Genesis 49 - Israel's Final Blessing - The Mysteries of God's Word

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.

Chapters

• 0:00 Israel Calls His Sons Together
• 3:27 Prophecies for Reuben, Simeon, and Levi
• 5:37 Judah's Blessing and Messianic Prophecy
• 11:16 Zebulun Through Naphtali: Middle Sons Blessed
• 19:17 Joseph's Blessing and Benjamin's Warrior Destiny
• 24:09 Jacob's Final Request and Death

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

Grace and peace to you from God, our Father and our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. Today we're in Genesis, chapter 49, where Israel blesses his sons, the 12 tribes of Israel. This chapter chapter 49, begins just after Israel had called Joseph and had an intimate meeting with just him and his two sons. And in that meeting, in our last chapter, chapter 48, he adopted and blessed Joseph's two sons. And Joseph's two sons became sons of Israel. But now, here in chapter 49, israel is calling all of his sons together and he has a prophetic word from the Lord and he wants to speak to each one of his sons, this word from the Lord God that he has received about their future.

Speaker 1: 1:17

Verse 1 begins. Then Jacob called his sons and said Gather yourselves together that I may tell you what shall happen to you in the days to come. Assemble and listen, o sons of Jacob, listen to Israel. Your father Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power, unstable as water. You shall not have preeminence because you went up to your father's bed and you defiled it. He went up to my couch bed and you defiled it. He went up to my couch. In verses 3 and 4, israel both blesses and curses Reuben. Israel blesses Reuben for his strength and dignity, recognizing how Reuben had stood up for his brothers when they were in danger. However, the seriousness of Reuben's adulterous behavior, sinning against his father and his bed, was not forgotten. Jacob calls Reuben unstable as water, which literally means boiling water. Reuben was like boiling water and Jacob curses him for sleeping with his concubine. The consequences for Reuben's rebellion erased his right of firstborn, and while the tribe of Reuben did help to take possession of the promised land, the tribe did not produce one judge, one prophet or even one military leader that's mentioned in Scripture. Moses would later pray for the tribe of Reuben that it wouldn't die out, in Deuteronomy 33.6.

Speaker 1: 3:11

Verse 5. Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of violence and their swords. Let my soul come not into their counsel. O my glory, do not be joined with their company, for in their anger they killed men. In their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. 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. Here, in verses 5, 6, and 7, israel groups both Simeon and Levi together as he prophesies on his deathbed. These two brothers are grouped together because of their violent behavior and disposition, particularly their uncontrolled fury which brought about the massacre when they took vengeance on Shechem in Genesis, chapter 34.

Speaker 1: 4:20

Israel curses Simeon and Levi for their fierce anger and wrath because it's not based in any form of justice, but rather it's simply cruel vengeance. Israel's curse upon them is that they will be divided and scattered in Israel and in the promised land. Neither the tribe of Simeon nor the tribe of Levi will possess their own designated region. The tribe of Simeon was small and it was actually omitted from the blessings of Moses, and later it was forced to share a territory with Judah. Joshua 19, 1-9. Levi would be scattered throughout all of Israel. However, because they would later be loyal to God and his prophet Moses in Exodus 32-26, they would be honored as priests and be residents in the cities of refuge, verse 8.

Speaker 1: 5:24

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. Judah is a lion's cub From the prey my son. You have gone up. He stooped down. He is a crouching lion and a lioness who dares rouse him. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet 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 Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine. He has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk.

Speaker 1: 6:28

Here, in verses 8-12, israel blesses Judah with a prophecy that describes the coming Messiah through the line of Judah. That describes the coming Messiah through the line of Judah. Since all of antiquity, christians as well as many Jews have understood Judah's blessing to be a prophecy pointing to the coming Messiah. There's an intentional contrast made here between Joseph, the current governor of Egypt, the son of faith, and the son who just received a double blessing the blessing of the firstborn, and now this prophecy from Israel to Judah. The phrase in this prophecy regarding Judah that your father's sons shall bow down to you is the very same phrase that was used earlier for Joseph and that his whole family would bow down to him as governor. There is clearly a point being made here by God through Israel, that one day, through Judah, someone will come who has preeminence In this prophecy that Israel gives regarding Judah.

Speaker 1: 7:46

It says his brothers will praise him, and this Hebrew word here that's used for praise is a word that does not describe praise given to men in Scripture, but rather it's praise that's given to God. Furthermore, the picture of Judah's hand being on the neck of his enemies it's another picture of how the Messiah will one day come and destroy the enemies of Israel. The description of Judah being like a lion's cub it's a picture of how one day a lion will come out of the tribe of Judah. That same picture of Judah being like a crouched lion and lioness describes the strength, the patience and the protection that will come from this lion of the tribe of Judah. In Revelations, chapter 5, verse 5, we read about Jesus Christ being described as this. It says, and one of the elders said to me Weep no more. Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah. The root of David has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.

Speaker 1: 9:03

Going back to Israel's prophecy regarding Judah, the imagery that it continues to use regarding a scepter and a ruler's staff describes how royalty and kingship will remain with Judah until the Messiah comes, telling us how this King, messiah will come out of the line of Judah. In the second half of verse 10,. Through the end of the prophecy on Judah, in verse 12, it describes a great time of health and prosperity under a golden age of this Messiah. It describes how people will tie their donkeys to a choice vine and even allow it to eat because there's just so much abundance. It describes how the wine will flow like water so that you could wash your clothes with it. And finally, it describes how people are so healthy, their eyes are dark and their teeth are white.

Speaker 1: 10:07

This last half of the prophecy regarding Judah are much like other millennial prophecies in Scripture, describing a time of exuberant abundance when the Messiah will one day rule. For example, joel 3.18 reads and in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the stream beds of Judah shall flow with water. And all the stream beds of Judah shall flow with water and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the valley of Shittim. Back in Genesis, chapter 49, verse 13,. Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea, he shall become a haven for ships and his border shall be at Sidon.

Speaker 1: 11:03

Israel's prophecy on Zebulun living by the seashore and being a safe place for ships can be a little bit confusing considering how some maps today have Zebulun landlocked. However, scripture tells us that 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 the abundance of the sea. Deuteronomy 33, 18 and 19 read and of Zebulun he said Rejoice. Zebulun certainly profited from a primary trade route that came from the sea, known as Via Maris. How and where they dwelt on the sea is not as cut and dry to everyone. Moody believed this was actually a reference to the future millennial kingdom where Zebulun would one day have a territory that was increased, have a territory that was increased.

Speaker 1: 12:25

However, as I continued to study both scripture and history, I found that Zebulun is spoken along with Naphtali in Isaiah and Matthew as being the way of the sea, and it refers to the Sea of Galilee. Isaiah 9.1 reads. Isaiah 9.1 reads but there will be no gloom for her, who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into 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, galilee of the nations. Matthew 4.15 also reads. Furthermore, as I continued to study, I found that the historian Josephus describes Zebulon's territory as bordering two bodies of water. He writes the land which reaches as far as the Sea of Galilee and that which belonged to Carmel and the Mediterranean Sea. And the Mediterranean Sea. Some scholars suggest that Zebulun may have possessed a corridor to the Mediterranean Sea just south of Asher's territory, near Mount Carmel. Finally, as we consider all of that, 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 tribe of Zebulun was not as landlocked as some modern maps would make them out.

Speaker 1: 14:23

To be Back to Genesis, chapter 49, verse 14. Issachar is a strong donkey crouching between the sheepfolds. He saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear and became a servant at forced labor. Here Israel's prophecy on Issachar emphasizes how Issachar is strong and hardy, like a donkey that sits amongst the sheepfolds. Indeed, history tells us Issachar would become an industrious, robust tribe living up to his name, the man of Wages. The tribe of Issachar would inherit the majority of the Jezreel Valley and the richness of the soil in the Jezreel Valley has been legendary throughout all of the ages in the Middle East. The tribe of Issachar would become successful farmers and shepherds. However, the Jezreel plain is very open and this far-reaching plains was unprotected and vulnerable to attacks from foreign invaders that would come through the territory of Gad. That would come through the territory of Gad While Issachar was richly rewarded for their hard labor and fertile soil. They would often purchase peace from whoever was the dominant power at the time. They would be blackmailed as they felt a continual threat for their life.

Speaker 1: 16:07

Verse 16. Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path that bites at the horse's heels so that the rider falls backward. I wait for your salvation, o Lord, here. Israel's prophecy upon the tribe of Dan tells how, through Dan, god will judge his people. This is a prophecy about the judge Samson that would arise from the tribe of Dan and bring salvation to the people of Israel. Samson would defend Israel and defeat the Philistines, biting at their heels for 20 years. That's found in Judges 13-16.

Speaker 1: 16:59

Verse 19. Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. Raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. Israel's prophecy for Gad was that they would be raided by bands or troops of men. Because the territory of Gad was east of the Jordan River and on the west boundary of the nation of Jordan, gad was regularly raided by bands of raiders coming from Jordan. Israel also prophesied that Gad would become strong against these raiders. Gad would be a first line of defense for Israel and before Moses died he blessed Gad and compared him to a protecting lion that tears at arms and scalp In Deuteronomy 33, 20.

Speaker 1: 17:49

Verse 20. Asher's food shall be rich and he shall yield royal delicacies. Here Israel's blessing on Asher was how his food would be rich and provide great delicacies. The tribe of Asher would also inherit some very rich soil in the promised land, which was along the Mediterranean coast, all the way from Sidon in the north to Mount Carmel in the south, and because of this rich soil Asher would produce grain, wine, oil and they had access to rare minerals. Verse 21, israel's blessing here on Naphtali describes him as a doe that's let loose, speaking of both his gracefulness and agility. The tribe of Naphtali would be known for its military bravery under Barak, who would lead Israel to break free from their bondage. In Judges 4, verse 6, verse 22, verse 22.

Speaker 1: 19:04

Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring. His branches run over the wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him and harassed him severely. Yet his bow remained unmoved. His arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob. From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel, by the God of your fathers who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above blessings of the deep that crouch, beneath blessings of the breast and of the womb. The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents. Upon the bounties of the everlasting hills, may they be upon the head of Joseph and upon the brow of him, who was set apart from his brothers.

Speaker 1: 20:09

Israel's prophecy here to Joseph at the end of his life was an eternal promise. It describes Joseph's faith in the 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 are actually four very distinct names used for God, showing Joseph's faith in the one true God of Israel. In verse 24, israel speaks of Joseph's God as the shepherd and the stone of Israel, clearly pointing to how Joseph trusted in the God of his fathers and the promised Messiah. In our previous chapter, genesis, chapter 48,. In our previous chapter, genesis, chapter 48, joseph was just given a double portion of inheritance through his sons, ephraim and Manasseh, and Israel's double blessing through them continues here. This prophecy given to Joseph describes the mighty fruit of faith that will come through Joseph's two sons, as Joshua, deborah and Samuel will all come from the tribe of Ephraim, while Gideon will come from Manasseh. Verse 27, israel's blessing here on Benjamin spoke of how this small tribe would be known for their ravenous, wolf-like nature in war, preying on their enemies.

Speaker 1: 22:09

Additionally, their skill in battle would produce consistent victories for Israel, so that they will be celebrating and dividing the spoil of their enemies after their battles. The tribe of Benjamin became famous for their abilities in war, particularly their accuracy with ranged weapons, both with the sling and the bow. Judges 20.16 reads Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed. Every one could sling a stone at a hare and not miss. 1 Chronicles 8.40. The sons of Ulam were men who were mighty warriors, bowmen, having many sons and grandsons, one hundred and fifty. All these were Benjaminites. 1 Chronicles 12.2 reads they were bowmen and could shoot arrows and slingstones with either right or the left hand. They were Benjaminites, saul's kinsmen. Finally, 2 Chronicles 17.17 also speaks of Benjamin's mighty war skills. It says Of Benjamin Eliadah, a mighty man of valor with 200,000 men and armed with bow and shield.

Speaker 1: 23:37

Other men of faith that would descend from Benjamin would include Ehud, a judge, saul, the first king anointed in Israel, queen Esther and the apostle Paul, verse 28. All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. Then he commanded them and said to them I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Memri, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with a field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.

Speaker 1: 24:49

In these four verses, it begins by telling us that these are the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve tribes of Israel are the sons of Israel, while scripture will list twelve tribes of Israel for different reasons because, just as we read, levi will be scattered and Joseph received a double portion through his two sons, who were inherited. However, the 12 tribes formally are the 12 sons of Leah, rachel and their two servants, bilhah and Zilpah. Israel's final request to all of his sons is that he be buried in the cave along with his fathers and his wife Leah. This field with a cave was purchased by Abraham when Sarah died as a burial plot, and this burial location remained in the family of Abraham, isaac and Jacob, and it became the tomb of not only Sarah but also Abraham, and then Isaac and his wife Rebecca. And then Jacob buried his wife Leah there, wife Rebecca, and then Jacob buried his wife Leah there. And now Jacob's final request is that he too be buried in this cave with the rest of the patriarchs and their wives Verse 33.

Speaker 1: 26:19

When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into his bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people After Israel had blessed his sons and then given them his final wishes for his burial, he took his feet back into the bed and laid down. This implies that he had been sitting on his bedside during this whole discussion while he blessed his sons, and now he lays down at peace, knowing he's said what needed to be said. And after bringing himself back into his bed, jacob breathes his last breath and dies. The phrase being gathered to his people appears to be a common euphemism that described death during the time of the patriarchs. It was also used to describe the death of Abraham, ishmael and Isaac. And this ends Genesis, chapter 49. Next week we'll be in Genesis, chapter 50, our last chapter in Genesis, where we learn the last things about Joseph's life and, finally, joseph's death. Join me as we finish up Genesis next week. God bless you this week.