerning Judah, the fourth son born to Jacob. Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son, had forfeited his right to the birthright, and so had Simeon and Levi. Consequently, Jacob, under God’s prophetic utterance, passed the birthright not to one son, but to two sons, to both Judah and Joseph.
Judah’s life is a beautiful picture of a person’s growing into spiritual maturity. As a young man, he lacked the courage to physically oppose his brothers although he spoke out against their killing Joseph. Look at Genesis 37:26-27, we read, “And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.”
He left the godly in?uence of his father to go out into the world and live a worldly life. He lived with a certain Adullamite and married a worldly Canaanite who gave him several children.
Judah was later deceived into committing a shameful sin of immorality with his daughter-in-law. But despite this period of carnality in his life, he was the one who humbled himself and emerged as the leader among his brothers when tested by Joseph. The change in his heart and life is seen in three events:
• Before his father, he offered himself as surety for Benjamin, in Genesis 43:8-10.
• Before Joseph, he pleaded and offered his life in the place of Benjamin.
• Before the land of Egypt, he was acknowledged as the leader by his father, in Genesis 46:28-30.
It was because of Judah’s clear repentance and conversion as well as the strong leadership he gave to the family, that he was chosen to be the leader of the family. Note the prophetic blessing pronounced upon him and his tribe.
• Judah’s tribe was to be praised for military leadership and power (vv.8-9).
• Judah would be like a lion. The lion is a symbol of courage, strength, and security. The lion is the king of the forest, a symbol of sovereignty (v.9).
• Very simply stated, Judah was to rule over the other tribes.
This is clearly seen in the great kings the tribe of Judah produced: Saul, Asa, Jotham, David, Jehosaphat Hezekiah, Solomon, Uzziah, and Josiah
Judah’s greatest blessing, however, was to be the blessing of Shiloh, the Messiah and Savior of the world.
Shiloh was to come through his seed, his offspring. Look at verses 10-12, we read, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.”
This is a great prophecy of the Messiah, the Savior of the world who is the very special promised seed. The meaning of the word “Shiloh,” however, is disputed. The meanings with the strongest textual weight are these:
• “Shiloh” can be related to the word “shalom,” which means peace.
• “Shiloh” can be taken from the root “shalah,” which means rest.
The point to see is that the meanings have a double reference. They refer to both Judah and Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Savior of the world. Judah was to bring peace and rest to Israel through the great leaders the tribe was to produce. But the peace would last only for a season. A lasting peace and rest was to come when the real Peace giver and Rest giver came, the Messiah and Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He was the true Shiloh, the true Peace giver and Rest giver who was to bring eternal peace and rest to the people and nations of the world. He was the One who was to pick up the scepter of Judah and offer such peace and rest that people would gather and ?ock to Him. “Shiloh” is the Messiah, He to whom the scepter or rule belongs. The Messiah rules and governs the world and the obedience of the nations belongs to Him (v.10).
Judah would bring health to the people, but even more, Shiloh, the Messiah, would bring health (v.12). Again, the language is ?gurative. His eyes would be darker or duller than wine and his teeth whiter than milk. The thought is that of a healthy color, of good nourishment and health.
The New Testament identi?es Jesus Christ with this prophecy. In Revelation 5:5, Jesus Christ is, “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.”
(5) ZEBULUN
In Genesis 49:13, we read, “Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.”
The prepositions in the verse should probably be translated “toward”. The verse should read, “Zebulun shall dwell toward...the sea; and...toward ships, and...toward Sidon.” Thus the prophecy is stating that Zebulun was to lie toward the North, close by the sea, a territory where heavy commercial traf?c took place both on sea and on land.
Zebulun was to feast on the abundance and treasures of both sea and land. The tribe was to serve the other tribes by providing trade and goods to their people. This was the only tribe that had its territory spelled out in Jacob’s prophetic blessing. This suggests that Zebulun was to be blessed with a special territory, an area well located for trade and wealth.
(6) ISSACHAR
In Genesis 49:14-15, we read, “Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.”
The tribe of Issachar was to be like a strong donkey, an animal of great strength. Remember, the donkey was of great value in ancient history. The donkey was the major animal used to transport the goods of that day and time. The idea is that the tribe of Issachar was to be a strong and sturdy tribe of people. The prophecy, of course, proved true. The tribe was to grow and provide 87,000 men for the military during the rule of Israel’s kings in 1 Chronicles 7:5.
However, Issachar had one trait that proved to be a terrible weakness, a trait that its people needed to guard against: that of lethargy and complacency (v.15). The people would become so comfortable and satis?ed that they would be more willing to be enslaved than to risk the comforts of life (v.15).
(7) DAN
In Genesis 49:16-17, we read, “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.”
The tribe of Dan was to produce capable rulers. The name “Dan” means to judge or to administer justice. The thought is that the judges of Dan would rule their tribe well. The most well-known judge of Dan was Samson, in Judges 13-16.
The second prophecy concerning Dan was that the tribe was to be just like a snake; be a deadly opponent for its enemies. Samson is again the most well-known leader of Dan who single-handedly defeated the foes of Israel.
Jacob may be giving a warning by comparing Dan to a serpent: that the tribe must always be on guard against treachery, double-dealing, and dishonesty. This, in fact, was to prove true. Dan was the ?rst tribe to take up idol worship in Israel, the ?rst to be dishonest and pull a double deal against God. They proved to be a treacherous and double-dealing people toward God.
(8) GAD
In Genesis 49:19, we read, “Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.”
This tribe was to be surrounded by the nomadic tribes of the Midianites, Ammonites, and Arabians from the desert. Gad was to be a tribe that would be successful in struggling against his enemy. The idea is that he would never give up no matter the strength of his enemy. He would struggle and ?ght until at last he overcame. Therefore, he would know the glory of victory. We read about them in 1 Chronicles 5:18 and 12:8.
When Israel conquered the land east of the Jordan River, Gad was one of the tribes that requested a part of the land east of the river. No doubt, they requested it because it appeared to be good and fruitful land. The land looked good to the tribe of Gad, but it was lurking with enemies that were going to be constantly attacking the people.
(9) ASHER
In Genesis 49:20, we read, “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.”
This tribe sat along the seacoast north of Carmel, and reached all the way to Tyre and Sidon (Joshua 19:24-31). The territory included some of the most fertile land found anywhere. It was crisscrossed with trade routes to the sea.
The tribe was industrious, energetic, making good use of what it had, so much so, it was called upon to provide a yearly quota for the palace (Deuteronomy 33:24).
The tribe of Asher was given over to the wealth and luxury they enjoyed. The name “Asher” means happy, lucky, or fortunate. They inherited some of the best land, but during the days of the judges, the people were swallowed up by the luxury of wealth. They refused to help the other tribes in ?ghting against the enemies of Israel. They were too caught up in the worldly pleasures, bright lights, and comforts of this earth to worry about the needs of brothers under attack on some far away border.
(10) NAPHTALI
In Genesis 49:21, we read, “Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.”
This tribe would be like a doe or deer let loose, that is, known for swiftness in military combat. The picture seems to be that of a tribe let loose, bouncing over the hills, full of joy, singing the songs of victory and freedom.
Naphtali was a highland tribe who was conquered and enslaved by the Canaanites. But Barak swiftly, just like a doe let loose, struck the Canaanites with ten thousand soldiers to deliver the tribe (Judges 4-5).
(11) JOSEPH
In Genesis 49:22-26, we read, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.”
This is the prophecy concerning Joseph. Remember that Jacob was splitting the family’s birthright between Judah and Joseph.
• Judah had been assigned the leadership of Israel and appointed to be the line of the very special promised seed, the Savior of the world.
• Joseph had been given the double portion of the birthright that usually went to the ?rstborn son; that is, Joseph received the inheritance which included a double portion of the Promised Land.
This is seen in the fact that his ?rst two sons, (Ephraim and Manasseh) were to receive an equal portion with the other sons of Israel. Joseph himself was not personally assigned a part of the inheritance, but his two sons each received an equal share. Thus Joseph was represented in his two sons. (Genesis 48:1-6.)
The prophetic blessing that is pronounced upon Joseph is very descriptive. Just keep in mind that the prophecy refers to his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Joseph was to be like a fruitful vine sitting near a spring that has fruitful branches climbing all over a wall (v.22). This is a picture of fruitfulness. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh were to bear large numbers of people and strong leaders.
As an example, these two tribes produced such leaders as Joshua and ?ve of the ?fteen judges of Israel: Gideon, Abimelech, Jair, Jephthah, and Samuel.
Joseph was, however, to be harassed and hated by his enemies (v.23). The attacks against him would be like an archer shooting at him with bitter hatred and hostility. History would later show that Ephraim and Manasseh, along with Judah, would have to bear the major thrust of the opposition against Israel.
Joseph was to stand ?rm and steady. God Himself was to make him strong (verses 24-25). The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh were to be like bows that would stay ?rm, and God was to make their arms strong so that they could just keep on letting the arrows ?y against their enemies. Again, history has shown that the two tribes, especially Ephraim, were often victorious in battle. The descendants of Joseph were to be made strong and victorious BECAUSE OF GOD.
The God of Jacob or the God of your father who helps you (v.25): God had always helped Jacob. Time and again, Jacob had faced problems, sometimes terrible circumstances, but God had helped him through them all. The personal relationship between God and Jacob is again being stressed. The God of Jacob was the true God; therefore, He was able to really help Jacob. Joseph was following the God of his father; therefore, the true God would really help Joseph and his descendants.
Joseph was to be blessed above all his brothers (v.26). Jacob declared that he had been blessed above his own fathers, Abraham and Isaac. Therefore Joseph, as the recipient of the birthright, was to be blessed above all his brothers. Jacob actually called out for his own great blessings to rest upon the head of Joseph, for the great blessings he had known to be experienced by Joseph.
(12) BENJAMIN
In Genesis 49:27, we read, “Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.”
This tribe was to be like a ravenous wolf. A wolf is a strong, sensitive, loyal, crafty, ferocious animal, an animal that is always alert and ready to ?ght when the need arises. Note that there are both good and bad features in a wolf.
Jacob was predicting such a nature in the tribe of Benjamin. He was to be a ?erce opponent who would often be victorious and enjoy the spoils of victory. Benjamin was one of the smallest tribes, but he was also one of the most courageous and bold.
The tribe produced such great leaders as: Ehud, the second judge of Israel; Saul, the ?rst king of the nation; Abner, the ?rst commander in chief of Israel’s army, and Jonathan, the beloved friend of David.
The prophecy, however, was not only a blessing, but it also stood as a warning to the tribe of Benjamin. His wolf-like features could become cruel and ferocious and be used for evil. A tragic example of the bad features is found in Judges 20-21.
Conclusion:
Jacob referred to his sons as, “the twelve tribes of Israel” (v.28). This is the ?rst time this term is used in Scripture.
The patriarch Jacob’s life has come to a close. Look at Genesis 49:29-33, we read, “And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah. The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth. And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.”
Jacob did not always live well, but he did die well.
We see . . .
I. THE CALLING
II. THE PROPHESIES
