GENESIS 49 THE PROPHECIES OF JACOB The thoughts of Jacob about each of his sons must have come from God who knows the heart of every person. He also knows what is going to happen to each person in the future because He holds the future in His hand. In this chapter the focus is on Jacob as his sons gather to hear his final words. Jacob’s blessings were really more like prophecies about the destiny of each of the tribes although some of what was said is kind of obscure.
A lesson for us from the blessings/prophecies of this chapter is that what we do today can have a lasting effect on our future. The choices we make and the attitude we have toward God, others and ourselves, have consequences that we cannot avoid. We do have the power to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. It is important for young people to learn early in life, how to control their thoughts and practice righteous conduct. The training of children and the guidance and advice we give as they get older, is in view of them living a full and purposeful life for the Lord. Good or bad habits have consequences in how we live, how we speak and how we think. These are what we live and die with.
This chapter also closes the time of the patriarchs as the prophecies of Jacob look ahead to the nation that was going to come from the twelve tribes of Israel. It was a very important occasion as Jacob called them together and gave foresight into the future. Their conduct and practice in their past affected the future of their children and the generations that followed. We do reap what we sow.
The Certainty. Halfway between the time of God’s promise of the Savior coming from the seed of Abraham, to the time Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, was when Jacob’s prophecies were given. In Egypt at the start of a four-hundred-year stay, these appropriate words of truth based on the character traits of Jacob’s sons, were openly stated.
The Accuracy. Reuben’s descendants were characterized by his indecision and instability. The treachery of Simeon and Levi was evident by the anger, cruelty and violence that they held with religious zeal. Evil done in the name of good is not good. Judah was given the right of leadership that Reuben, Simeon and Levi who were older than he, could not give. From the seed of Judah came our Lord Jesus Christ who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Sovereignty is associated with Judah. To serve as a ruler is to lead, and to lead is to bless those who follow. The dominion and rule of our Lord will fulfill all the promises of God to the patriarchs.
Characteristic of Zebulun whose tribe settled near the Mediterranean Sea, was opportunity. They were able to take from the bounty of the sea and profit from it. Opportunity comes in one way or another to all of us. Those who are wise will seize opportunities when they arise. Issachar yielded to a life of servitude because of timidity. He was content to bear burdens for others rather than take initiative himself and the exertion that commitment calls for. It is easy to be content with a quiet life free from responsibility. In that way everything that goes wrong is someone else’s fault. If something is good, that person can say, “Good for them. Just leave me alone.” That attitude does not promote what is right and true.
The subtilty of Dan was that of a shrewd troublemaker. Cunning deception has all the characteristics of “that old serpent, the devil.” Spiritual cunning on the part of those who purpose is to deceive, is about as low as one can get. Gad had setbacks but overcame obstacles even when pressures and having to endure hardships. Victory comes to those who are faithful and persevere. The name, Asher means “blessed.” Real blessing is intended to be used for service and to bring blessing to others. Hopefully, through them blessing will continue to expand. Naphtali seemed to emphasize the need of significant activity. Active participation in meaningful activity leads to a happy, safe and interesting life. It is good to be “zealous of good works.”
Joseph was characterized by fruitfulness in his life that was like a tree whose branches extend beyond normal boundaries. That spiritual fruit will benefit many beyond our scope of activity and will give spiritual direction to others we may never know. A life of spiritual direction and commitment to the Lord, will enable us to bear fruit for our Lord that will remain. Eternal life as a gift from God will bring praise and glory to Him and blessings to all who accept that gift. Branches that “go over the wall,” provides benefits for those who pass by and reach out on their own to take what they see is there before them.
Benjamin appears to have been considered a fighter who needed to have the ability and agility to deal with any task or opposition that may come. We need to “be ready” to give an account of the hope that is in us, and to testify to the grace of God that we have personally experienced.
All of these character-traits suggest to us the necessity of making sure our ability and power come from God, not the flesh. An overpowering personality, or an acquiescent personality has to be changed to suit the calling God gives us. Character makes the person, and our Lord makes the character we have.
LAST WORDS If we are near our loved ones when they pass away, we often remember their final words. Jacob’s final words as he went over each one of his sons’ names, would have made some of them concerned and perplexed, and others of them relieved. Jacob’s affection for each one of them hadn’t changed, but he was wise enough to know that what he saw in them was a character trait.
At the closing scene of Jacob’s life when he gave his final counsel, his last blessing and his last charge to his sons, he pulled his feet up into his bed and died. He had been able to retain the strength to do what he had to do. Then he released his strong will to the Lord and he left his body. There will always be felt loss when loved ones pass away. The feelings of love that has developed over the years between husband and wife, and parents and children, doesn’t go away. Sorrows and conflicts, blessings and happy events we have shared in life, put an indelible print on our minds. Our emotions don’t leave us when a loved one passes away. Those emotions remain and have to be dealt with and lived with. By cherishing our memories and filling our lives with other meaningful things and people, those blank spots are not the center of our minds. Blank spots can’t be filled with something different but when we make room for other things and people, those empty places don’t have the same power to control us.
After Jacob was gone, the mourning time went on for a long time. His sons carried out his commands to bury him in Canaan with his fathers. Even though the famine had long since passed, the sons of Jacob returned to Egypt instead of staying in the land of promise. God was not finished with the training necessary to make of them a nation, and other generations that followed had to learn who God was and who they were. Training time in a believer’s life goes on every day. Things we have learned and taught, will hopefully be taught by those who are the next generation, to the one following them.
Any training takes time. Spiritual training is no exception. We can study, pass exams, have a diploma in some field of endeavor, and still not be ready for the service of the Lord. The power of faith has to be evident. When one’s mind and heart are occupied with God, His grace, His promises and His will, God can begin to use us. We will be able to pass on to others, not just information we have learned, but the benefit of experience when we practice what we have learned. In that way our faith is a reality that is able to be seen by those who will learn from us.
There is a unique glory in love that can settle disputes, despair, disappointments and discouragement. When a person leaves us, they are “gathered to his people.” There is the expectation of a reunion with those who have gone before us. Recognition is implied when we read of those who the Lord takes home to heaven. Revelation of what has been hidden from us, is an inspiration to look forward in hope. The grave is just an outpost to remind others that “the grave is not the goal.” The resurrection of our bodies is coming, and that fact transforms our lives now, so that we are motivated to live in view of our life after death.