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Gen
49:1-10 (ESV) Then Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather yourselves
together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.
- Seventeen years have passed since Jacob entered the land. There is something subtle which occurs to open this passage, do you see it?
- Jacob has resumed his spiritual leadership of the family
- The last 17 years were not wasted like the previous 22 years
- It is never too late to revive spiritually
- This chapter contains:
- The first long poem in the bible
- Major characteristics of each son / tribe
- A synopsis of each son's personality
- A hint as to his potential
- A prophecy of his future
- Reuben forfeits his blessing as firstborn. Specifically, the double portion. Who gets the double portion (this is a trick question, you have to read the whole passage)?
- Joseph gets the double portion
- Joseph was firstborn of Rachel. Reuben was firstborn of Leah
- It could be why Manasseh and Ephraim (second child gets first blessing) are blessed. Ultimately, Ephraim will become the most powerful of the ten northern tribes, and sometimes, Israel, the northern kingdom, will be referred to as Ephraim)
- Why is Reuben excluded?
- Lust excludes Reuben
- Consequently, the tribe produced no significant man, no judge, no king, and no prophet
- Why is Simeon and Levi excluded?
- Wickedness
- Neither will actually receive any geographical area. Levi is spread out all over the land. Simeon gets a few cities, by the time of the second census, they are the smallest tribe. Moses passes over them when he gives his blessing
- The Levites regain a special blessing in status because they side with Moses at Mt Sinai when the other tribes apostatize
- Israel is spared two major errors in their leadership
- Reuben's turbulence and uncontrolled sex drive
- Simeon and Levi's cruelty and rashness
- Judah becomes the leader until Shiloh (tribute) comes, at that time, Israel's rule will extend over the world
- Shiloh means bearer of rest
- Shiloh is the messiah who brings peace to the world
- Interestingly, Judah erred in the situation with Tamar, but he repents of his sin and is forgiven
- APPLICATION:
- Reuben, the first born, is a lost opportunity, because he gave into his sexual desires rather than was obedient to God
- How we live our life now can have consequences on the future course of events, and can even affect the spiritual blessings to our families. They can still recover on their own initiative (such as Levi)
- What do you observe about Dan?
- He does have a judge during the period of Judges -- Samson (probably one of the worst judges spiritually)
- Dan's victories do benefit Israel
- Yet Dan leads Israel into Idolatry (Judges 18)
- Dan is not listed as one of the tribes in Revelation that become Jewish evangelists
- APPLICATION: Just having the right position of influence is no guarantee it will be used correctly. Samson was a lost opportunity -- the only judge who, when he died, had not completely defeated the enemy
- It is amazing, the brothers are still struggling under the guilt and fear of a sin committed now 40 years ago
- What do we see in Joseph's character?
- He truly had forgiven
- He really wasn't bitter
- Do you see any difference in the way Genesis begins and the way it ends?
- Adam and Eve wanted to be like God
- Joseph didn't want to be in the place of God
- What else do we see about Joseph?
- He was a man of faith
- He believed in God's sovereignty all his life despite incredibly difficult circumstances
- He looked beyond him self and was concerned for the welfare of others
- APPLICATION:
- We could mimic Joseph's forgiveness, his faith, his concern for others above petty concerns for himself
2 "Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel your father.
3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, and the firstfruits of my strength,
preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence,
because you went up to your father's bed;
then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!
5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers;
weapons of violence are their swords.
6 Let my soul come not into their council;
O my glory, be not joined to their company.
For in their anger they killed men,
and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,
and their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
and scatter them in Israel.
8 "Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
your father's sons shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion's cub;
from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He stooped down; he crouched as a lion
and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him;
and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
a viper by the path,
that bites the horse's heels
so that his rider falls backward.
18 I wait for your salvation, O Lord.
22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph's own. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here." 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
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