Genesis 49 - A family with a future |
This is a truly amazing chapter - one that is unforgettable for all the right reasons! The scene here in the family
home is highly charged - there's lots of emotion in the atmosphere - dear old man Jacob is on the blink, he's on the way out and he knows it.
He's in his Bedouin tent and he senses deep down within that his time is fast running out.
By now, he's 147 years of age - no chicken, is he! And he's pretty much blind. He can't see too much, but he's all there, and doesn't miss
too much! We know from Hebrews 11 that he's sitting on the edge of his bed, leaning on his staff. We read: 'By faith Jacob, when he was
dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff.'
You can visualise the scene in your mind's eye: he gathers his twelve sons all around him - it's a kind of family conference with a major
difference. For him this is an act of faith, it's an act of worship, it's also a poignant reminder that we're not here to stay.
We're pilgrims en route to another land. In life and in death, we're here to bless others.
He wants to share with them his last will and testament, as it were. He gives to every one a special word, something personal just for them.
There is quite an insight into their past, he also has something unique to say about their future. In fact, three of the boys discovered to their cost that their past conduct had robbed them of their future inheritance, we see that in verses 3-7. It's the old truth, we always reap what we sow.
Some of the lads will be well pleased and can be upbeat in their outlook, for their future is bright; some will not be too happy at all for their tomorrows are much more grim and bleak. It's the rough with the smooth, but old man Jacob gets it right every time. The old patriarch is no fool.
An appropriate title for the chapter would be something like this: The Family with a Future. Most Bibles have the chapter heading as 'Jacob blesses his sons' . well, he does, but it depends how you look at it. He actually only uses the word 'bless' in relation to Joseph in verses 25-26.
As he addressed each one by name, he followed the birth order, he began with the six sons of Leah, and finished off with Rachel's two boys - Joseph and Benjamin.
If you look at verses 3-15, he talks about the sons of Leah. You'll recall she was the wife he didn't want (29:31-35; 30:14-21). She made her name as the mother of Levi, who founded the priestly tribe, and Judah, the father of the royal tribe.
Son, number one, is Reuben! We read about him in verses 3-4. It's not too complimentary what Jacob has to say about him - you see, an old sin that he committed finally came back to haunt him, he jumped into bed with one of his father's concubines - you can read all about it in Genesis 35:22. Because of that foolish one-night stand, he lost all his privileges as the firstborn son.
Because of his position, he should have been a strong man with dignity, someone who brought honour to the family name, but he turned out to be a weak insipid man who disgraced his father. He let the side down and he paid dearly for it. Lesson is, you can't sin and win! Jacob's word to him that he would 'no longer excel' is absolutely accurate - read the narrative of Scripture and you'll find no one who distinguished himself as a leader from the tribe of Reuben. In fact, they declined as time wore on.
Next on the list are Simeon and Levi, we read about them in verses 5-7. If Reuben blew it because of lust, Simeon and Levi were guilty of anger and violence. They massacred the Shechemites in Genesis 34. Yes, it was right for them to avenge the fact that their sister Dinah had been raped, that was ok. But, they went way over the top - they wiped out innocent people in their quest for revenge.
Their fate was signed and sealed with the words: 'I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.' And that's precisely what happened in Joshua 19 and 21 . that should not surprise us, for God always keeps his word, he's a God of integrity, someone who can be trusted.
Number four is Judah, we read all about him in verses 8-12. It's worth noting that the dirty washing of the previous three sons had been hung out in public - but, when it came to Judah, the old man said nothing in relation to him doing the dirty on Joseph. It was his idea to sell Joseph in to slavery - but then, you'll recall, he was also the instrument that the Lord used to get Joseph to Egypt, where God had a work for him to do.
So, Judah, has gone up a notch or two in his father's estimation - that's what grace does. Sure, we all have a past, but it doesn't mean we're no use and we're written off! Thank God, we can also have a future . yes, there were times when he blew it, but there were many other times when he got it right and went the third mile. Jacob recognises that and deals with him accordingly.
His name is very similar to the Hebrew word for 'praise' - and he lived up to his name. He founded the royal tribe that gave Israel their kings, some of whom were good and godly leaders - it was also from this line that the Saviour came into the world (Hebrews 7:14). Judah was a conquering tribe and a ruling tribe, here was a tribe that stayed loyal and faithful to the line of David when the nation divided.
The tribe was also linked with the lion, the king of the beasts. In fact, in verse 9, Jacob compared Judah to a lion's cub, a lion, and a lioness - we read of our Lord as the Lion of Judah! See the link . the name 'Shiloh' is hinted at in verse 10 with the phrase 'to whom it belongs' . and that's a reference to the Messiah, Jesus. Only he has the right to rule over God's ancient people.
A quick look at verses 11-12 take us far forward into the future - I think they talk about the millennial kingdom when Jesus will be seen as ruling and reigning over Planet Earth, and especially as that relates to Israel. No one in their right mind would use a choice vine for a hitching post for his donkey - number one, it would ruin the vine and, two, the chances are, it would end up with the loss of the animal. And you wouldn't wash clothes in wine either.
It's the language of hyperbole - it describes a land so wealthy and a people so prosperous that they can do these outrageous things and not have to worry about who picks up the bill. It's a glimpse into life in the age of the kingdom . for, as Isaac Watts reminds us, 'blessing abounds where'er he reigns.'
Zebulun in verse 13 is next to hear his father's comments - the tribe of Zebulun was assigned land that was on an important route that carried merchandise from the coast to the Sea of Galilee and to Damascus. The Jews weren't a seafaring people, but these guys got their act together and exploited their strategic location to the full. They had a keen eye for business!
They were also an incredibly brave people and were renowned for their courage and skill in the hour of conflict; they could be depended on in an hour of crisis to respond to a plea for help.
Issachar is referred to in verses 14-15 - these men had an enviable reputation down through the years. In fact, they had remarkable insight and understanding of the times in which they lived. They had the knack of smelling a rat, they were resourceful, and had the ability to get the job done on time, as it were. They weren't afraid to get behind others and were happy to shoulder their responsibilities . no chance of them copping out.
There you have it - six sons, all as different as chalk and cheese; three missed out big time because of their sins - they remind us that purity and self-control are essential to godly character. Two of them were plain ordinary, everyday kind of people - their tribes served others, but they didn't produce any local heroes. Then there was one son, Judah, who hit all the headlines, and from whom we have the royal line.
Then we have the sons of Bilhah in verses 16-18 and also in verse 21. If you remember, she was Rachel's maid - she was given to Jacob to bear him children because Rachel was childless at that point . in today's talk, a kind of surrogate mother.
That's where we come across Dan in verses 16-18 . the name means 'to judge' and, true to form, his tribe produced one of the most famous of all in Samson (Judges 13-16). Jacob linked Dan with the serpent and that says everything - he was cunning and crafty, they weren't totally committed to the God of Israel. Idolatry got the better of them and they blotted their copy book because of that. You can't run with the foxes and hunt with the hounds at the same time . there's no way that the Lord will allow his name to be tarnished by anyone.
We meet Naphtali in verse 21, he was the brother of Dan. These folks distinguished themselves on the field of battle - they were the epitome of bravery. The image of a 'doe set free that bears beautiful fawns' is an exquisite one. It suggests a free-spirited people, people not bound to tradition. They were unshackled, as it were. The last phrase can also be translated to read: 'he gives beautiful words'. It infers that they were a poetic people, they could express themselves wonderfully well.
Look at the two brothers - same father, same mother . and they are as different as day and night! Just like some families - we have no idea how our kids will turn out; one may do fantastically well, and the other may cause immense heartache and profound sorrow. But, such is life in any household.
When we read verses 19-20 we are introduced to two more - we have Gad and Asher, they were the sons of Zilpah - she was Leah's maid. The name 'Gad' means 'good fortune' and 'a troop'. They went down in history as great warriors.
Asher means 'blessed' or 'happy'. They were an agricultural people who lived off the good of the fertile land that God had given to them. Their produce was, literally, fit for a king as we see in verse 20.
The last couple of sons mentioned are Joseph and Benjamin, they are in verses 22-27. Both are sons of the lovely Rachel. There's no doubt about it but Rachel was Jacob's favourite wife - she was number one in the pecking order. And her offspring were definitely his blue eyes. This kind of favouritism caused a lot of aggro in the family, yet God overruled it to accomplish his own purposes. Jacob said more about Joseph than he said about any of the other sons, but he didn't have much to say about Benjamin, whose name means, 'son of my right hand'.
Did you see what Jacob says about Joseph? Look at verse 22 - he is 'a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.' He was planted in the right place - he knew the value of hidden resources, that stream of water which he could get his roots down into. In the best of times and in the worst of times, his was a fruitful life. No way did he become bitter with what happened to him, in fact, through it all, he emerged a better man.
He was planted in the right climate - look back over his life and there is a mixture of sunshine, darkness, and stormy winds. In Egypt he knew both exaltation and humiliation. He was both understood and misunderstood. He was encouraged and discourage. At times, it was one step forward, other times it was more like two steps back. But, in it all, the Lord was in full charge.
Joseph was able to keep on going in spite of the hostility that he faced - the image of 'archers' in verse 23 is vivid - people were shooting at him from every angle. But he didn't shoot back. His integrity was never in doubt, the Lord was on his side even when the going was uphill.
He bore fruit in the right season - the fact that his branches ran over the wall means he didn't only bless his own family, but his influence was felt near and wide. He massively enriched others. And the time when he was ruler in Egypt pays eloquent tribute to that fact.
Jacob used three more special names of the Lord in verse 24: the Mighty One of Jacob - i.e. the God who can do anything; the Shepherd - i.e. the God who cares for us and watches over us; the Rock of Israel - i.e. the one who brings stability, strength, and security. The good news is, this God of Jacob is our God for all time!
Benjamin is the last boy to be singled out for special mention in verse 27 - in fact, what Jacob says to him is puzzling. It's hard to understand, but suffice to say that the men of Benjamin were known as brave-hearts. The first king of Israel, Saul, was from this tribe. Then in the NT, Saul of Tarsus was also a Benjamite! Like a 'ravenous wolf' he certainly hunted down the early Christians, his exploits are legendary.
The chapter ends with a simple and straightforward request from Jacob as to his final resting place . he longed to be buried in a cave in a field at Machpelah. No sooner had Jacob done what he had to do, than he left this world behind . we read those solemn words in verse 33 that he 'drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.'
It seems to me that Jacob's long and difficult life was over. He had made his last journey, given his last blessing, and shared his last request - his work on earth was done. With only his staff, he had crossed over Jordan many years before - and now he had his staff with him as crossed to the other side. This man, Jacob, was a pilgrim to the very end!
And that's the take-home message for all of us this evening . we're not here to stay, we're in transit, we're passing through; we pitch our tent in one place for a little while! But, one day, the call will come for us to move on to a much better land - let's be pilgrims, men and women who are bound for the heavenly land. And, in so doing, let's never lose sight of Jesus.
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