The Blessing of Judah - Genesis 49:8-12
This past week my daughter asked me what I was preaching on this week. I said that the topic was “the grace of God.” She asked, “Didn’t you just talk about that?” I affirmed that I did and mentioned that it was a topic that came up rather frequently in the Bible.
There’s a sense in which this is a lesson that we all should take to heart. The theme of God’s grace rings over and over again throughout the pages of scripture. And it is to be a chorus that reverberates within our hearts. God does not want us to forget that He is a gracious God.
For the last several weeks we’ve learned some interesting things from this chapter. There have been many wonderful lessons we have gleaned. We have talked about the chastisements that the three oldest boys have received. But even in the midst of that chastisement, we have seen that there was grace. God’s grace to these undeserving was most specifically highlighted in the fact that each of the tribes which would descend was pictured as being assembled with the Lord at the end of time.
This morning we are going to see the theme of Grace highlighted even more thoroughly. This passage before us is a message about how grace abounds to one who we may call the “chief of sinners” when it comes to the children of Jacob.
And as we study this pronouncement over Judah, we will see how grace abounds to us too.
I. THE SURPRISE OF THE BLESSING
Now imagine the scene. Reuben has just been made a mockery of in front of the whole entourage that is gathered here. The brothers, the Egyptian courtiers, and whoever else may have been in attendance—all of them hear of the thing he had done and are probably just as aghast as Jacob was. If ever there was a moment where you wanted to shrink down to the status of a fly and run away, this was probably it. Jacob makes no bones about his sin.
Then you turn to Simeon and Levi. Their sin was much more public. It’s likely everyone already knew about it. But that doesn’t stop Jacob from hashing it all out. What Reuben has in shame, Simeon and Levi have in condemnation. Jacob likely shakes his finger at them, points at their swords, and publicly calls down what amounts to be an imprecation upon them.
Then Jacob’s head turns to Judah. If you were in Judah’s shoes, what would you think your father would say to you? I’d bet that Judah probably prepared himself for the worst. Not only is there precedent—the three older brothers had just been shot down. But Judah knew all too well what his own record held.
Some of you may remember the chapter we looked at which was devoted specifically to Judah. In Genesis 38 we got to see a day and the life of Judah and we notice that his life was not quite up to snuff, to say the least. Judah committed a series of mistakes—may I say a series of serious mistakes! And at the time we studied that passage we said that they would likely have been considered capital offenses. They were worthy of the death penalty.
But none of those things were expressly against Jacob, right? You can perhaps argue that they were indirectly related to Jacob, but they were not specifically a direct offense to his father.
But let’s not forget that it was Judah who was one of the main conspirators against Joseph. Judah was the one who came up with the idea to sell Joseph down into Egypt. It was Judah, the entrepreneur, who put the price tag on Joseph’s sleeve and hailed the Ishmaelites to see if they wanted to buy and trade.
So you can imagine Judah bracing himself for the worst. However, what he hears are words of blessing. You can probably see in your mind the shock on his face. He probably does a double take.
This, my friends, is grace.
Now there are a number of commentators who say that Judah got the blessing because he was the most worthy. He had a sharp mind for business, he was responsible, he always got the job done. He’s of course the best leader. I don’t know that that’s the case though.
Earlier in our study we did see Judah demonstrate some worthy qualities. He took the leadership in addressing Joseph when his brothers were in trouble. He was willing to give himself sacrificially. He even shows a degree of repentance.
But What I see here is that this man gets what he doesn’t deserve. He is blessed, when he should have been cut out of the picture.
And the surprising thing is that God continues to shock people in the same way today. One of the mind boggling things about God is that he’s even willing to bless the likes of you and me, sinners that we are.
If you think about it, we’re in just the same place that Judah was. If God were to appear here today, what would your reaction be? If you saw him throwing the myriads of people into hell because of they were people who were liars, blasphemers, and thieves. Here’s an angry man, and he’s flung into the pit. There’s a person who is infatuated with the things of this world—he’s greedy and selfish, and then he’s sent into the eternal abyss.
One by one God works his way through the line of men. The books detail every infraction of God’s law. His eyes burn with fire against each one.
It is only a matter of time before you are the next. The line has dwindled down. What would your assumption be about your own fate? When weighed in the balance, would there be any reason to assume that you’d not come to be damned?
The shock is that he doesn’t treat you as your sins deserve. As a matter of fact, instead of sending the gavel down in judgment upon you, he gets off his bench. He comes down and puts a robe on your back, a ring on your finger. He takes you home to his own domicile and throws a grand feast on your behalf.
While you were dead in your trespasses and sins, he saved you. It was not of works; by grace you have been saved, through faith.
If you really are shocked that God would in anyway look with favor upon you, then you really understand the basic message of the gospel. Grace is, by its nature, a shock.
That’s certainly the first thing we glean from this passage. That God is a gracious God, just as much as he is a righteous and wise God.
But let’s consider the actual content of the blessing.
II. THE SUBSTANCE OF THE BLESSING:
This blessing contains three basic items. There are three blessings contained within this utterance. Jacob talks about the prestige, power, and prosperity that will be Judah’s
A. Prestige
In verse 8 Jacob says that all the other brothers will praise him and bow down to them. And his standing will not be limited to just family members. It says that his hand will be on the neck of his enemies.”
Years ago I was given a book on how to train a dog. One of the first lessons that it gave was teaching you about the nature of a dog. Dogs, like a lot of other animals, like to establish their ground and be the Alpha dog. And this manual said that when you get a new dog, you have to challenge it to show who is the Alpha dog in the house. You literally have to have wrestling matches with it over the course of a few days and pin that dog down.
And they describe how dogs typically fight. Sometimes when you see them playing or going at it they are trying to wrap their mouths around the neck of the other dog. Or, if they knock the dog down, they will put their mouth over the weaker dog’s neck. And that’s how they determine who the alpha dog is. And that’s what they recommended to new masters. You should pin the dog down, press your hand down upon their neck. They even recommended saying in gruff bark like noises, “I’M THE MASTER!”
But they said that if you do that a couple of times, the dog will figure out its place. He will, from that time on, recognize you to be the alpha dog and revere you as such.
That’s essentially what this is saying here. Judah would come to have prestige as he brings his enemies into subjection.
From this point on if you read through the Scriptures, you will find that Judah comes to have a place of prominence within the tribes. It is most expressly found in the leadership of King David. The tribes united around him, and reverence him by giving him the crown. And the enemy territories are subjugated and made to pay tribute to him.
So Judah will become preeminent among the tribes. But with this prestige Jacob also bestows power.
B. Power
There’s a sense in which power is part and parcel with his prestige. But verses 9-10 very much highlight the fact that the tribe of Judah will have a significantly greater authority and dominion than the other tribes.
Jacob describes Judah as a lion. And of course, the lion is the king of the jungle because he is that mighty beast. And some of that might is laid forth here when he says that he goes up from the prey. He walks away from the carcass that he has just hunted down and ripped from the heard.
It is interesting that when the Israelites come up out of Israel and enter the promised land, it is Judah who is the first tribe that goes up to do battle against the Canaanites. That’s expressive of the tribe’s power and military prowess.
Jacob also uses the image of a scepter. He says, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet.” That’s an obvious reference to the kingly office, which is eventually expressed in David and his dynasty.
We mentioned last week how the tribe of Simeon was essentially swallowed up by the tribe of Judah. Judah’s territory was quite large and Simeon’s territory was nestled right in the belly of Judah’s land allotment, one may say. What’s also of note is that the tribe of Benjamin also eventually aligns with Judah. When the nation split into the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom, Benjamin sticks with Judah. All the other tribes end up going off and creating the northern kingdom of Israel.
But that these two tribes essentially amalgamate into the southern kingdom and become one with Judah, that shows something of the clout that Judah would have.
C. Prosperity
The last two verses talk about the prosperity that Judah will enjoy. You’ll see that it talks about the choice vine and washing his clothes in wine. You might wonder, who’d want to do that? Wouldn’t that stain the clothes that you’re trying to get clean!
But the idea is that grapes are going to be so prevalent, that it will be easy to make wine. You’re going to have so much wine that it is going to be more easily accessible than water. Not only will he have economic boom, but he will have joy and dignity in great abundance. That’s what verse 12 means when it talks about his eyes being darker than wine and his teeth being as white as milk. He’s got a big toothy smile, so to speak. There is happiness with the wine; there’s a sparkle in his eye so to speak.
Of course, this is most expressly seen in the time of Solomon. The Bible records for us the incredible prosperity that came into the land during that time. You can read about all the gold and silver that flooded Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles actually says that gold and silver were as common as stones. That’s how much cash was flowing into the city. You could pave your street with it.
One thing that you understand is that God lavishes upon Judah so much. You might say, Come thou Fount of Every Blessing!
Keep in mind that this is how God treats all sinners who turn to him. He will by no means cast them out. But instead, he lavishes blessings upon them – blessings they do not deserve. They recieve prestige: they are made co-heirs with Christ. They are given power – they are able to judge angels and to rule. They are made prosperous in that they have eternal life and all eternity to build wealth as they live with God in the New Heavens and New Earth.
I don’t have time here to detail all the benefits of the Lord’s grace. But should not be overlooked: He deals bountifully with those who he saves. His grace is not only excessive to save, but it is lavish in that bestows so much more.
We’ve seen the shock and the content of this pronouncement. Let’s finish by considering the satisfaction of it.
III. THE SATISFACTION
I mentioned in previous messages that this is not just a last will and testament. It is a prophetic utterance. Jacob is speaking about what is to occur in the days to come. And this pronouncement over Judah, not only relates to his clan, but it has a greater fulfilment. There are words here that find their ultimate meaning in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The first way is that it has to do with the Kingly Rule of Christ. From Judah would come David, and from David would come Jesus. And it is Jesus who holds the scepter and rules over all His people. And in the book of Revelation he is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is the only one who has the ultimate power to remove the seals on the scroll. It is a testimony that he is the Sovereign one who has power over even history itself.
With the removal of each seal there is great calamity. War, famine, death, earthquakes, and conflict. It is a reminder that the Lord is in control of all forms of judgement and suffering. And the devastation that falls upon the earth is an expression of His laying his hands upon the necks of his enemies, subduing them and bringing them to naught.
The second way you find Christ being referred to in this passage is in the middle of verse 10. The ESV says that the “scepter will not depart from Judah… until tribute comes to him.” The KJV says, “Until Shiloh come.” And the Jews throughout history have seen this as a reference to the Messiah who was to come.
There’s a little discrepancy as to what exactly ‘Shiloh’ means. That’s why the ESV has it the way it does. But the point here is that Judah would be a preeminent tribe until the Messiah would come. Then, once he came to power, the dominance of the tribe would diminish and the peoples all across the globe would begin to come to be gathered to this new leader and give him obedience. And that is exactly what has happened. After Christ came and ascended to his heavenly throne, the dominion of the Jewish race has been diminished. They lost their temple in 70 AD. The Sadducees, that leading priestly clan, faded from existence. The Jews continue as a people, of course. But something of their influence as a people is not as tantamount as it once was.
But the rule of Christ has only broadened. The dominion of Christ has gone out over across every sea and territory. His kingdom has become a world wide kingdom. We who are here gathered today are a testimony to the fact that Shiloh has come and to him the obedience of the people is being given.
There is a third reference to Christ in this passage though. And that is found in verse 11. We said earlier that verse 11 alludes to a time when wine is so excessive that people find it easier to wash their clothes in it, rather than to draw water.
Many commentators have seen a link here to the first miracle Jesus performed. He was at a wedding in Cana and during the feast, they ran out of wine. It was a complete embarrassment for the host and for the new couple. There were six giant jugs full of water sitting there, each one able to hold 20-30 gallon . They were supposed to be used for purification purposes, maybe hand washing or something like that. Jesus had some taken to the head of the banquet. Along the way that water was turned into wine. All of a sudden you have 150-200 gallons of some of the best known wine ready to be consumed. That would be like 1000 bottles of wine, much, much more than what would have been necessary for a party of this size.
Jesus’ first miracle was a testimony to the world that Shiloh had come. That the time of great prosperity and joy and redemption had appeared. And the excess of wine was indicative of the grace he came to give. His kingdom would be a kingdom of grace. It would be a kingdom wherein sinners were invited to leave off their wicked ways and come be a part.
Today, if you would be in need of grace, I pray that you would be shocked by it and stirred to receive the precious gift.
There’s a sense in which this is a lesson that we all should take to heart. The theme of God’s grace rings over and over again throughout the pages of scripture. And it is to be a chorus that reverberates within our hearts. God does not want us to forget that He is a gracious God.
For the last several weeks we’ve learned some interesting things from this chapter. There have been many wonderful lessons we have gleaned. We have talked about the chastisements that the three oldest boys have received. But even in the midst of that chastisement, we have seen that there was grace. God’s grace to these undeserving was most specifically highlighted in the fact that each of the tribes which would descend was pictured as being assembled with the Lord at the end of time.
This morning we are going to see the theme of Grace highlighted even more thoroughly. This passage before us is a message about how grace abounds to one who we may call the “chief of sinners” when it comes to the children of Jacob.
And as we study this pronouncement over Judah, we will see how grace abounds to us too.
I. THE SURPRISE OF THE BLESSING
Now imagine the scene. Reuben has just been made a mockery of in front of the whole entourage that is gathered here. The brothers, the Egyptian courtiers, and whoever else may have been in attendance—all of them hear of the thing he had done and are probably just as aghast as Jacob was. If ever there was a moment where you wanted to shrink down to the status of a fly and run away, this was probably it. Jacob makes no bones about his sin.
Then you turn to Simeon and Levi. Their sin was much more public. It’s likely everyone already knew about it. But that doesn’t stop Jacob from hashing it all out. What Reuben has in shame, Simeon and Levi have in condemnation. Jacob likely shakes his finger at them, points at their swords, and publicly calls down what amounts to be an imprecation upon them.
Then Jacob’s head turns to Judah. If you were in Judah’s shoes, what would you think your father would say to you? I’d bet that Judah probably prepared himself for the worst. Not only is there precedent—the three older brothers had just been shot down. But Judah knew all too well what his own record held.
Some of you may remember the chapter we looked at which was devoted specifically to Judah. In Genesis 38 we got to see a day and the life of Judah and we notice that his life was not quite up to snuff, to say the least. Judah committed a series of mistakes—may I say a series of serious mistakes! And at the time we studied that passage we said that they would likely have been considered capital offenses. They were worthy of the death penalty.
But none of those things were expressly against Jacob, right? You can perhaps argue that they were indirectly related to Jacob, but they were not specifically a direct offense to his father.
But let’s not forget that it was Judah who was one of the main conspirators against Joseph. Judah was the one who came up with the idea to sell Joseph down into Egypt. It was Judah, the entrepreneur, who put the price tag on Joseph’s sleeve and hailed the Ishmaelites to see if they wanted to buy and trade.
So you can imagine Judah bracing himself for the worst. However, what he hears are words of blessing. You can probably see in your mind the shock on his face. He probably does a double take.
This, my friends, is grace.
Now there are a number of commentators who say that Judah got the blessing because he was the most worthy. He had a sharp mind for business, he was responsible, he always got the job done. He’s of course the best leader. I don’t know that that’s the case though.
Earlier in our study we did see Judah demonstrate some worthy qualities. He took the leadership in addressing Joseph when his brothers were in trouble. He was willing to give himself sacrificially. He even shows a degree of repentance.
But What I see here is that this man gets what he doesn’t deserve. He is blessed, when he should have been cut out of the picture.
And the surprising thing is that God continues to shock people in the same way today. One of the mind boggling things about God is that he’s even willing to bless the likes of you and me, sinners that we are.
If you think about it, we’re in just the same place that Judah was. If God were to appear here today, what would your reaction be? If you saw him throwing the myriads of people into hell because of they were people who were liars, blasphemers, and thieves. Here’s an angry man, and he’s flung into the pit. There’s a person who is infatuated with the things of this world—he’s greedy and selfish, and then he’s sent into the eternal abyss.
One by one God works his way through the line of men. The books detail every infraction of God’s law. His eyes burn with fire against each one.
It is only a matter of time before you are the next. The line has dwindled down. What would your assumption be about your own fate? When weighed in the balance, would there be any reason to assume that you’d not come to be damned?
The shock is that he doesn’t treat you as your sins deserve. As a matter of fact, instead of sending the gavel down in judgment upon you, he gets off his bench. He comes down and puts a robe on your back, a ring on your finger. He takes you home to his own domicile and throws a grand feast on your behalf.
While you were dead in your trespasses and sins, he saved you. It was not of works; by grace you have been saved, through faith.
If you really are shocked that God would in anyway look with favor upon you, then you really understand the basic message of the gospel. Grace is, by its nature, a shock.
That’s certainly the first thing we glean from this passage. That God is a gracious God, just as much as he is a righteous and wise God.
But let’s consider the actual content of the blessing.
II. THE SUBSTANCE OF THE BLESSING:
This blessing contains three basic items. There are three blessings contained within this utterance. Jacob talks about the prestige, power, and prosperity that will be Judah’s
A. Prestige
In verse 8 Jacob says that all the other brothers will praise him and bow down to them. And his standing will not be limited to just family members. It says that his hand will be on the neck of his enemies.”
Years ago I was given a book on how to train a dog. One of the first lessons that it gave was teaching you about the nature of a dog. Dogs, like a lot of other animals, like to establish their ground and be the Alpha dog. And this manual said that when you get a new dog, you have to challenge it to show who is the Alpha dog in the house. You literally have to have wrestling matches with it over the course of a few days and pin that dog down.
And they describe how dogs typically fight. Sometimes when you see them playing or going at it they are trying to wrap their mouths around the neck of the other dog. Or, if they knock the dog down, they will put their mouth over the weaker dog’s neck. And that’s how they determine who the alpha dog is. And that’s what they recommended to new masters. You should pin the dog down, press your hand down upon their neck. They even recommended saying in gruff bark like noises, “I’M THE MASTER!”
But they said that if you do that a couple of times, the dog will figure out its place. He will, from that time on, recognize you to be the alpha dog and revere you as such.
That’s essentially what this is saying here. Judah would come to have prestige as he brings his enemies into subjection.
From this point on if you read through the Scriptures, you will find that Judah comes to have a place of prominence within the tribes. It is most expressly found in the leadership of King David. The tribes united around him, and reverence him by giving him the crown. And the enemy territories are subjugated and made to pay tribute to him.
So Judah will become preeminent among the tribes. But with this prestige Jacob also bestows power.
B. Power
There’s a sense in which power is part and parcel with his prestige. But verses 9-10 very much highlight the fact that the tribe of Judah will have a significantly greater authority and dominion than the other tribes.
Jacob describes Judah as a lion. And of course, the lion is the king of the jungle because he is that mighty beast. And some of that might is laid forth here when he says that he goes up from the prey. He walks away from the carcass that he has just hunted down and ripped from the heard.
It is interesting that when the Israelites come up out of Israel and enter the promised land, it is Judah who is the first tribe that goes up to do battle against the Canaanites. That’s expressive of the tribe’s power and military prowess.
Jacob also uses the image of a scepter. He says, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet.” That’s an obvious reference to the kingly office, which is eventually expressed in David and his dynasty.
We mentioned last week how the tribe of Simeon was essentially swallowed up by the tribe of Judah. Judah’s territory was quite large and Simeon’s territory was nestled right in the belly of Judah’s land allotment, one may say. What’s also of note is that the tribe of Benjamin also eventually aligns with Judah. When the nation split into the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom, Benjamin sticks with Judah. All the other tribes end up going off and creating the northern kingdom of Israel.
But that these two tribes essentially amalgamate into the southern kingdom and become one with Judah, that shows something of the clout that Judah would have.
C. Prosperity
The last two verses talk about the prosperity that Judah will enjoy. You’ll see that it talks about the choice vine and washing his clothes in wine. You might wonder, who’d want to do that? Wouldn’t that stain the clothes that you’re trying to get clean!
But the idea is that grapes are going to be so prevalent, that it will be easy to make wine. You’re going to have so much wine that it is going to be more easily accessible than water. Not only will he have economic boom, but he will have joy and dignity in great abundance. That’s what verse 12 means when it talks about his eyes being darker than wine and his teeth being as white as milk. He’s got a big toothy smile, so to speak. There is happiness with the wine; there’s a sparkle in his eye so to speak.
Of course, this is most expressly seen in the time of Solomon. The Bible records for us the incredible prosperity that came into the land during that time. You can read about all the gold and silver that flooded Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles actually says that gold and silver were as common as stones. That’s how much cash was flowing into the city. You could pave your street with it.
One thing that you understand is that God lavishes upon Judah so much. You might say, Come thou Fount of Every Blessing!
Keep in mind that this is how God treats all sinners who turn to him. He will by no means cast them out. But instead, he lavishes blessings upon them – blessings they do not deserve. They recieve prestige: they are made co-heirs with Christ. They are given power – they are able to judge angels and to rule. They are made prosperous in that they have eternal life and all eternity to build wealth as they live with God in the New Heavens and New Earth.
I don’t have time here to detail all the benefits of the Lord’s grace. But should not be overlooked: He deals bountifully with those who he saves. His grace is not only excessive to save, but it is lavish in that bestows so much more.
We’ve seen the shock and the content of this pronouncement. Let’s finish by considering the satisfaction of it.
III. THE SATISFACTION
I mentioned in previous messages that this is not just a last will and testament. It is a prophetic utterance. Jacob is speaking about what is to occur in the days to come. And this pronouncement over Judah, not only relates to his clan, but it has a greater fulfilment. There are words here that find their ultimate meaning in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The first way is that it has to do with the Kingly Rule of Christ. From Judah would come David, and from David would come Jesus. And it is Jesus who holds the scepter and rules over all His people. And in the book of Revelation he is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is the only one who has the ultimate power to remove the seals on the scroll. It is a testimony that he is the Sovereign one who has power over even history itself.
With the removal of each seal there is great calamity. War, famine, death, earthquakes, and conflict. It is a reminder that the Lord is in control of all forms of judgement and suffering. And the devastation that falls upon the earth is an expression of His laying his hands upon the necks of his enemies, subduing them and bringing them to naught.
The second way you find Christ being referred to in this passage is in the middle of verse 10. The ESV says that the “scepter will not depart from Judah… until tribute comes to him.” The KJV says, “Until Shiloh come.” And the Jews throughout history have seen this as a reference to the Messiah who was to come.
There’s a little discrepancy as to what exactly ‘Shiloh’ means. That’s why the ESV has it the way it does. But the point here is that Judah would be a preeminent tribe until the Messiah would come. Then, once he came to power, the dominance of the tribe would diminish and the peoples all across the globe would begin to come to be gathered to this new leader and give him obedience. And that is exactly what has happened. After Christ came and ascended to his heavenly throne, the dominion of the Jewish race has been diminished. They lost their temple in 70 AD. The Sadducees, that leading priestly clan, faded from existence. The Jews continue as a people, of course. But something of their influence as a people is not as tantamount as it once was.
But the rule of Christ has only broadened. The dominion of Christ has gone out over across every sea and territory. His kingdom has become a world wide kingdom. We who are here gathered today are a testimony to the fact that Shiloh has come and to him the obedience of the people is being given.
There is a third reference to Christ in this passage though. And that is found in verse 11. We said earlier that verse 11 alludes to a time when wine is so excessive that people find it easier to wash their clothes in it, rather than to draw water.
Many commentators have seen a link here to the first miracle Jesus performed. He was at a wedding in Cana and during the feast, they ran out of wine. It was a complete embarrassment for the host and for the new couple. There were six giant jugs full of water sitting there, each one able to hold 20-30 gallon . They were supposed to be used for purification purposes, maybe hand washing or something like that. Jesus had some taken to the head of the banquet. Along the way that water was turned into wine. All of a sudden you have 150-200 gallons of some of the best known wine ready to be consumed. That would be like 1000 bottles of wine, much, much more than what would have been necessary for a party of this size.
Jesus’ first miracle was a testimony to the world that Shiloh had come. That the time of great prosperity and joy and redemption had appeared. And the excess of wine was indicative of the grace he came to give. His kingdom would be a kingdom of grace. It would be a kingdom wherein sinners were invited to leave off their wicked ways and come be a part.
Today, if you would be in need of grace, I pray that you would be shocked by it and stirred to receive the precious gift.