GENESIS
April 21, 2018
(All Scripture taken from One New Man Bible unless otherwise noted)
We are getting a sneak peek of the future of the tribes of Israel, God’s ordained people today. It started last week when Jacob, under the Lord’s guidance, decided that Joseph’s inheritance would be divided between his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh actually giving the Tribe of Joseph a double portion (see Genesis 48:22). And Ephraim, although the younger of the two was to get the first portion, “And he blessed them that day saying, ‘God make: you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’ And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.” Genesis 48:20. If this verse does nothing else, it makes us see that there is nothing too small to or too detailed to take notice of in God’s Word. Even the arrangement of names and places is vitally important!
So now let’s see how all the other tribes will fair, both at this time (Genesis 49:1-27) and in the future:
Reuben: “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellence of dignity, and the excellency of power: 4unstable as water, you will not excel because you went up to your father’s bed, then you defiled the one who ascended my couch.” (48:3-4)
Genesis 29:31 tells us that the Lord opened Leah’s womb before Rachel’s because He saw the she was loved less. So when she had Reuben, she named him literally: See! A son! However, his character and destiny was not at all that which a father could hope for.
This blessing isn’t the product of unforgiveness, but rather the inevitable consequences of faulty character that will be passed down throughout his generations. In Genesis 35:21-22 we see that “Israel journeyed and set up his tent beyond Migdal Eder, Tower of Eder.22And it happened, while Israel lived in that land, that Reuben went in and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard about it.” AND might I add, she was also the mother of his brothers Dan and Naphtali! Can you say EEUUU? I sure can!
Reuben eventually settled next to Gad and became one of the 10 tribes that became part of the Northern Kingdom after Solomon died, which pretty much unraveled the nation as depicted in 1st Kings chapters 12 & 13. It is therefore very possible that they could have assimilated into the heathen culture over the centuries to become one of the ancestors of the Samarians. And so as not to be totally repetitious, this would be the fate of all of the tribes save for Judah, Benjamin and a small remnant of others (see 1st Kings 12:21-24).
Note that even though he was the firstborn, there is no note of greatness given to him from his lineage due to his questionable honor that was described as “unstable as water”.
The Reubenites are mentioned in Joshua 22:1-29 along with their brothers the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh were included when they were all released into their inheritance.
Simeon and Levi: “Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of violence are their downfall. O my soul, do not come into their secret, to their assembly. Do not be united, for in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they lamed an ox. 7Cursed be their anger for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel. I shall divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.” (49:5-7)
I find it a bit odd that Levis’ scattering was through his designation of being assigned to the Priesthood of the nation. But then that just goes to prove the validity of Isaiah 55:8-9, doesn’t it? “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My Ways’, says the LORD…” But then again, being Shepherds means protecting the sheep also, as well as ministering to them, and there are times when we must pick up the sword, as it were to defend and protect those assigned to us by God.
And this would make Levi the fully rounded picture of God: merciful and forgiving when needed, ie: when the sacrifices were brought in and repentance was made; and fierce in battle when necessary, like the Pastors were in the American Colonies during the Revolution. But again, we must realize that theirs were not described as weapons of defense, but weapons of violence and proclaimed to be their downfall.
Y’shua told us Himself that “The thief does not come except that he would steal and he would kill and he would destroy.” (John 10:10) And as satan stole (via deception) the title deed to the earth in Genesis 3, Israel always needed to stay on their toes just as we do. Now I know that theoretically and legally we are fighting defeated foe, but a fight is still in place when that foe is too prideful and stupid to bow out gracefully, isn’t it (see Ephesians 6:13-20)?
SO as Simeon and Levi led that attack against Shechem in Genesis 34, they went a bit overboard and gave themselves a nasty reputation, which was why the Lord saw fit to separate them. And although they were cursed in a manner of speaking, it was not they themselves that Jacob cursed but their temper. He was careful to separate the sinner from the sin.
And while history is unclear as to whatever became of the tribe of Simeon, we think that some of them at least were part of the remnant that stayed in Judah. They are however, mentioned in Joshua 19:1-9 according to their inheritance.
And Levi was redeemed it seems through Phineas, Aaron’s grandson who, in Numbers 25:10-18, was “zealous” for the LORD at a time when He was not amused and therefore, because of Phineas, gave “My Covenant of Peace to him, and he will have it and his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood…” And all the descendents of Levi breathed a sigh of relief!
And their cities in each of the territories as well as the Cities of Refuge are given to them by Joshua in chapters 20 & 21.
Judah: HINT: this is powerful and full as you may imagine of Messianic prophecies. “Judah, you are he whom your brothers will praise: your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, your father’s children will bow before you. 9Judah is a lion’s whelp, from the prey, my son, you are gone up: he stooped down, he crouched like a lion and as an old lion. Who will rouse him up? 10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor a Torah scholar from between his feet, until Shiloh comes: and the gathering of the peoples will be to Him. 11Binding His foal to the vine and His donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed Hs garments in wine and His clothes in the blood of grapes. 12His eyes will be red and His teeth white with milk.” (49:8-12) Let’s unpack:
Verse 9 describes Judah as a lion’s whelp and old lion. And as the Lord created the lion with a mane as the king of the beasts, Y’shua receives the title of the Lion of Judah in Revelation 5:5, “And one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping! Look! He was victorious, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, so He can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Verse 10 the scepter, the Torah scholar and Shiloh. The scepter of course means that the royal leadership of Israel, and eventually all of Creation will always be in the hands of Judah’s descendent, Y’shua.
The Torah scholar means the scholar of His Teachings, which have always come from Him through the Holy Spirit and the term of the scholar not coming from between his feet means that Judah will always stay faithful to the Lord. And although we know that eventually Judah fell into captivity too, the Lord ALWAYS has His remnant!
And Shiloh is a composite of words that mean a gift to him, referring of course to the time when we and all the nations will bring gifts to the King of kings!
Verse 11 the donkey and her foal or colt are symbols of peace and humility, which is why Y’shua rode on one when He entered Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday (see Matthew 21:1-11 and Zechariah 9:9).
And the vine [and the choice vine] would be Y’shua and the Father as One – and the One WE need to stay attached to “I AM the true vine…4you must dwell in Me and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit by itself unless it would remain in the vine, so you could not bear fruit unless you would dwell continuously in Me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches…” John 15:1-5
The reference to wine and the blood of grapes is one in the same and is fulfilled in Revelation 7:14 “These are those who came out of great affliction and they washed their robes and the made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Great affliction making them soaked with the blood of grapes, but being purified, healed and restored by the blood of the Lamb.
And Revelation 19:12-13 “And His eyes are like a flame of fire, and upon His head many crowns. He has a name written which no one knows except Himself, 13and is clothed in a garment dyed in blood, and His name has been called the Word of God.”
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Verse 12 red eyes. Revelation 1:14 “And His head and hair were white as wool, white as snow, and His eyes as flames of fire.” As well as the verse just read above.
Zebulun: “Zebulun will live at the haven of the sea, and he will be for a haven of ships, and his border will be to Zidon.” (49:13) Zidon is now called Sidon and is currently the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean coast and has always been known as a fishing town. However, it would also have been a great city of defense during times of [naval] war.
Now I’m only assuming now, but I would think that Zebulun would have been an excellent source of sea food as well as protection for the nation of Israel throughout the years. His territory is given in Joshua 19:10-16.
Issachar: “Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between the sheepfolds: 15and he saw that rest was good. And the land that was pleasant and bowed his shoulder to bear and became a servant to tribute.” (49:14-15) This is the description of a people who are strong, industrious and hard working. Their borders are set forth in Joshua 19:17-23.
Dan: “Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17Dan will be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path that bites the horses’ heels, so that his rider will fall backward. 18I have waited for Your salvation, LORD.” (49:16-18) Although this sounds like a left-handed compliment at first, it is indeed a very high rating!
It seems that the Tribe of Dan and Gad, Judah of course and as we will see a little later, Benjamin were to be the main defenders of the faith. Dan is described here as subtle and dangerous. Every nation needs an army and these four tribes would make up the bulk of Israel’s. Dan’s territory is seen in Joshua 19:40-51, which ends with, “So they made an end of dividing the country.”
Gad: “Gad, a troop will press upon him, but he will press upon their heel.” (49:19) Gad is also described as a war-like tribe fit for battle. “And of the Gadites, men of might, men of war fit for the battle separated themselves to David in the stronghold in the wilderness who could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions and were as swift as the does upon the mountains…15These were the sons of Gad, captains of the army, one of the least was over a hundred and the greatest over a thousand.” 1st Chronicles 12:9-15
Asher: “Out of Asher his bread will be fat, and he will yield royal dainties.” (49:20) Asher was the exporters for the nation keeping Israel in the international trade route from the very beginning. Their territory is outlined in Joshua 19:24-31.
Naphtali: “Naphtali is a deer let loose. He gives beautiful sayings.” (49:21) Naphtali seemed to be filled with various societal virtues; perhaps the most artistic of the group. Their territory is given in Joshua 19:32-39.
Joseph: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall. 23The archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him, and hated him. 24But his bow abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob; from there he became the shepherd, the stone of Israel: 25even by the God of your father, Who will help you, the Almighty Who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep lying below, blessings of the bosom, and of the womb. 26The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors to the endless boundaries of the everlasting hills. They will be on the head of Joseph and in the crown of his head that was from the exile of his brothers.” (49:22-26)
Joseph was of course blessed beyond compare, being Jacob’s favorite and living a life so obedient to the Lord. His reward was truly great and the geographical inheritance of his two sons are seen in Joshua 16 for Ephraim and Joshua 17:1-2 and 22:1-10 for Manasseh.
Benjamin: “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf: in the morning he will devour the prey and at night he will divide the spoil.” (49:27) Benjamin is described as war-like yet generous. Their territory is listed in Joshua 18:11-28. And it may also be noted that Apostle Paul was a Benjaminite. “…For also I myself am an Israeli, from the seed of Abraham, tribe of Benjamin.” War-like in his fierce battle for the Truth and generous in God’s mercy and grace.
So we now draw Jacob’s life to a close. He ends his speeches with one more plea to be buried with his family “and gathered up his feet into the bed and expired and was gathered to his people.” 49:33b. Jacob is now at peace, but it won’t be long before his family’s troubles will begin! But we must always remember the God in Whom we place our trust. “Is My hand shortened at all, so that it cannot redeem?! Or have I no power to deliver?!” (Isaiah 50:2) The answer to both of those questions dear friends is an emphatic NO!!
SHALOM!!
