May 13, 2025 • 28 mins
Jacob (Israel) gathers his twelve sons to deliver prophetic blessings that will shape their tribal futures and reveal the coming Messiah through the line of Judah.
• Reuben loses his firstborn rights due to his moral failure in defiling his father's bed
• Simeon and Levi are cursed for their violent temperaments, resulting in their tribes being scattered
• Judah receives a powerful Messianic prophecy comparing him to a lion and promising the eternal scepter
• Zebulun's blessing describes coastal territory and maritime commerce
• Issachar is compared to a strong donkey who would inhabit the fertile Jezreel Valley
• Dan would produce Samson who would bring salvation to Israel
• Gad would face raiders but ultimately prevail against them
• Asher would produce rich food and royal delicacies from fertile coastal lands
• Naphtali is compared to a doe set free, known for military prowess
• Joseph receives abundant blessings, acknowledging his unwavering faith
• Benjamin is described as a ravenous wolf, reflecting their future as fierce warriors
• Jacob requests burial in the cave of Machpelah with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah and Leah
• After delivering his final blessings, Jacob peacefully draws his feet into his bed and dies
Join me next week as we conclude our study of Genesis with chapter 50, exploring Joseph's final days and death.
Email: nathan@nathandietsche.com
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Grace and peace to you from God, our Father and our
Lord and Savior, jesus Christ.
Today we're in Genesis, chapter49, where Israel blesses his
sons, the 12 tribes of Israel.
This chapter chapter 49, beginsjust after Israel had called
(00:24):
Joseph and had an intimatemeeting with just him and his
two sons.
And in that meeting, in ourlast chapter, chapter 48, he
adopted and blessed Joseph's twosons.
And Joseph's two sons becamesons of Israel.
But now, here in chapter 49,israel is calling all of his
(00:49):
sons together and he has aprophetic word from the Lord and
he wants to speak to each oneof his sons, this word from the
Lord God that he has receivedabout their future.
Verse 1 begins.
Then Jacob called his sons andsaid Gather yourselves together
(01:09):
that I may tell you what shallhappen to you in the days to
come.
Assemble and listen, o sons ofJacob, listen to Israel.
Your father Reuben, you are myfirstborn, my might and the
firstfruits of my strength,preeminent in dignity and
(01:30):
preeminent in power, unstable aswater.
You shall not have preeminencebecause you went up to your
father's bed and you defiled it.
He went up to my couch bed andyou defiled it.
(01:50):
He went up to my couch.
In verses 3 and 4, israel bothblesses and curses Reuben.
Israel blesses Reuben for hisstrength and dignity,
recognizing how Reuben had stoodup for his brothers when they
were in danger.
However, the seriousness ofReuben's adulterous behavior,
sinning against his father andhis bed, was not forgotten.
Jacob calls Reuben unstable aswater, which literally means
(02:15):
boiling water.
Reuben was like boiling waterand Jacob curses him for
sleeping with his concubine.
The consequences for Reuben'srebellion erased his right of
firstborn, and while the tribeof Reuben did help to take
(02:37):
possession of the promised land,the tribe did not produce one
judge, one prophet or even onemilitary leader that's mentioned
in Scripture.
Moses would later pray for thetribe of Reuben that it wouldn't
die out, in Deuteronomy 33.6.
Verse 5.
(02:57):
Simeon and Levi are brothers,weapons of violence and their
swords.
Let my soul come not into theircounsel.
O my glory, do not be joinedwith their company, for in their
anger they killed men.
In their willfulness theyhamstrung oxen.
(03:21):
Cursed be their anger, for itis fierce, and their wrath, for
it is cruel.
I will divide them in Jacob andscatter them in Israel.
Here, in verses 5, 6, and 7,israel groups both Simeon and
(03:42):
Levi together as he prophesieson his deathbed.
These two brothers are groupedtogether because of their
violent behavior and disposition, particularly their
uncontrolled fury which broughtabout the massacre when they
took vengeance on Shechem inGenesis, chapter 34.
(04:06):
Israel curses Simeon and Levifor their fierce anger and wrath
because it's not based in anyform of justice, but rather it's
simply cruel vengeance.
Israel's curse upon them isthat they will be divided and
scattered in Israel and in thepromised land.
(04:28):
Neither the tribe of Simeon northe tribe of Levi will possess
their own designated region.
The tribe of Simeon was smalland it was actually omitted from
the blessings of Moses, andlater it was forced to share a
territory with Judah.
Joshua 19, 1-9.
Levi would be scatteredthroughout all of Israel.
(04:53):
However, because they wouldlater be loyal to God and his
prophet Moses in Exodus 32-26,they would be honored as priests
and be residents in the citiesof refuge, verse 8.
Judah, your brothers shallpraise you.
(05:13):
Your hand shall be on the neckof your enemies.
Your father's sons shall bowdown before you.
Judah is a lion's cub From theprey my son.
You have gone up.
He stooped down.
He is a crouching lion and alioness who dares rouse him.
(05:36):
The scepter shall not departfrom Judah, nor the ruler's
staff from between his feetdepart from Judah, nor the
ruler's staff from between hisfeet.
Until tribute comes to him andto him shall be the obedience of
(05:58):
the peoples Binding his foal tothe vine and his donkey's colt
to the choice vine.
He has washed his garments inwine and his vesture in the
blood of grapes.
His eyes are darker than wineand his teeth whiter than milk.
Here, in verses 8-12, israelblesses Judah with a prophecy
(06:20):
that describes the comingMessiah through the line of
Judah.
That describes the comingMessiah through the line of
Judah.
Since all of antiquity,christians as well as many Jews
have understood Judah's blessingto be a prophecy pointing to
the coming Messiah.
There's an intentional contrastmade here between Joseph, the
(06:44):
current governor of Egypt, theson of faith, and the son who
just received a double blessingthe blessing of the firstborn,
and now this prophecy fromIsrael to Judah.
The phrase in this prophecyregarding Judah that your
father's sons shall bow down toyou is the very same phrase that
(07:07):
was used earlier for Joseph andthat his whole family would bow
down to him as governor.
There is clearly a point beingmade here by God through Israel,
that one day, through Judah,someone will come who has
preeminence In this prophecythat Israel gives regarding
(07:31):
Judah.
It says his brothers will praisehim, and this Hebrew word here
that's used for praise is a wordthat does not describe praise
given to men in Scripture, butrather it's praise that's given
to God.
Furthermore, the picture ofJudah's hand being on the neck
(07:52):
of his enemies it's anotherpicture of how the Messiah will
one day come and destroy theenemies of Israel.
The description of Judah beinglike a lion's cub it's a picture
of how one day a lion will comeout of the tribe of Judah.
That same picture of Judahbeing like a crouched lion and
(08:15):
lioness describes the strength,the patience and the protection
that will come from this lion ofthe tribe of Judah.
In Revelations, chapter 5,verse 5, we read about Jesus
Christ being described as this.
It says, and one of the elderssaid to me Weep no more.
(08:37):
Behold the lion of the tribe ofJudah.
The root of David has conqueredso that he can open the scroll
and its seven seals.
Going back to Israel's prophecyregarding Judah, the imagery
that it continues to useregarding a scepter and a
ruler's staff describes howroyalty and kingship will remain
(09:02):
with Judah until the Messiahcomes, telling us how this King,
messiah will come out of theline of Judah.
In the second half of verse 10,.
Through the end of the prophecyon Judah, in verse 12, it
describes a great time of healthand prosperity under a golden
(09:26):
age of this Messiah.
It describes how people willtie their donkeys to a choice
vine and even allow it to eatbecause there's just so much
abundance.
It describes how the wine willflow like water so that you
could wash your clothes with it.
And finally, it describes howpeople are so healthy, their
(09:49):
eyes are dark and their teethare white.
This last half of the prophecyregarding Judah are much like
other millennial prophecies inScripture, describing a time of
exuberant abundance when theMessiah will one day rule.
For example, joel 3.18 readsand in that day the mountains
(10:16):
shall drip sweet wine and thehills shall flow with milk, and
all the stream beds of Judahshall flow with water.
And all the stream beds ofJudah shall flow with water and
a fountain shall come forth fromthe house of the Lord and water
the valley of Shittim.
Back in Genesis, chapter 49,verse 13,.
(10:37):
Zebulun shall dwell at theshore of the sea, he shall
become a haven for ships and hisborder shall be at Sidon.
Israel's prophecy on Zebulunliving by the seashore and being
a safe place for ships can be alittle bit confusing
(10:57):
considering how some maps todayhave Zebulun landlocked.
However, scripture tells usthat Zebulun was a tribe that
profited off the sea.
Moses' blessing on Zebulun,even speaks of how the tribe
would go out and draw from theabundance of the sea.
(11:19):
Deuteronomy 33, 18 and 19 readand of Zebulun he said Rejoice.
(11:46):
Zebulun certainly profited froma primary trade route that came
from the sea, known as ViaMaris.
How and where they dwelt on thesea is not as cut and dry to
everyone.
Moody believed this wasactually a reference to the
future millennial kingdom whereZebulun would one day have a
(12:08):
territory that was increased,have a territory that was
increased.
However, as I continued to studyboth scripture and history, I
found that Zebulun is spokenalong with Naphtali in Isaiah
and Matthew as being the way ofthe sea, and it refers to the
(12:29):
Sea of Galilee.
Isaiah 9.1 reads.
Isaiah 9.1 reads but there willbe no gloom for her, who was in
anguish.
In the former time he broughtinto contempt the land of
Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the later time he has
made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan,
(12:55):
galilee of the nations.
Matthew 4.15 also reads.
Furthermore, as I continued tostudy, I found that the
historian Josephus describesZebulon's territory as bordering
(13:18):
two bodies of water.
He writes the land whichreaches as far as the Sea of
Galilee and that which belongedto Carmel and the Mediterranean
Sea.
And the Mediterranean Sea.
Some scholars suggest thatZebulun may have possessed a
(13:41):
corridor to the MediterraneanSea just south of Asher's
territory, near Mount Carmel.
Finally, as we consider all ofthat, if Zebulun would have had
a seaport on the Mediterranean,they would have been considered
a neighbor to Sidon by ships.
It would appear that the tribeof Zebulun was not as landlocked
(14:06):
as some modern maps would makethem out.
To be Back to Genesis, chapter49, verse 14.
Issachar is a strong donkeycrouching between the sheepfolds
.
He saw that a resting place wasgood and that the land was
pleasant, so he bowed hisshoulder to bear and became a
(14:30):
servant at forced labor.
Here Israel's prophecy onIssachar emphasizes how Issachar
is strong and hardy, like adonkey that sits amongst the
sheepfolds.
Indeed, history tells usIssachar would become an
industrious, robust tribe livingup to his name, the man of
(14:54):
Wages.
The tribe of Issachar wouldinherit the majority of the
Jezreel Valley and the richnessof the soil in the Jezreel
Valley has been legendarythroughout all of the ages in
the Middle East.
The tribe of Issachar wouldbecome successful farmers and
(15:15):
shepherds.
However, the Jezreel plain isvery open and this far-reaching
plains was unprotected andvulnerable to attacks from
foreign invaders that would comethrough the territory of Gad.
That would come through theterritory of Gad While Issachar
(15:38):
was richly rewarded for theirhard labor and fertile soil.
They would often purchase peacefrom whoever was the dominant
power at the time.
They would be blackmailed asthey felt a continual threat for
their life.
Verse 16.
Dan shall judge his people asone of the tribes of Israel.
(15:58):
Dan shall be a serpent in theway, a viper by the path that
bites at the horse's heels sothat the rider falls backward.
I wait for your salvation, oLord, here.
Israel's prophecy upon thetribe of Dan tells how, through
(16:19):
Dan, god will judge his people.
This is a prophecy about thejudge Samson that would arise
from the tribe of Dan and bringsalvation to the people of
Israel.
Samson would defend Israel anddefeat the Philistines, biting
at their heels for 20 years.
(16:40):
That's found in Judges 13-16.
Verse 19.
Raiders shall raid Gad, but heshall raid at their heels.
Raid Gad, but he shall raid attheir heels.
Israel's prophecy for Gad wasthat they would be raided by
bands or troops of men.
Because the territory of Gadwas east of the Jordan River and
(17:05):
on the west boundary of thenation of Jordan, gad was
regularly raided by bands ofraiders coming from Jordan.
Israel also prophesied that Gadwould become strong against
these raiders.
Gad would be a first line ofdefense for Israel and before
Moses died he blessed Gad andcompared him to a protecting
(17:28):
lion that tears at arms andscalp In Deuteronomy 33, 20.
Verse 20.
Asher's food shall be rich andhe shall yield royal delicacies.
Here Israel's blessing on Asherwas how his food would be rich
(17:48):
and provide great delicacies.
The tribe of Asher would alsoinherit some very rich soil in
the promised land, which wasalong the Mediterranean coast,
all the way from Sidon in thenorth to Mount Carmel in the
south, and because of this richsoil Asher would produce grain,
(18:11):
wine, oil and they had access torare minerals.
Verse 21, israel's blessinghere on Naphtali describes him
as a doe that's let loose,speaking of both his
(18:32):
gracefulness and agility.
The tribe of Naphtali would beknown for its military bravery
under Barak, who would leadIsrael to break free from their
bondage.
In Judges 4, verse 6, verse 22,verse 22.
Joseph is a fruitful bough, afruitful bough by a spring.
(18:55):
His branches run over the wall.
The archers bitterly attackedhim, shot at him and harassed
him severely.
Yet his bow remained unmoved.
His arms were made agile by thehands of the Mighty One of
Jacob.
From there is the Shepherd, theStone of Israel, by the God of
(19:20):
your fathers who will help you,by the Almighty who will bless
you with blessings of heavenabove blessings of the deep that
crouch, beneath blessings ofthe breast and of the womb.
The blessings of your fatherare mighty beyond the blessings
(19:41):
of my parents.
Upon the bounties of theeverlasting hills, may they be
upon the head of Joseph and uponthe brow of him, who was set
apart from his brothers.
Israel's prophecy here to Josephat the end of his life was an
eternal promise.
(20:02):
It describes Joseph's faith inthe Lord, god Almighty, that
throughout Joseph's life,despite the persecution and
attacks, even by his brothers,those who were closest to him,
he trusted in the Lord God.
In these five verses there areactually four very distinct
(20:25):
names used for God, showingJoseph's faith in the one true
God of Israel.
In verse 24, israel speaks ofJoseph's God as the shepherd and
the stone of Israel, clearlypointing to how Joseph trusted
in the God of his fathers andthe promised Messiah.
(20:47):
In our previous chapter,genesis, chapter 48,.
In our previous chapter,genesis, chapter 48, joseph was
just given a double portion ofinheritance through his sons,
ephraim and Manasseh, andIsrael's double blessing through
them continues here.
This prophecy given to Josephdescribes the mighty fruit of
(21:12):
faith that will come throughJoseph's two sons, as Joshua,
deborah and Samuel will all comefrom the tribe of Ephraim,
while Gideon will come fromManasseh.
Verse 27, israel's blessinghere on Benjamin spoke of how
(21:45):
this small tribe would be knownfor their ravenous, wolf-like
nature in war, preying on theirenemies.
Additionally, their skill inbattle would produce consistent
victories for Israel, so thatthey will be celebrating and
dividing the spoil of theirenemies after their battles.
(22:06):
The tribe of Benjamin becamefamous for their abilities in
war, particularly their accuracywith ranged weapons, both with
the sling and the bow.
Judges 20.16 reads Among allthese were 700 chosen men who
(22:28):
were left-handed.
Every one could sling a stoneat a hare and not miss.
1 Chronicles 8.40.
The sons of Ulam were men whowere mighty warriors, bowmen,
having many sons and grandsons,one hundred and fifty.
All these were Benjaminites.
(22:49):
1 Chronicles 12.2 reads theywere bowmen and could shoot
arrows and slingstones witheither right or the left hand.
They were Benjaminites, saul'skinsmen.
Finally, 2 Chronicles 17.17also speaks of Benjamin's mighty
(23:11):
war skills.
It says Of Benjamin Eliadah, amighty man of valor with 200,000
men and armed with bow andshield.
Other men of faith that woulddescend from Benjamin would
include Ehud, a judge, saul, thefirst king anointed in Israel,
(23:34):
queen Esther and the apostlePaul, verse 28.
All these are the twelve tribesof Israel.
This is what their father saidto them as he blessed them,
blessing each with the blessingsuitable to him.
Then he commanded them and saidto them I am to be gathered to
(23:57):
my people.
Bury me with my fathers in thecave that is in the field of
Ephron the Hittite, in the cavethat is in the field at
Machpelah, to the east of Memri,in the land of Canaan, which
Abraham bought with a field fromEphron the Hittite to possess
as a burying place.
There they buried Abraham andSarah, his wife.
(24:22):
There they buried Isaac andRebekah, his wife, and there I
buried Leah.
The field and the cave that isin it were bought from the
Hittites.
In these four verses, it beginsby telling us that these are the
twelve tribes of Israel and thetwelve tribes of Israel are the
(24:44):
sons of Israel, while scripturewill list twelve tribes of
Israel for different reasonsbecause, just as we read, levi
will be scattered and Josephreceived a double portion
through his two sons, who wereinherited.
However, the 12 tribes formallyare the 12 sons of Leah, rachel
(25:08):
and their two servants, bilhahand Zilpah.
Israel's final request to allof his sons is that he be buried
in the cave along with hisfathers and his wife Leah.
This field with a cave waspurchased by Abraham when Sarah
(25:31):
died as a burial plot, and thisburial location remained in the
family of Abraham, isaac andJacob, and it became the tomb of
not only Sarah but also Abraham, and then Isaac and his wife
Rebecca.
And then Jacob buried his wifeLeah there, wife Rebecca, and
(25:55):
then Jacob buried his wife Leahthere.
And now Jacob's final requestis that he too be buried in this
cave with the rest of thepatriarchs and their wives Verse
33.
When Jacob finished commandinghis sons, he drew up his feet
into his bed and breathed hislast and was gathered to his
people After Israel had blessedhis sons and then given them his
(26:19):
final wishes for his burial, hetook his feet back into the bed
and laid down.
This implies that he had beensitting on his bedside during
this whole discussion while heblessed his sons, and now he
lays down at peace, knowing he'ssaid what needed to be said.
(26:40):
And after bringing himself backinto his bed, jacob breathes
his last breath and dies.
The phrase being gathered tohis people appears to be a
common euphemism that describeddeath during the time of the
patriarchs.
It was also used to describethe death of Abraham, ishmael
(27:03):
and Isaac.
And this ends Genesis, chapter49.
Next week we'll be in Genesis,chapter 50, our last chapter in
Genesis, where we learn the lastthings about Joseph's life and,
finally, joseph's death.
Join me as we finish up Genesisnext week.
(27:26):
God bless you this week.
Grace and peace to you from God, our Father and our
Lord and Savior, jesus Christ.
Today we're in Genesis, chapter49, where Israel blesses his
sons, the 12 tribes of Israel.
This chapter chapter 49, beginsjust after Israel had called
(00:24):
Joseph and had an intimatemeeting with just him and his
two sons.
And in that meeting, in ourlast chapter, chapter 48, he
adopted and blessed Joseph's twosons.
And Joseph's two sons becamesons of Israel.
But now, here in chapter 49,israel is calling all of his
(00:49):
sons together and he has aprophetic word from the Lord and
he wants to speak to each oneof his sons, this word from the
Lord God that he has receivedabout their future.
Verse 1 begins.
Then Jacob called his sons andsaid Gather yourselves together
(01:09):
that I may tell you what shallhappen to you in the days to
come.
Assemble and listen, o sons ofJacob, listen to Israel.
Your father Reuben, you are myfirstborn, my might and the
firstfruits of my strength,preeminent in dignity and
(01:30):
preeminent in power, unstable aswater.
You shall not have preeminencebecause you went up to your
father's bed and you defiled it.
He went up to my couch bed andyou defiled it.
(01:50):
He went up to my couch.
In verses 3 and 4, israel bothblesses and curses Reuben.
Israel blesses Reuben for hisstrength and dignity,
recognizing how Reuben had stoodup for his brothers when they
were in danger.
However, the seriousness ofReuben's adulterous behavior,
sinning against his father andhis bed, was not forgotten.
Jacob calls Reuben unstable aswater, which literally means
(02:15):
boiling water.
Reuben was like boiling waterand Jacob curses him for
sleeping with his concubine.
The consequences for Reuben'srebellion erased his right of
firstborn, and while the tribeof Reuben did help to take
(02:37):
possession of the promised land,the tribe did not produce one
judge, one prophet or even onemilitary leader that's mentioned
in Scripture.
Moses would later pray for thetribe of Reuben that it wouldn't
die out, in Deuteronomy 33.6.
Verse 5.
(02:57):
Simeon and Levi are brothers,weapons of violence and their
swords.
Let my soul come not into theircounsel.
O my glory, do not be joinedwith their company, for in their
anger they killed men.
In their willfulness theyhamstrung oxen.
(03:21):
Cursed be their anger, for itis fierce, and their wrath, for
it is cruel.
I will divide them in Jacob andscatter them in Israel.
Here, in verses 5, 6, and 7,israel groups both Simeon and
(03:42):
Levi together as he prophesieson his deathbed.
These two brothers are groupedtogether because of their
violent behavior and disposition, particularly their
uncontrolled fury which broughtabout the massacre when they
took vengeance on Shechem inGenesis, chapter 34.
(04:06):
Israel curses Simeon and Levifor their fierce anger and wrath
because it's not based in anyform of justice, but rather it's
simply cruel vengeance.
Israel's curse upon them isthat they will be divided and
scattered in Israel and in thepromised land.
(04:28):
Neither the tribe of Simeon northe tribe of Levi will possess
their own designated region.
The tribe of Simeon was smalland it was actually omitted from
the blessings of Moses, andlater it was forced to share a
territory with Judah.
Joshua 19, 1-9.
Levi would be scatteredthroughout all of Israel.
(04:53):
However, because they wouldlater be loyal to God and his
prophet Moses in Exodus 32-26,they would be honored as priests
and be residents in the citiesof refuge, verse 8.
Judah, your brothers shallpraise you.
(05:13):
Your hand shall be on the neckof your enemies.
Your father's sons shall bowdown before you.
Judah is a lion's cub From theprey my son.
You have gone up.
He stooped down.
He is a crouching lion and alioness who dares rouse him.
(05:36):
The scepter shall not departfrom Judah, nor the ruler's
staff from between his feetdepart from Judah, nor the
ruler's staff from between hisfeet.
Until tribute comes to him andto him shall be the obedience of
(05:58):
the peoples Binding his foal tothe vine and his donkey's colt
to the choice vine.
He has washed his garments inwine and his vesture in the
blood of grapes.
His eyes are darker than wineand his teeth whiter than milk.
Here, in verses 8-12, israelblesses Judah with a prophecy
(06:20):
that describes the comingMessiah through the line of
Judah.
That describes the comingMessiah through the line of
Judah.
Since all of antiquity,christians as well as many Jews
have understood Judah's blessingto be a prophecy pointing to
the coming Messiah.
There's an intentional contrastmade here between Joseph, the
(06:44):
current governor of Egypt, theson of faith, and the son who
just received a double blessingthe blessing of the firstborn,
and now this prophecy fromIsrael to Judah.
The phrase in this prophecyregarding Judah that your
father's sons shall bow down toyou is the very same phrase that
(07:07):
was used earlier for Joseph andthat his whole family would bow
down to him as governor.
There is clearly a point beingmade here by God through Israel,
that one day, through Judah,someone will come who has
preeminence In this prophecythat Israel gives regarding
(07:31):
Judah.
It says his brothers will praisehim, and this Hebrew word here
that's used for praise is a wordthat does not describe praise
given to men in Scripture, butrather it's praise that's given
to God.
Furthermore, the picture ofJudah's hand being on the neck
(07:52):
of his enemies it's anotherpicture of how the Messiah will
one day come and destroy theenemies of Israel.
The description of Judah beinglike a lion's cub it's a picture
of how one day a lion will comeout of the tribe of Judah.
That same picture of Judahbeing like a crouched lion and
(08:15):
lioness describes the strength,the patience and the protection
that will come from this lion ofthe tribe of Judah.
In Revelations, chapter 5,verse 5, we read about Jesus
Christ being described as this.
It says, and one of the elderssaid to me Weep no more.
(08:37):
Behold the lion of the tribe ofJudah.
The root of David has conqueredso that he can open the scroll
and its seven seals.
Going back to Israel's prophecyregarding Judah, the imagery
that it continues to useregarding a scepter and a
ruler's staff describes howroyalty and kingship will remain
(09:02):
with Judah until the Messiahcomes, telling us how this King,
messiah will come out of theline of Judah.
In the second half of verse 10,.
Through the end of the prophecyon Judah, in verse 12, it
describes a great time of healthand prosperity under a golden
(09:26):
age of this Messiah.
It describes how people willtie their donkeys to a choice
vine and even allow it to eatbecause there's just so much
abundance.
It describes how the wine willflow like water so that you
could wash your clothes with it.
And finally, it describes howpeople are so healthy, their
(09:49):
eyes are dark and their teethare white.
This last half of the prophecyregarding Judah are much like
other millennial prophecies inScripture, describing a time of
exuberant abundance when theMessiah will one day rule.
For example, joel 3.18 readsand in that day the mountains
(10:16):
shall drip sweet wine and thehills shall flow with milk, and
all the stream beds of Judahshall flow with water.
And all the stream beds ofJudah shall flow with water and
a fountain shall come forth fromthe house of the Lord and water
the valley of Shittim.
Back in Genesis, chapter 49,verse 13,.
(10:37):
Zebulun shall dwell at theshore of the sea, he shall
become a haven for ships and hisborder shall be at Sidon.
Israel's prophecy on Zebulunliving by the seashore and being
a safe place for ships can be alittle bit confusing
(10:57):
considering how some maps todayhave Zebulun landlocked.
However, scripture tells usthat Zebulun was a tribe that
profited off the sea.
Moses' blessing on Zebulun,even speaks of how the tribe
would go out and draw from theabundance of the sea.
(11:19):
Deuteronomy 33, 18 and 19 readand of Zebulun he said Rejoice.
(11:46):
Zebulun certainly profited froma primary trade route that came
from the sea, known as ViaMaris.
How and where they dwelt on thesea is not as cut and dry to
everyone.
Moody believed this wasactually a reference to the
future millennial kingdom whereZebulun would one day have a
(12:08):
territory that was increased,have a territory that was
increased.
However, as I continued to studyboth scripture and history, I
found that Zebulun is spokenalong with Naphtali in Isaiah
and Matthew as being the way ofthe sea, and it refers to the
(12:29):
Sea of Galilee.
Isaiah 9.1 reads.
Isaiah 9.1 reads but there willbe no gloom for her, who was in
anguish.
In the former time he broughtinto contempt the land of
Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the later time he has
made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan,
(12:55):
galilee of the nations.
Matthew 4.15 also reads.
Furthermore, as I continued tostudy, I found that the
historian Josephus describesZebulon's territory as bordering
(13:18):
two bodies of water.
He writes the land whichreaches as far as the Sea of
Galilee and that which belongedto Carmel and the Mediterranean
Sea.
And the Mediterranean Sea.
Some scholars suggest thatZebulun may have possessed a
(13:41):
corridor to the MediterraneanSea just south of Asher's
territory, near Mount Carmel.
Finally, as we consider all ofthat, if Zebulun would have had
a seaport on the Mediterranean,they would have been considered
a neighbor to Sidon by ships.
It would appear that the tribeof Zebulun was not as landlocked
(14:06):
as some modern maps would makethem out.
To be Back to Genesis, chapter49, verse 14.
Issachar is a strong donkeycrouching between the sheepfolds
.
He saw that a resting place wasgood and that the land was
pleasant, so he bowed hisshoulder to bear and became a
(14:30):
servant at forced labor.
Here Israel's prophecy onIssachar emphasizes how Issachar
is strong and hardy, like adonkey that sits amongst the
sheepfolds.
Indeed, history tells usIssachar would become an
industrious, robust tribe livingup to his name, the man of
(14:54):
Wages.
The tribe of Issachar wouldinherit the majority of the
Jezreel Valley and the richnessof the soil in the Jezreel
Valley has been legendarythroughout all of the ages in
the Middle East.
The tribe of Issachar wouldbecome successful farmers and
(15:15):
shepherds.
However, the Jezreel plain isvery open and this far-reaching
plains was unprotected andvulnerable to attacks from
foreign invaders that would comethrough the territory of Gad.
That would come through theterritory of Gad While Issachar
(15:38):
was richly rewarded for theirhard labor and fertile soil.
They would often purchase peacefrom whoever was the dominant
power at the time.
They would be blackmailed asthey felt a continual threat for
their life.
Verse 16.
Dan shall judge his people asone of the tribes of Israel.
(15:58):
Dan shall be a serpent in theway, a viper by the path that
bites at the horse's heels sothat the rider falls backward.
I wait for your salvation, oLord, here.
Israel's prophecy upon thetribe of Dan tells how, through
(16:19):
Dan, god will judge his people.
This is a prophecy about thejudge Samson that would arise
from the tribe of Dan and bringsalvation to the people of
Israel.
Samson would defend Israel anddefeat the Philistines, biting
at their heels for 20 years.
(16:40):
That's found in Judges 13-16.
Verse 19.
Raiders shall raid Gad, but heshall raid at their heels.
Raid Gad, but he shall raid attheir heels.
Israel's prophecy for Gad wasthat they would be raided by
bands or troops of men.
Because the territory of Gadwas east of the Jordan River and
(17:05):
on the west boundary of thenation of Jordan, gad was
regularly raided by bands ofraiders coming from Jordan.
Israel also prophesied that Gadwould become strong against
these raiders.
Gad would be a first line ofdefense for Israel and before
Moses died he blessed Gad andcompared him to a protecting
(17:28):
lion that tears at arms andscalp In Deuteronomy 33, 20.
Verse 20.
Asher's food shall be rich andhe shall yield royal delicacies.
Here Israel's blessing on Asherwas how his food would be rich
(17:48):
and provide great delicacies.
The tribe of Asher would alsoinherit some very rich soil in
the promised land, which wasalong the Mediterranean coast,
all the way from Sidon in thenorth to Mount Carmel in the
south, and because of this richsoil Asher would produce grain,
(18:11):
wine, oil and they had access torare minerals.
Verse 21, israel's blessinghere on Naphtali describes him
as a doe that's let loose,speaking of both his
(18:32):
gracefulness and agility.
The tribe of Naphtali would beknown for its military bravery
under Barak, who would leadIsrael to break free from their
bondage.
In Judges 4, verse 6, verse 22,verse 22.
Joseph is a fruitful bough, afruitful bough by a spring.
(18:55):
His branches run over the wall.
The archers bitterly attackedhim, shot at him and harassed
him severely.
Yet his bow remained unmoved.
His arms were made agile by thehands of the Mighty One of
Jacob.
From there is the Shepherd, theStone of Israel, by the God of
(19:20):
your fathers who will help you,by the Almighty who will bless
you with blessings of heavenabove blessings of the deep that
crouch, beneath blessings ofthe breast and of the womb.
The blessings of your fatherare mighty beyond the blessings
(19:41):
of my parents.
Upon the bounties of theeverlasting hills, may they be
upon the head of Joseph and uponthe brow of him, who was set
apart from his brothers.
Israel's prophecy here to Josephat the end of his life was an
eternal promise.
(20:02):
It describes Joseph's faith inthe Lord, god Almighty, that
throughout Joseph's life,despite the persecution and
attacks, even by his brothers,those who were closest to him,
he trusted in the Lord God.
In these five verses there areactually four very distinct
(20:25):
names used for God, showingJoseph's faith in the one true
God of Israel.
In verse 24, israel speaks ofJoseph's God as the shepherd and
the stone of Israel, clearlypointing to how Joseph trusted
in the God of his fathers andthe promised Messiah.
(20:47):
In our previous chapter,genesis, chapter 48,.
In our previous chapter,genesis, chapter 48, joseph was
just given a double portion ofinheritance through his sons,
ephraim and Manasseh, andIsrael's double blessing through
them continues here.
This prophecy given to Josephdescribes the mighty fruit of
(21:12):
faith that will come throughJoseph's two sons, as Joshua,
deborah and Samuel will all comefrom the tribe of Ephraim,
while Gideon will come fromManasseh.
Verse 27, israel's blessinghere on Benjamin spoke of how
(21:45):
this small tribe would be knownfor their ravenous, wolf-like
nature in war, preying on theirenemies.
Additionally, their skill inbattle would produce consistent
victories for Israel, so thatthey will be celebrating and
dividing the spoil of theirenemies after their battles.
(22:06):
The tribe of Benjamin becamefamous for their abilities in
war, particularly their accuracywith ranged weapons, both with
the sling and the bow.
Judges 20.16 reads Among allthese were 700 chosen men who
(22:28):
were left-handed.
Every one could sling a stoneat a hare and not miss.
1 Chronicles 8.40.
The sons of Ulam were men whowere mighty warriors, bowmen,
having many sons and grandsons,one hundred and fifty.
All these were Benjaminites.
(22:49):
1 Chronicles 12.2 reads theywere bowmen and could shoot
arrows and slingstones witheither right or the left hand.
They were Benjaminites, saul'skinsmen.
Finally, 2 Chronicles 17.17also speaks of Benjamin's mighty
(23:11):
war skills.
It says Of Benjamin Eliadah, amighty man of valor with 200,000
men and armed with bow andshield.
Other men of faith that woulddescend from Benjamin would
include Ehud, a judge, saul, thefirst king anointed in Israel,
(23:34):
queen Esther and the apostlePaul, verse 28.
All these are the twelve tribesof Israel.
This is what their father saidto them as he blessed them,
blessing each with the blessingsuitable to him.
Then he commanded them and saidto them I am to be gathered to
(23:57):
my people.
Bury me with my fathers in thecave that is in the field of
Ephron the Hittite, in the cavethat is in the field at
Machpelah, to the east of Memri,in the land of Canaan, which
Abraham bought with a field fromEphron the Hittite to possess
as a burying place.
There they buried Abraham andSarah, his wife.
(24:22):
There they buried Isaac andRebekah, his wife, and there I
buried Leah.
The field and the cave that isin it were bought from the
Hittites.
In these four verses, it beginsby telling us that these are the
twelve tribes of Israel and thetwelve tribes of Israel are the
(24:44):
sons of Israel, while scripturewill list twelve tribes of
Israel for different reasonsbecause, just as we read, levi
will be scattered and Josephreceived a double portion
through his two sons, who wereinherited.
However, the 12 tribes formallyare the 12 sons of Leah, rachel
(25:08):
and their two servants, bilhahand Zilpah.
Israel's final request to allof his sons is that he be buried
in the cave along with hisfathers and his wife Leah.
This field with a cave waspurchased by Abraham when Sarah
(25:31):
died as a burial plot, and thisburial location remained in the
family of Abraham, isaac andJacob, and it became the tomb of
not only Sarah but also Abraham, and then Isaac and his wife
Rebecca.
And then Jacob buried his wifeLeah there, wife Rebecca, and
(25:55):
then Jacob buried his wife Leahthere.
And now Jacob's final requestis that he too be buried in this
cave with the rest of thepatriarchs and their wives Verse
33.
When Jacob finished commandinghis sons, he drew up his feet
into his bed and breathed hislast and was gathered to his
people After Israel had blessedhis sons and then given them his
(26:19):
final wishes for his burial, hetook his feet back into the bed
and laid down.
This implies that he had beensitting on his bedside during
this whole discussion while heblessed his sons, and now he
lays down at peace, knowing he'ssaid what needed to be said.
(26:40):
And after bringing himself backinto his bed, jacob breathes
his last breath and dies.
The phrase being gathered tohis people appears to be a
common euphemism that describeddeath during the time of the
patriarchs.
It was also used to describethe death of Abraham, ishmael
(27:03):
and Isaac.
And this ends Genesis, chapter49.
Next week we'll be in Genesis,chapter 50, our last chapter in
Genesis, where we learn the lastthings about Joseph's life and,
finally, joseph's death.
Join me as we finish up Genesisnext week.
(27:26):
God bless you this week.
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