More Prophetic Blessings
Gen 49:1 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.
Gen 49:2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
It has been said that a father can bless or curse a child. The curse is broken in Gods family. Blessed are those children raised by godly parents. But every child of God is blessed, with no curses because of the blessings of Jesus Christ. We are a blessed family of God. If we have bad memories, we forget them and go on as a blessed child of God.
Gen 49:3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
It is customary for the first born to inherit the best portion of the father’s inheritance. Reuben has been honored with glowing words of strength and dignity. He was the first born of Leah, his first son.
Gen 49:4 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.
In the Bible God tells it like it is , faults and all. Reuben would be unstable, perhaps a divided heart. He also received a rebuke because of the sin against his father. So the birthright blessing was not given to Reuben .
It is difficult for me to justify the fact that Jacob had a concubine, a woman for his lusts. This was a fault in Jacob, perhaps a custom of the times, but not the will of God. Jacob was considered one with the concubine, so it is as if Reuben had defiled his father.
Gen 49:5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
The second and third born sons Simeon and Levi receive the same "blessing" for the same evil deed; they were instruments of cruelty when they wiped out all the men of Shechem in retaliation of the defiling of their sister Dinah (Genesis 34:25-29)
Jacob, perhaps in weakness, did nothing at the time except register a small, self-centered complaint (Genesis 34:30) - yet he (and the Lord) remembered this event.
Gen 49:6 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.
Gen 49:7 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 Bible speaks of a godly anger (Be angry and do not sin, Ephesians 4:26) and an ungodly anger (Let all bitterness, wrath, anger . . . be put away from you, Ephesians 4:31).
Simeon was the third largest tribe but when they made it to the promised land they were scattered among the tribes, they would be the smallest. The prophecy of dividing and scattering was a blessing for the tribe of Levi.
Because of the faithfulness of this tribe during the rebellion of the golden calf (Exodus 32:26-28), it was scattered as a blessing throughout the whole nation of Israel. They received no large tract of land, for the Lord was their inheritance, not land (Joshua 13:33) The Levites were to keep care of the Ark of God, tend to the sacrifices, and teach the people of Gods dealings with Israel.
We also receive the Lord as our inheritance. We receive the promises of God through the Jesus Christ. We are spiritual children of Abraham. Where Jesus is, there we are. Let us not let sin and anger divide us; our portion is with God.
Blessing of Judah
Gen 49:8 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.
It is through Judah that Messiah Jesus would come. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, would come personally through Jesus of the tribe of Judah. Judah was not without sin, he had made many sins and folly but his highpoint was when he interceded for Benjamin to Joseph. Grace is operating here. In choosing Judah. It is grace also that is the reward of those who seek Jesus.
Gen 49:9 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 Lion of Judah, Messiah Jesus would be triumphant over all his enemies.
Rev 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.
Gen 49:10 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.
From David until the Herods, a prince of Judah was head over Israel (even Daniel in captivity!). The promise was that Israel would keep this scepter until Shiloh comes - and even under their foreign masters during this period, Israel had a limited right to self rule - until in 7 A.D., under Herod and the Romans, their right to capital punishment was taken away . Shiloh is a reference to the coming savior, Jesus.
Gen 49:11 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:
Gen 49:12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
I think of garments in wine, as the blood shed on the cross.
Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Judah’s inheritance would have great vineyards. The tribe of Judah would be the first to raise their banners and lead the people in following the cloud by day in the wilderness journey, and the fire by night. Judah was pre-eminent (Num 10:14) because Jesus would be called Lord of lords, King of Kings, Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God , Prince of Peace, Savior and my friend.
Zebulun, Issachar and Dan
Gen 49:13 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 tribe of Zebulun seems to have taken the piece of land sitting between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee; literally, shall dwell by the haven of the sea can be rendered "looking towards the sea" - which they did, both to the East and West.
Jesus the light of the world would visit this sea place.
Mat 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
Mat 4:14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 4:15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Saving grace would come here; Jesus our saviour, the Son of God.
Gen 49:14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
Gen 49:15 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.
Issachar was a large tribe; third in size according to the Numbers 26 census; because of their size and abundance, they were often targets of oppressive foreign armies who put them into servitude; thus they became a band of slaves. The meaning seems to be that Issachar was strong, but docile and lazy. He would enjoy the good land assigned him but would not strive for it. Therefore, eventually he would be pressed into servitude and the mere bearing of burdens for his master.
In Christ we are free, but we must be strong in him. We must not be lazy in our faith allowing the enemy to gain a foothold.
Phil 1:27 Only let your conversation [way of life] be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Phil 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
Gen 49:16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Dan did judge his people; the tribe of Dan supplied one of the most prominent of the Judges; Samson.
Gen 49:17 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 serpent Satan and his devils
Dan was a troublesome tribe; they were the tribe to introduce idolatry into Israel (Judges 18:30); Jeroboam set up one of his idolatrous golden calves in Dan (1 Kings 12:26-30), and later Dan became a center of idol worship in Israel (Amos 8:14)
Gen 49:18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
The Hebrew word for salvation is yeshuwah; at this point in the prophecy, when Jacob is so near death, he calls out for God's salvation - he calls out for Jesus! Yes by faith Jacob looks ahead to Jesus.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
We have seen the evidence, Jesus our Saviour, his death and resurrection, the evidence of the Holy Spirit of truth inside us. Like Jacob we say with confidence I have waited for my salvation, soon it will be complete, we will be with Jesus. Thank you LORD. Jesus is my Savior.
Jacob Dies
Gad, Asher and Naphtali
Gen 49:19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
Gad and Asher were birthed by Zilpah, the handmaid of Leah.The tribe of Gad furnished many fine troops for David (1 Chronicles 12:14) Among other times, in the days of Jeremiah, Gad was oppressed by foreign armies (Jeremiah 49:1) They chose to settle in the land before the Jordan, not the land promised to Israel by God.
Gen 49:20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
This prophecy regarding Asher is taken up again by Moses in Deuteronomy 33:24 - Deu 33:24 And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.
Deu 33:25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.
Gen 49:21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
Gen 30:7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
Gen 30:8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali
Deu 33:23 And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.
Naphtali's land was in a key portion near the Sea of Galilee, the region where Jesus did much of His teaching and ministry; it is fitting that it is said of him that he gives goodly words.
From Naphtali we learn that our feet are used to spred the good words of the gospel message.
Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Joseph and Benjamin
Gen 49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
Gen 49:23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
Gen 49:24 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:)
Jacob speaks in the present, and the past when he describes Joseph as being fruitful and abundant in Gods blessings. Though his brothers tried to do him evil, though he was accused falsely and sent to prison, he always trusted God and because of this God was his strength. This is the one true God, the God of his fathers from whom would come the Shepherd and stone of Israel, from the tribe of Judah; Jesus the rock, the chief cornerstone of our faith, the Good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep and takes it up again.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Gen 49:25 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:
Gen 49:26 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.
Seeing his favorite son alive gives Jacob much joy and he passes it along to Joseph knowing that Joseph loves the LORD with all his heart. Do you love the Lord Jesus? Then you are promised the blessings that only a forgiven child of God can receive. All spiritual blessings.
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Gen 49:27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
This was the tribe with a reputation for fierceness and cruelty. Even so Saul , who rounded up and killed Christians, was from the tribe of Benjamin (Rom 8:11) when converted became the great apostle Paul. Jesus changes lives. See what he did to Paul? God was patient with him.
1 Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1 Tim 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Jacobs Death
Gen 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.
Israel had finished blessing his children and prophesying of their future. Now he is to sleep with his fathers, actually the soul is awake in paradise until Messiah Jesus comes. (Luke 16:23-25)
Gen 49:29 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,
Gen 49:30 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.
Gen 49:31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
Gen 49:32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.
Though Jacob is now in Egypt, he knows that he is not an Egyptian - he is a son of the promise, an heir of God's covenant with Abraham, and he will be buried in the land promised to Abraham by that covenant.
Gen 49:33 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.
This ends the life of the last of the great patriarchs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But God can and will raise up other great men to use after them, also women, are you willing to be used of God for his purposes?
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