Jan's Bible NotesGENESIS 49
1-2 Jacob’s prophetic deathbed remarks to each son.
3-4 Does Reuben receive the preeminence that the firstborn usually receives? Why not? He forfeited his position. We saw that he was not the leader of the band of brothers. Does God always choose and use the person who appears to be the best bet, humanly speaking? Rather than appearances, or human qualifications, what does God look at?
5-7 Simeon and Levi are the next oldest, but do they receive great honor? What incident is Jacob referring to, 34:25-31? We will see later that God sometimes commands the Israelites to slaughter whole peoples as they struggle to conquer the land God gave them, but here we see that what they did was wrong--vengeance and acting apart from God's revealed will. Jacob did not appear to do or say much about it at the time, but here we see that he was disgusted by it, enough to penalize both sons as to their future roles and inheritance. A principle taught throughout the Bible, for both believers and unbelievers, is that you reap what you sow.
8-9 The fourth brother, Judah, receives the preeminence. Rev. 5:5 refers to Jesus, the Messiah, in what terms?
10 Why is this verse important? Shiloh has been rendered, "peace/rest," also, "whose it is," "to whom it belongs" (“it” being the scepter, the crown). Who alone will bring peace and rest? What do the scepter and crown imply? Who will have the obedience of all the peoples? Phil. 2:10. Ez. 21:27, when the throne was taken from Zedekiah, it was prophesied that there would be no one else in the line of David to sit on the throne until the Messiah comes. As we go through the Old Testament, we will not only be following Israel, but will be watching what happens in this particular line. God promised Adam and Eve a deliverer; He promised Abraham that He would come from his descendants, through the line of Isaac, not Ishmael; through Jacob, not Esau; and now, through Judah's line. We have seen much spiritual growth in Judah, from the days when he participated in the plot to get rid of Joseph, through the loss of two of his sons who were displeasing to the Lord and how that must have affected him, and to the resulting incident with Tamar where his hypocritical heart was revealed to himself and others. We are not given many details, but as we see Judah before Joseph in Egypt, it appears that over the years, he has been dealing with Self, with the old nature, and has developed a real humility and maturity. Isn't this how God works in our lives? Over time, through trials and errors? But don't we struggle with impatience, wanting instant change (which seldom happens) and instant blessing?
11-12 What is the significance of the vine? Compare Hosea 9:10, 10:1--a commonly used Bible symbol for Israel, as is the fig tree, Hosea 9:10. What does the mention of the donkey's colt remind us of, Mt. 21:1-5? Compare the reference to wine and blood to Is. 63:2. Wine and milk speak of abundance--a poetic way of describing the land of Israel, the land of milk and honey. When will the Messiah rule? According to Rev. 20:4,6, the thousand-year reign of God's kingdom on earth will follow Christ's return to earth (Rev. 19:1-16) at the end of the seven years of tribulation (Rev.6-18). The kingdom will be characterized by abundance; it will be the golden age, Jer. 31:10-14.
13-21 Jacob speaks of the other brothers.
22-26 Jacob has the most to say about Joseph, yet he is not the chosen line. Ephraim means "fruitful." What does Jacob mean by archers attacking him? 24, what commonly used Bible symbols are used here? How does Jacob refer to God in 25? Reading between the lines, what can we learn here about Jacob's faith, his life, his present walk with God? Are there things we don't learn about God until after we have walked with Him for many years? If older, more mature believers share those insights with the younger generation, might they learn things about God that they might otherwise only learn the hard way?
27 Jacob addresses Benjamin, the youngest son.
28-32 What does Jacob want? He chooses not to be buried with his favorite wife, for she was not buried in the family burial site. Here we see his priorities. Why would he care where he is buried? Why in Canaan, why with his fathers? What did God promise Abraham in 12:1-3? How long would they have this land, 13:15, 17:8? God said repeatedly that they were to live there, to return there. What will happen in the future, as Daniel is told in Dan. 12:13? Compare Ez. 37, Rom. 11:29.
33 Jacob dies. Jacob had many faults, but he understood and desired God’s blessing, passed that legacy on to his sons, and he grew in faith throughout his life. The stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his sons show how God works in the lives of real people--people with plenty of faults and problems--in marriages and families, over several generations as the knowledge of God is passed down--sometimes effectively, sometimes not so effectively. We can see how some faults and strengths are passed down through families, whether by inheritance, teaching, or example. We can learn from them through both positive and negative examples of family dynamics and spiritual journeys. Family relationships can be stressful, but we see that God is always at work, even though His working may not be seen or understood at the time. We are to have faith that He is in control, we are to obey even in difficult circumstances, and we are to conduct ourselves within the family circle in a way that is honoring to God.
Copyright 2005 Jan Young