Peter Barnes: Genesis 49:8-12
SERMON NOTES: LAST WORDS OF JACOB THE PROPHET (Genesis 49:8-12)
Jacob speaks as a prophet (49:1-2). Behind this prophecy is God Himself – 49:18, 24-26. He saves, He is mighty, He is the Shepherd of Israel, the Stone of Israel, He will help and bless His people.
- Judah will be exalted in victory.
– 49:8. There is a word play here which goes back to when Leah named her baby boy in Genesis 29:35. By New Testament times it was virtually only Judah that was left standing, with a small contribution from Benjamin. The term ‘Jew’ comes from ‘Judah’.
– Isa.9:6-7. David is from Judah, and His government will increase without end.
- The king will come from Judah.
– 49:9-10. Here are shepherds in a land which despises shepherds, and Judah is said to be the lion, the king of beasts. Judah owned a shepherd’s crook, not a king’s sceptre!
– the kingship will not depart from Judah ‘until he comes to whom it belongs’ (NIV) or ‘until Shiloh comes’ (NKJV) or ‘until tribute comes to him’ (ESV).
– Ezek.21:27; Rev.5:5. The lineage of Judah shall be a kingly one and shall remain until one comes to whom the kingship belongs. The fact that it is plural – ‘peoples’ – must mean that he is not referring just to Israel but to the Gentile nations.
- His kingdom will usher in abundance.
– 49:11-12. This is a picture of great abundance and prosperity. One does not usually tie one’s donkey next to the vine where the animal can eat the crop. John 2:1-11; 10:10.