Genesis 49:1-16: a reflection

1Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come. 2Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father. 3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in dignity, and excelling in power. 4Boiling over like water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch. 5“Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence. 6My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle. 7Cursed 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. 8“Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you. 9Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up? 10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. The obedience of the peoples will be to him. 11Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk. 13“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon. 14“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags. 15He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor. 16“Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

As Jacob gathers his sons to bless them before he dies, he speaks a remarkable word over Judah that reaches far beyond Judah's own lifetime. The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; and the obedience of the peoples will be to him. Jacob foresees a ruler to come from the line of Judah, one to whom the scepter truly belongs, to whom the peoples will render obedience. It is a promise that points beyond any earthly king to the coming one, fulfilled at last in Christ, the ruler from Judah to whom the scepter belongs and to whom the nations are gathered.

Notice the promise of a coming ruler from Judah, to whom it belongs. Jacob's words look forward to a ruler in Judah's line, but not merely an earthly king; he speaks of one to whom the scepter belongs, to whom the obedience of the peoples will be given. The promise reaches beyond the kings of Judah to a greater ruler to come, the one to whom the scepter truly belongs. And this promise finds its fulfillment in Christ, the ruler from the line of Judah, to whom all authority belongs and to whom the peoples of every nation are gathered in obedience. The scepter of Judah pointed forward to him, the coming one to whom it belonged. Jacob's dying words held a hope that Christ fulfilled.

That is worth resting in, for the promised ruler from Judah has come in Christ, to whom the scepter belongs and to whom the peoples are gathered. We can look for a ruler, a king, a hope to set our allegiance on; but Jacob's promise pointed to the coming one from Judah, fulfilled in Christ, to whom the scepter belongs and to whom the obedience of the peoples is given. Christ is the promised ruler, the one to whom our allegiance rightly belongs. Do not set your ultimate allegiance on lesser rulers or hopes; the promised ruler from Judah has come in Christ, to whom the scepter belongs. Give your allegiance to Christ, the promised ruler from Judah to whom the scepter belongs and to whom the peoples are gathered in obedience, as Jacob foretold one would come to whom it belongs; for the ancient promise of a ruler from Judah is fulfilled in Christ, and to him the obedience of the peoples rightly belongs.

Lord, as Jacob gathers his sons to bless them before he dies, he speaks a remarkable word over Judah that reaches far beyond Judah's own lifetime. The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; and the obedience of the peoples will be to him. Jacob foresees a ruler to come from the line of Judah, one to whom the scepter truly belongs. It is a promise that points beyond any earthly king to the coming one, fulfilled at last in Christ. Show me the promise of a coming ruler from Judah, to whom it belongs. Jacob's words look forward to a ruler in Judah's line, but not merely an earthly king; he speaks of one to whom the scepter belongs, to whom the obedience of the peoples will be given. The promise reaches beyond the kings of Judah to a greater ruler to come. And this finds its fulfillment in Christ, the ruler from the line of Judah, to whom all authority belongs and to whom the peoples of every nation are gathered. Jacob's dying words held a hope that Christ fulfilled. Let me rest in that, for the promised ruler from Judah has come in Christ, to whom the scepter belongs. I can look for a ruler, a king, a hope to set my allegiance on; but Jacob's promise pointed to the coming one from Judah, fulfilled in Christ. Keep me from setting my ultimate allegiance on lesser rulers or hopes; the promised ruler from Judah has come in Christ, Lord. Help me give my allegiance to Christ, the promised ruler from Judah to whom the scepter belongs and to whom the peoples are gathered in obedience.