# 12 2024 Dev. Ge. 49:1 Future Blessings and Consequences! Read all of chapter forty-nine first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Ge. 49:1 “Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.”
Chapter 48-49 Is about the Covenantal Blessings given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob now about to be passed on to Jacob’s sons. This chapter, 49, is about Jacob blessing the rest of his sons. Here as in Ch. 48 as well God’s grace is on display as well as His condemnation.
Vs.1-7 Reuben, the first born, should have had all the honor but lost it by defiling his father’s bed. Simeon and Levi, based on what happened in Ch. 34, also were not blessed, they killed the Shechemites by deception using the Covenantal sign of circumcision. The word used for “sword” is used only here, but the suggestion is cutting knives used for circumcision (NIV Application Com.). Reuben and Simeon will be scattered among the tribes replaced by Ephraim and Manasseh. However, God showed mercy to Levi, they were scattered as a tribe among the other tribes as servants of the Lord and their brothers in religious functions.
Vs.8-12 Here Jacob leaves the past and moves to the future and now uses animal metaphors in his blessings. “Judah,[b] your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you.” Judah is the chosen from all his brothers and is compared to a lion. God’s grace is at play here as well, Judah’s mother was Leah and her fourth son, out of six. Judah is in the line of Christ through his daughter in law Tamar. Go figure?
First, we have Tamar, a Canaanite woman, and there is Rahab of Jericho, and the list goes on of women other than Israelites that are in the line of Christ. God’s Story is one of His grace. Verse 10 is determinative: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[c] until he to whom it belongs[d] shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” This phrase is uncertain; “until to he to whom it belongs…”. What confuses it is; “The scepter will not depart from Judah”. The NIV Application Com. answers that in this way: “David/Messiah is a representative of Judah, (or rather Judah represents) “David/Messiah ”. They are representatives, not replacements.
Vs.13-21 The next group of six sons blessed are Zebulun and Issachar born to Leah. Zebulun, a sailor and Issachar, a worker, both blessings from God. Dan born to Bilhah, Leah’s hand maid, “will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.” But he is described as a snake lying in wait. Jacob says: “I look for your deliverance, Lord.” It is not clear why Jacob inserts this prayer at this point. Is he reflecting on his domestic struggles from the day of his marriage to this day, his struggle to establish his family in the land, the horror of Shechem, the horror of the famine? Now he is away from the promised land again.
Do we look for deliverance from our God in times of physical and religious struggles, moving us away from being close to God? Yes, we do! If not, we should!
Gad. born to Zilpah, Rachel’s hand maid. Is this a word play on his name? See Footnotes. Asher, born to Zilpah, his “food will be rich…” This is the plain reading of the text, he is going to pay attention to food. Naphtali, born to Bilhah, he bears beautiful children or beautiful words. Both are welcome.
Vs.22-26 “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.[k]” (Or a wild colt or donkey -see footnotes). The alternative reading does not reflect the reality of Joseph’s experience. He was attacked more than once, Satan wanting to stop God’s plan, but “because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel…” Joseph receives God’s protection and God’s abundant blessings.
Vs.27-28 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf…” The opposite of his brother. Jacob blessed all his sons “giving each the blessing appropriate to him.” Are we receiving the blessings appropriate to us? Yes, by God’s grace!
Vs.29-33 Before Jacob died he gave the instruction to be buried in the family plot in Canaan, the cave of Machpelah. Like Joseph, Jacob wanted to be buried in the land. That was the understanding, Canaan is the promised land, but Canaan is also the metaphor for the reality of the New Heaven and the New Earth. Praise the Lord!
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Heavenhigh 