Genesis 49
Jacob calls his children togetherverses 1-2
And Jacob called to his sons
and said
Gather yourselves together that I may tell you
that which shall befall you in the last days
Gather yourselves together – and hear – you sons of Jacob
and hearken to Israel your father
Reubenverses 3-4
REUBEN – you are my firstborn – my might
and the beginning of my strength – the excellency of dignity
and the excellency of power – unstable as water
you shall not excel
BECAUSE you went up to your father’s bed
THEN defiled you it – he went up to my couch
Simeon and Leviverses 5-7
SIMEION AND LEVI are brethren
instruments of cruelty are in their habitations
O my soul – come not you into their secret
to their assembly – mine honor
be not you united
for in their ANGER they slew a man
and in their self will they digged down a wall
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
Judahverses 8-12
JUDAH – you are he whom your brethren shall PRAISE
your hand shall be in the neck of your enemies
your father’s children shall bow down before you
Judah is a lion’s whelp
FROM the prey – my son – you are gone up
he stooped down – he couched as a lion – and as an old lion
Who shall rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart Judah
nor a lawgiver from between his feet
UNTIL SHILOH COME
and to HIM shall the gathering of the people be
Binding his foal to the vine – his ass’s colt to the choice vine
he washed his garments in wine
and his clothes in the blood of grapes
His eyes shall be red with wine – his teeth white with milk
Zebulunverse 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 Sidon
Issacharverses 14-15
ISSACHAR is a strong ass couching down between two burdens
and he saw that rest was good – and the land it was pleasant
and bowed his shoulder to bear
and became a servant unto tribute
Danverses 16-18
DAN shall judge his people
as one of the tribes of Israel
Dan shall be a serpent by the way – an adder in the path
that bites the horse heels
so that his rider shall fall backward
I have waited for your salvation – O LORD
Gadverse 19
GAD – a troop shall overcome him
BUT he shall overcome at the last
Asherverse 20
Out of ASHER his bread shall be fat and he shall yield royal dainties
Naphtaliverse 21
NAPHTALI is a hind let loose – he gives goodly words
Josephverses 22-26
JOSEPH is a fruitful bough – even a fruitful bough by a well
whose branches run over the wall
the archers have sorely grieved him – and shot at him
and hated him – 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)
even by the God of your father – WHO shall help you
and by the Almighty – WHO shall bless you with
BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN above
BLESSINGS OF DEEP that lies under
BLESSINGS OF THE BREASTS and OF THE WOMB
BLESSINGS of your father have prevailed above
the BLESSINGS of my progenitors to
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
Benjaminverse 27
BENJAMIN shall raven as a wolf
in the morning he shall devour they prey
and at night he shall divide the spoil
Blessings of twelve tribes of Israelverse 28
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel
and this is it that their father spoke to them – and blessed them
every one according to his blessing he blessed them
Jacob gives burial instructionsverses 29-32
And he charged 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 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 burying place
There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife
there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife
and there I buried Leah
The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from
the children of Heth
Jacob diedverse 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
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 4 Unstable as water, you shall no excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled you it: he went up to my couch. (6349 “Unstable” [pachaz] means recklessness, wantonness, unbridled license, frothiness, the trait of giving little thought to danger, or lasciviousness)
DEVOTION: Jacob knew what his oldest son had done with his wife Leah. He had gone to bed with her. He had not honored his father. He went against the law of marriage. It was because of this that he would not be blessed of the LORD.
Sin has consequences as most of us know. Here we have a sin that would be remembered throughout the lifetime of Reuben and he would know why he was as blessed as he could have been.
Too often we think that one sin will not hurt us even if it is one against a loved one. That is not true. Memory is hard on everyone. Jacob remembered what his oldest son had done and it showed his character.
Can we change our character? Yes, with the help of the LORD. HE can do the impossible in our life. HE can cause us to walk in a direction that is pleasing in HIS sight if we allow it to happen.
Apparently Reuben had not changed his behavior since the commitment of the sin. He seemed to not be able to get his act together. He continued to be reckless in his living. He was lascivious in his behavior. These are what it means to be unstable.
God wants us to allow HIM to help us get our act together. Yes we will go backwards at times but God knows our heart. As we study the rest of the Word of God we will find that there are people that are called a friend of God like Abraham who didn’t have his act completely together but he walked with God. We will see a man named David who was called to lead a nation but still had some areas of struggle but was called a man sought God with his whole heart.
Struggle doesn’t mean we are not believers but if we go into sin without thinking there are consequences we are deceiving ourselves.
CHALLENGE: God does correct those HE loves. If there is no correction then there might not be true belief!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 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. (7185 “cruel” means harden, stiff-necked, grievous, to be able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering, stubborn, or treat harsh)
DEVOTION: Remember these were the two brothers who killed all the men of a city because the leader’s son had defiled their sister Diana. They had deceived the men into thinking that they could intermarry with their daughters so they had agreed to circumcise themselves for this purpose.
While they were getting over the pain they came into the city and killed all the men. The other brothers came along and took all the possessions of the city. Jacob had to move to another area in fear that the neighboring cities would come after them but the LORD prevented that from happening.
What was their sin? It was anger. They took matters into their own hands without consulting the LORD. HE would have had another solution to the problem but they did what they thought was best.
Too often we can do things in anger and find out later that we wished we had handled the situation differently. We need to go to the LORD when we are angry and wait on HIM for an answer regarding our next actions in any matter.
It is never good to act in anger unless we have given the LORD an opportunity to show us another way of handling a situation.
Another avenue is to get good advice from those who will not share what you need to do with others. Don’t make it a prayer request with those who will use it as an opportunity to gossip.
Our responsibility is to always wait on the LORD for an answer regarding a major decision in our life. These two brothers didn’t wait on the LORD and they are told that there are consequences of their actions that will affect future generations of their children.
: 26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors to 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. (5139 “separate” [nazir] means consecrated, distinguished, prince, Nazarite, devoted one or vine undressed.)
DEVOTION: Jacob is giving the final blessings to his twelve children. He is telling them what is going to happen in the later days. He predicts that a king will come out of the line of Judah. He tells about the coming of Shiloh, which is thought by many to refer to Christ. The scepter will not leave the children of Judah. Christ came from the tribe of Judah.
Judah has adopted the two children of Joseph to be his own and inherit twice as much as the other original sons. Joseph was second in command to Pharaoh. He saved the lives of all of the children of Israel by bring them to Egypt. Jacob knew it was right to come to Egypt because the LORD visited him on the way and told him that HE was in the move.
The brothers of Joseph had sold him into slavery. There were many years that Joseph was apart from his father and brothers. Finally, they are together again. Jacob or Israel is giving blessings to his children. There is a special blessing given to Joseph because of all that he endured in Egypt. All of his time in Egypt was planned by God to prepare the way for his father and brothers to join him.
God used him in a special way to serve HIM. He was a devoted one to God and God mightily used him. God has consecrated all of HIS children for service to HIM. Joseph was a distinguished servant of the LORD.
As we have covered the book of Genesis we have watched God elect people for HIS glory. The ones that God chose were individuals who stood out from the rest.
We need to stand out from the rest of those who say they are followers of Jesus Christ. How can we stand out? Joseph gave us an example that we can follow. He didn’t give up. He didn’t hold a grudge against his brothers. He was faithful to any individual he served. He always gave God the glory.
As we have seen this example, what do people see in us? Do they know that we are consecrated to the work of God? Do we stand out in a crowd or do we fit in? Are we distinguished?
When we go through long periods of time of suffering, how do we respond? Do we realize that the LORD is in control of our lives for our good? Do we give HIM the glory when we do something through HIS power? Do we realize that the blessings of heaven far outweigh all the suffering we face here on this earth? Are we better or bitter? Do we hold a grudge?
CHALLENGE: We are unique in the eyes of the LORD because of our relationship to Jesus Christ. We need to remember that we are different and blessed.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 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 burying place. (4375 “Machpelah” [Makpelah] means 1 the location of a burial cave for the patriarchs, near Hebron. Additional Information: Machpelah = “double” or “portion”. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])
DEVOTION: Machpelah was an important location in history because Abraham had bought the cave from Ephron in order to bury Sarah when she died, and is the only stated property owned by Abraham in Genesis. It is later the tomb of Abraham himself, as well as Isaac and Jacob. Today it is named “The Tomb of the Patriarchs.” What is special about it is that on this site there were two caves which probably had been planned on being used as a sepulcher (the name of the place Machpelah means “double cave”). So this became an important burial site in the Promised Land because it showed that God had allowed Abraham to purchase this as a down payment for the entire Promised Land, and is located in modern-day Hebron.
No one wanted to face death, but this burial site marked the certainty of death and the need for preparations for death. Yet the cave marked the certainty that there was a life after death, and that each of the patriarchs believed that this life was not all there was. They wanted their families and children to know that there was a God who would rescue them from their sins so that they could live on with Him after death.
There would later be a cave that would serve as a tomb for another important person. This was a borrowed cave from a man named Joseph, and was located outside of the city of Jerusalem. A man executed by Rome was placed in this cave, and the entrance blocked with a large stone. However, the cave itself could not hold its resident, and the day after the Sabbath he was freed from the tomb. This person was, of course, Jesus.
CHALLENGE: Death is the one common thing that unites us. Make sure you are ready for your death today by getting right with God.
: 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 to his people. (1478 “yielded up the ghost” [gava‘] means die, perish, to expire, give up the ghost, be about to die, to breath out one’s life, or ready to die)
DEVOTION: Jacob had given his predictions and blessings to his children. He had given them instructions regarding his burial. He believed that God was going to keep HIS promise to give them the land HE promised to Abraham and Isaac.
Death is final. The Bible states that it is appointed “once to die and after that the judgment.” It is what we do in our lifetime that makes a difference concerning our placement in eternity.
Jacob was a schemer that met the LORD and fought with HIM and yielded to HIM. He told the LORD that if HE did certain things in his life then he would be a believer. God did those things and more.
Today we have many people who want proof of the existence of God but are unwilling to truly seek HIM. Jacob truly sought HIM. If a person is honest with God in their desire to find the truth it will be revealed to them. There are many who challenge God with no intention of truly seeking HIM.
Many Christians have challenged someone who is truly seeking to read the Bible to find the answers. Those who genuinely come to the Bible with a desire to learn will see the truth and then they have to make a decision to follow it.
I recently talked with someone regarding another individual who was given a Bible and they read it to find verses that fit their opinion of another person but with no desire to get to know the LORD.
All of us are going to breath their last breathe some day. Each of us is going to face the God of the Bible. Those who chose to follow Christ will spend eternity in heaven and those who reject will spend eternity in the lake of fire. There is no middle ground. There is no second chance after death. The decision has to be made in this lifetime. There is no other lifetime coming.
We all have to be ready to meet our Maker. Jacob was ready. He was not perfect but he was forgiven. No Christian is perfect but they are forgiven. We sin until the day we die but the LORD covered them all. Praise HIS name.
CHALLENGE: Honestly meditate on the Word of God before you have to go to meet your Maker. Only repentance and a commitment to Christ allows us into the Kingdom of God.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verse 18
God (Elohim)verse 24
Mighty God of Jacobverse 24
God of Jacobverse 24
Shepherdverse 24
Stone of Israelverse 24
God of your father verse 25
Almightyverse 25
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Shilohverse 10
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Unstableverse 4
Father’s bedverse 4
Defiledverse 4
Crueltyverse 5
Curseverse 7
Angerverse 7
Wrathverse 7
Hateverse 23
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Praiseverse 8
Scepterverse 10
Lawgiververse 10
Salvationverse 18
Helpverse 25
Blessverses 25, 28
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jacob (Israel)verses 1-29
Blessed his children
Wanted to be buried in cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite
Sons of Jacobverse 2
Reubenverses 3, 4
Beginning of Israel’s strength
Unstable as water
Defiled father’s bed
Simeonverse 5-7
Leviverses 5-7
Both instruments of cruelty
Angry to point of killing
Judahverses 8-12
Lion’s whelp
Lawgiver
Sceptre shall not depart
Zebulunverse 13
Dwell in haven of the sea
Border shall be to Zidon
Issacharverses 14, 15
Servant to tribute
Danverses 16-18
Judge his people
Serpent by the way
Adder in the path
Gadverse 19
Asherverse 20
Yield royal dainties
Naphtaliverse 21
Gives goodly words
Josephverses 22-26
Fruitful bough
Archers have sorely grieved him
Shot at him
Hated him
Bow abode in strength
Made strong by the hands of God
Stone of Israel
Benjaminverse 27
Ravin as a wolf
Twelve tribes of Israelverse 28
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Last daysverse 1
Yielded up the ghostverse 33
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org Also if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
QUOTES regarding passage
Unlike the imagery used of the other sons, the words of Jacob regarding Judah are quite transparent, though they are, of course, made up of poetic images. Judah is described as a victorious warrior who returns home from battle and is greeted by the shouts of praise from his brothers. The parallelism of v.8 is extended by the statement “your father’s sons will bow down [yištaḥawwû] to you.” It is difficult not to see in this an intentional allusion to the dream of Joseph (37:10) in which his father’s sons would come to bow down before him. In other words, what was to happen to Joseph—and did, in fact, happen in the course of the narrative (e.g., 42:6)—has been picked up by way of this image and transferred to the future of the house of Judah. What had happened to Joseph is portrayed as a picture of what would happen to Judah “in days to come” (49:1; i.e., “in the last days”).
The image of the victorious warrior is extended with the picture of Judah as a “young lion” (gûr ʾaryēh; NIV, “lion’s cub,” v.9). The young lion is pictured as sleeping in its den after having just devoured its prey. The question at the end of v.9 speaks for itself: “Who dares to rouse him?” In v.10 the picture is filled out with a description of the young warrior as a king. He is the one who holds the “scepter” and the “ruler’s staff.” The point of Jacob’s words is that Judah will hold such a status among the tribes of Israel until one comes “to whom it belongs.” Those who reign from the house of Judah will do so in anticipation of the one to whom the kingship truly belongs. The word “Shiloh,” found in some English versions, is simply an untranslated form of the Hebrew expression meaning “one to whom it belongs.” It is not a name as such, nor is it to be associated with the site of the tabernacle in the days of Samuel (1 Sam 1:3).
The most startling aspect of the description of this one from the tribe of Judah comes next: “and the obedience of the nations is his” (v.10b). The use of the plural word “nations” (ʿammîm) rather than the singular “nation” (ʿam) suggests that Jacob had in view a kingship that extended beyond the boundaries of the sons of Israel to include other nations as well. There may be an anticipation of this view in the promise of God to Jacob in 28:3 and 48:4: “I will make you a community of peoples” (ʿammîm). In any case, later biblical writers were apparently guided by texts such as this in formulating their view of the universal reign of the future Davidic king, e.g., Psalm 2:8: “Ask of me, and I will make the nations [gôyim] your inheritance”; Daniel 7:13–14: “There before me was one like a son of man.… He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him”; Revelation 5:5, 9: “See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.… And they sang a new song: “You are worthy … with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.’ ”(Sailhamer, J. H. (1990). Genesis. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, pp. 279–280). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
49:8–12. In this oracle Jacob predicted a fierce lionlike dominance of Judah over his enemies and over his brothers who would praise him. A wordplay was made here on the name Judah which means “praise” (cf. 29:35, niv marg.). The oracle pivots on the word until (49:10b). When the Promised One who will rule the nations appears, the scene will become an earthly paradise. These verses anticipate the kingship in Judah culminating in the reign of Messiah (cf. the tribe of Judah, Rev. 5:5), in which nations will obey Him.
The NASB renders the third line of Genesis 49:10, “Until Shiloh comes.” Many sources, including the Targum (Aram. paraphrase of the OT), see “Shiloh” as a title of the Messiah. However, the Hebrew word šîlōh should be rendered “whose it is,” that is, the scepter will not depart from Judah … until He comes whose it (i.e., the scepter) is (or as the niv puts it, to whom it belongs). Similar words in Ezekiel 21:27, “until He comes to whom it (the crown, Ezek. 21:26) rightfully belongs” were addressed to the last king of Judah.
With the coming of Messiah there will be paradise-like splendor. Kidner says that every line of Genesis 49:11–12 “speaks of exuberant, intoxicating abundance: it is the golden age of the Coming One, whose universal rule was glimpsed in [v.] 10c” (Genesis, p. 219). For Judah, grapevines will be so abundant that they will be used for hitching posts; wine will be as abundant as wash water. In Judah, people’s eyes will be red or bright from wine and their teeth will be white from drinking much milk. These are picturesque ways of describing the suitability of Judah’s territory for vineyards. Such opulence will be evident in the Millennium (Isa. 61:6–7; 65:21–25; Zech. 3:10). (Ross, A. P. (1985). Genesis. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 98–99). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
49:8–12 As strong as a young lion and entrenched as an old lion, to Judah’s line belonged national prominence and kingship, including David, Solomon, and their dynasty (640 years after this), as well as “the one to whom the scepter belongs,” i.e., Shiloh, the cryptogram for the Messiah, the one also called the “Lion from the Tribe of Judah” (Rev 5:5). On the march through the wilderness, Judah went first (Nu 10:14) and had the largest population in Moses’ census (cf. Nu 1:27; 26:22). This language (vv. 11, 12) describes prosperity so great that people will tie a donkey to a choice vine, letting it eat because there is such abundance; wine will be as plentiful as water and everyone will be healthy. This is likely a millennial prophecy. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ge 49:8–12). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, &c.] Which some understand of the tribe, that Judah should not cease from being a tribe, or that it should continue a distinct tribe until the coming of the Messiah, who was to be of it, and was, and that it might appear he sprung from it; but this was not peculiar to this tribe, for the tribe of Benjamin continued, and so did the tribe of Levi unto the coming of Christ: besides, by Judah is meant the tribe, and to say a tribe shall not depart from the tribe, is not only a tautology, but scarcely sense; it rather signifies dominion, power, and authority, as the sceptre always does, it being an emblem of it, see Numb. 24:17; Zech. 10:11 and this intends either the government, which was in the heads and princes of the tribe, which commenced as soon as it became a tribe, and lasted as long as it remained one, even unto the times of the Messiah; or kingly power and government, which the sceptre is generally thought to be an emblem of, and which first commenced in David, who was of the tribe of Judah, and continued unto the Babylonish captivity, when another sort of governors and government took place, designed in the next clause: nor a lawgiver from between his feet; which may be rendered disjunctively, or a lawgiver; any ruler or governor that has jurisdiction over others, though under another, as the word is used, Judg. 5:14 and the sense is, that till the Messiah came there should be in the tribe of Judah, either a king, a sceptre-bearer, as there was unto the captivity; or a governor, though under others, as there were unto the times of Christ under the Babylonians, Persians, Grecians, and Romans; such as Gedaliah, Zorobabel, &c. and particularly the sanhedrim, a court of judicature, the members of which chiefly consisted of the tribe of Judah, and the נשיא, or prince of it, was always of that tribe, and which retained its power to the latter end of Herod’s reign, when Christ was come; and though it was greatly diminished, it had some power remaining, even at the death of Christ, but quickly after had none at all: and if by the lawgiver is meant a scribe or a teacher of the law, as all the Targums, Aben Ezra, Ben Melech, and others interpret it, who used to sit at the feet of a ruler, judge, or prince of the sanhedrim; it is notorious there were of these unto, and in the times of the Messiah: in short, it matters not for the fulfilment of this prophecy what sort of governors those were after the captivity, nor of what tribe they were; they were in Judah, and their government was exercised therein, and that was in the hands of Judah, and they and that did not depart from thence till Shiloh came; since those that were of the other tribes, after the return from the captivity all went by the name of Judah: until Shiloh come; which all the three Targums interpret of the Messiah, as do many of the Jewish writers, ancient and modern; and is the name of the Messiah in their Talmudq, and in other writings; and well agrees with him, coming from a root which signifies to be quiet, peaceable, and prosperous; as he was of a quiet and peaceable disposition, came to make peace between God and men, and made it by the blood of his cross, and gives spiritual peace to all his followers, and brings them at length to everlasting peace and happiness; having prospered and succeeded in the great work of their redemption and salvation he undertook: and unto him shall the gathering of the people be; not of the Jews, though there were great gatherings of them to hear him preach, and see his miracles; as there were of all his people to him at his death, and in him as their head and representative, Eph. 1:10 but of the Gentiles; upon his death, the Gospel being preached to all nations, multitudes among them were converted to Christ, embraced his doctrines, professed his religion, and abode by him, see Isa. 11:10 some render it, the obedience of the people, from the use of the word in Prov. 30:17 which sense agrees with the former; for those who are truly gathered by the ministry of the word yield an obedience to his doctrines and ordinances; and others read, the expectation of the people; the Messiah being the desire of all nations, Hagg. 2:6 this, with what goes before, clearly shews that the Messiah must be come, since government in every sense has departed from Judah for 1700 years or thereabout, and the Gentiles have embraced the Messiah and his Gospel the Jews rejected: the various contradictory senses they put upon this prophecy shew the puzzle and confusion they are in about it, and serve to confirm the true sense of it: some apply it to the city Shiloh, others to Moses, others to Saul, others to David; nay, some will have Shiloh to be Jeroboam, or Ahijah the Shilonite, and even Nebuchadnezzar: there are two senses they put upon it which deserve the most notice, the one is, that Shebet, we render sceptre, signifies a rod; and so it does, but such a rod as is an ensign of government, as it must here, by what follows, see Ezek. 19:11 but they would have it to signify either a rod of correction, or a staff of support; but what correction or affliction has befallen the tribe of Judah peculiar to it? was it not in a flourishing condition for 500 years, under the reign of David’s family? and when the rest of the tribes were carried captive and never returned, Judah remained in its own land, and, when carried captive, after 70 years returned again to it; add to which, that this is a prediction, not of affliction and distress, that should abide in the tribe of Judah, but of honour and glory to it: and besides, Judah has had a far greater share of correction since the coming of the true Messiah than ever it had before: and what support have the Jews now, or have had for many hundred years, being out of their land, destitute of their privileges, living among other nations in disgrace, and for the most part in poverty and distress? the other sense is this, the sceptre and lawgiver shall not depart from Judah for ever, when Shiloh comesw; but this is contrary to the accents which separate and divide the phrase, between his feet, from that, for ever, as this version renders the word; though עד never signifies for ever, absolutely put, without some antecedent noun or particle; nor does בי signify when, but always until, when it is joined with the particle עד, as it is here; besides, this sense makes the prophecy to pass over some thousands of years before any notice is taken of Judah’s sceptre, which, according to the Jews, it had thousands of years ago, as well as contradicts a received notion of their own, that the Messiah, when he comes, shall not reign for ever, but for a certain time, and even a small time; some say 40 years, some 70, and others 400. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 303–304). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
33. The phrase, yielded up the ghost (av, rv), translates a single Hebrew word, a synonym for ‘died’; it has nothing in common with the expression ‘gave up his spirit’, used of our Lord’s voluntary death (John 19:30). (Kidner, D. (1967). Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 1, p. 233). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
47:29–30, this final one was far more specific. He wanted to be buried in the land with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah (v.31), the central figures of the preceding narratives. The point of the request within the present narrative is the renewal of the reader’s awareness of the promise of the land—the promise that Jacob’s seed would live in peace in the land promised to Abraham and Isaac. It is to show that Jacob’s faith in God’s promises remained firm to the end. With such an expression of faith still on his lips, the narrative concludes with the fitting remark: “he … breathed his last and was gathered to his people” (v.33). (Sailhamer, J. H. (1990). Genesis. (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.)The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
The Hebrew word berachah (“blessing”) is used some 68 times in the Old Testament, the first being God’s promise to Abraham when he followed the Lord: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). God’s promise to Abraham has been abundantly kept, though there is much more to come. We, like the people in the valley of Berachah, have much for which to bless the Lord, for we also have seen the salvation of God: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:12). (ICR, The Valley of Blessing)
Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.