“A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel. “Asher’s food will be rich. He will yield royal dainties. “Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns
Even though God’s people, Israel, will fall and be mistreated, God will cause them to win against their enemies as we read concerning Gad. Armies will come against them but they will be able to fight back.
Asher seems to represent the fact that God will bless Israel in the area of fine foods. We know this to be the case in our day. It would also seem to indicate that God will bless them like royalty. Naphtali seems to represent Israel as being strong, beautiful and productive.
The fact is that no matter how much God’s people are persecuted, what is needed most is to have God’s favor. That goes for Gentile Christians as well. We have God’s favor and whoever has that should know that blessings will come to them when the time is right.
“Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward. I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.
Jacob’s prophesy about Dan is another one that has application for Israel today. The name Dan means judge. Many years after these words, Israel was to have respected leaders, but those leaders would not end up taking Israel to greatness. As this prophesy says, those same leaders will be like a serpent on the trail that causes the nation to go backwards.
Unfortunately, the land of Dan did end up becoming an evil influence on the nation. Later in the Bible it discusses how one of Israel’s leaders set up two golden calf’s like the one that got them in such trouble with Moses. One of the calves was set up in the land of Dan. They ended up worshiping it instead of God. Instead of moving forward as God’s chosen people, the rider was thrown off and Israel went through many punishments.
Even to this day, many of the modern leaders have forgotten God and His promises to Israel. No leader has risen up that has been able to lead them to greatness other than the one that was rejected: Jesus the son of Joseph. The truth is, there is no king that can lead Israel properly except God Himself. In this way we are all like Israel here. We all are waiting for our salvation here on earth. As Christians, we have tasted the first part of our salvation already in our hearts, but on earth, we all wait for Jesus to take His kingdom.
“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon. “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags. He 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.
This prophesy appears to describe what the whole nation of Israel is going through today. It says that Zebulun will be involved in imports and exports. Today Israel does quite well economically because of trade with the world. It is remarkable considering the very small size of the country. The Bible doesn’t record the Zebulun family living by the ocean. This makes me wonder if there is much more to this prophesy that has yet to come.
Issachar’s prophesy mixes good and bad. Although the land is good and the people are strong, they end up having to do forced labor like a donkey. Isn’t this exactly what is happening to Israel today? They have a beautiful land and they are a very strong people, especially for their size, but they are being forced to shoulder heavy burdens as a nation that most other nations don’t have to bear. They are often pressured into doing things by by other bigger countries like the United States. They can’t even choose what to do with their own property.
It isn’t wise for any country to mistreat Israel especially considering what is being discussed about the coming king as we learn more about in the next section. God has huge plans for Israel and someday it will be undeniable.
“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. Judah 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? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be. Binding 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. His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.
This is one of the most amazing prophecies ever written. Jacob, himself, spoke these words to the original twelve brothers of the nation. In this passage, Jacob predicts the coming of Jesus as king of the world.
God had predicted in Joseph’s dream that his brothers would bow down to him someday. Now we discover that Joseph will ultimately bow down to Judah!
It is amazing that we find such a far reaching prophesy in the very first book of the Bible being spoken by the very leader of the nation. Remarkably, it states that “The scepter will not depart from Judah.” In other words, his family is to be a line of kings forever. Notice that, ultimately, the kingdom is to come to him “to whom it belongs.” And, just to make sure we know that this isn’t just for Jews, it says:
“To him will the obedience of the peoples be.”
Some of this prophesy has already happened. Jesus who was born from the line of Judah, rode into Jerusalem on a donkey colt. It appears that the rest of what is said about Judah’s line has yet to happen. When the Bible talks about the blood of grapes and red wine, it is often talking about the wrath of God. Jesus is to return to earth and kill his enemies in a bloody battle someday. In that day, the anger of God against sin will be witnessed by all who live on earth.
This was spoken by Jacob, but he didn’t know what we know about Jesus yet. This was written down by Moses, but he didn’t know what we know about Jesus yet. This was passed down over and over again by Jewish scribes but they didn’t know what we know about Jesus yet. This passage demonstrates the supernatural truth that God has put in the Bible. Thousands of years passed before Jesus came and it happened. It is important for us to see that the prophesy it isn’t complete yet. The kingdom still belongs to Jesus and He is yet to return to rule on earth. This should either comfort or concern you depending on your perspective. We should remember that the God who predicted this has never failed to do what He says He will do.
“Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence. My 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. 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.
Did you know that God loves cattle? He actually mentions them quite often in the Bible. Remember back in Genesis one, our Creator, after making the animals, said that it was good. He really meant it. He loves the animals and He made them with their own kind of personality. One of the horrible things that man’s sin caused was the death and eating of animals. God has allowed us to use them for our survival which shows us that we are more valuable to Him, but that does not mean that He allows cruelty to either the animals or to people. This is a very important topic that we should take very seriously. God will separate Himself from the cruel ones.
So now we learn the horror that God felt concerning the day when Simeon and Levi, in their wrath, destroyed a whole town because a man abused their sister.
Notice that God tells us that we should not give men like this any glory and we should not listen to their counsel. It is good to separate from a cruel person. God doesn’t want to be around them. Some people believe that the God of the Old Testament was cruel. Obviously, it is mankind that is cruel. If God did destroy us, He would only be right to do it because we are so cruel to each other. The Bible tells us that God doesn’t take pleasure in the death of the wicked. This is the real God of the Old Testament, the one who fortunately is also the God of the New Testament.
Because of this act of violence, God would punish them by dividing them. Notice how no detail was overlooked by God. We should never think that we are getting away with evil. God is very patient and will always punish sin. Fortunately, there is a way for sinners to be saved from their punishment by trusting in God’s provision.
Jacob 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.
Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob.Listen to Israel, your father. “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power. Boiling 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.
One of the difficult things about reading this history book has been the fact that little has been spoken about the morality of what has been going on. Here we are at the end of Genesis and we hear the prophesy of Jacob about his own children. In this prophesy, we hear the heart of God and what He thought about what had been going on in Genesis.
Remember that Reuben, the first born, slept with his step-mother. In the historical record, God didn’t say anything about what he thought until now. Now we can clearly see that this is wrong and should not be done. God took away some of Reuben’s blessing because he did this thing.
Notice what this also tells us about those who have dignity and power. They may not have purity, and it is purity that will be the thing that will actually cause them to excel. So we learn that true excellence is connected with purity more than power and dignity.
We also learn that power and strength can actually be abused. It can boil over and fail in its purpose. This is a lesson to everyone who has a lot of earthly strength. What we need is the wisdom that goes with that strength. No one is too big to fail when they are living an impure life. We know from other parts of the Bible that this principle applies to whole countries too.
Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see. He brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed also.” Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near to him. Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
His father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations.” He blessed them that day, saying, “In you will Israel bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” He set Ephraim before Manasseh. Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”
It is easy for us to assume that because someone is old and handicapped, that they are not aware of what they are doing, but a wise old person is quite able to keep track of what is going on. Joseph had lined up his sons in the right order so that the right hand of Jacob would easily reach the head of his oldest son for “the right hand blessing” and the younger would be on the left. The right hand is a symbol of higher honor. Surprisingly, Jacob crossed his hands when he reached out to put his hands on the boys. Joseph actually tried to move his fathers hands because he didn’t like it, but Jacob did it on purpose.
Jacob predicted their future by this act. Jacob knew that God had planned for Ephraim to have a bigger family, even though Manasseh’s family would also be big. As we continue to read the history of this Israel, we will see that it happened just like Jacob said.
It’s interesting to note that Jacob did not repeat the sin of his father here. He blessed the one that God intended to bless. It is clear that this man had gained wisdom even though he had to go through many hard times. Notice that Jacob was gentle with Joseph even though he didn’t agree with the blessing. Jacob had also not agreed with his father’s blessing and even tricked him. Jacob was well aware of how difficult this was, but he still did what God wanted, so it ended in peace as following God’s will eventually does.