Well, hello everyone, and welcome back. This is our Daily Devotional for Tuesday, May the 6th, 2025, and I am delighted to be back with you today, and I hope that it finds all of you doing very well and making your way through this wonderful spring week. Beautiful, beautiful day yesterday, however, Little bit chilly in the valley here. I don't think it made it to 70 degrees all day. Anyway, y'all, it's a wonderful thing to be with you as we really are getting close here. Do you realize that? We're getting really, really close to the end of the book of Genesis, and that poses a quandary for me. All sorts of things, but we'll have to see how the Lord works that out because our summer break is right around the corner. So pray for me as I try to figure out where to go next. I will say this, I'm going to be out of town all next week, so no daily devotionals next week. We may take our summer break early for that matter. And I know I think I said this last week. Some of you have said, oh, you know, don't really look forward to the summer break. And my response is, listen, you need me to take this summer break. Okay. You really, really need me to, because this is not a small amount of work. I love doing this. I'm delighted to do this. However, It takes a lot of time, and so I need a little bit of refreshment and a little bit of a break from these things. But nevertheless, that has nothing to do today with Genesis chapter 49, which is where we are picking up. Before we start, do you remember what happened yesterday? Jacob blessed Joseph's sons, okay? And he said that he was gonna treat those sons as his own. They comprised two of the tribes of Israel, and we're gonna talk a little bit about that today. It's fascinating, these whole 12 tribes. Is there 12? Is there 13? What happens there? Why is it called the 12 tribes of Israel? We're going to talk about all of this stuff. But nevertheless, what we saw yesterday was also a picture of God's grace, right? Where Jacob crosses his hands and he blesses Joseph's younger son over his firstborn son. And Joseph tries to correct him, but Jacob shows us really points us to who God is in that when it comes to grace and when it comes to blessing, there is no such thing as our earning anything, even by virtue of birthright. So nevertheless, beautiful picture of God and his mercy. And today we continue on as Jacob continues to bless his other sons. Now remember yesterday, he blessed Joseph through Manasseh and Ephraim. Okay. So he's given Joseph his blessing, but we're going to get to the other sons today. And what we find is fascinating. Oh, how it bore itself out throughout history, but nevertheless, let's pray. And then we will dig in our God and our father. Would you be with us now, as we come to this section that so many people skip over, they I think it might be interesting, but it has no bearing, and we know from history that's just not the case. So, please give us wisdom, give us understanding as we come to your word, and we pray it all in Jesus' name, amen. All right, so Genesis chapter 49, remember what's going on. Jacob is close to death. He's on his deathbed. Joseph comes to see him with his two sons, and as we read yesterday, Jacob rallied himself, right? He got himself up in order to offer this blessing. He saved his strength for this, and now his other sons. Genesis chapter 49, it says, then Jacob called for his sons and said, gather around, so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come." Now, y'all, you can make out of this whatever you want to, but this is prophecy, okay? It's pure and simple. Is Jacob known as a prophet? No. Is he God's chosen man? Yes, and never count out the fact that when God chooses somebody throughout the Old Testament, there is the potential that he's gonna say something prophetic. And that's what this is, but it's an odd combination of prophetic on the one hand, blessing on the other hand, and what is this mystery of conveying grace, not conveying grace, conveying blessings to sons, I don't know. I don't understand how this works. It's mystical, it is supernatural, and it's just the way God designed it to be. And I can't give you the mechanics of it. I can't explain anything scientific about it. I just know that that's how it works. That's how it worked with Isaac. That's how it worked when Isaac blessed Jacob instead of Esau. And when Esau came to him and said, Father, isn't there anything left for me? And Isaac basically said, I can't do it. I've already given the blessing to Jacob. The mechanics of this are permanent, okay? Where we don't understand how it works, but we understand that when the blessing is given, it is given and it's irrevocable. I know I'm sounding mysterious, okay? I know this sounds, I don't know, this isn't a good enough explanation. We don't need an explanation for everything. In my last church where I was blessed to serve, I had an elder that, was a, I think he was an electrical engineer, but he worked at a nuclear power plant. But nevertheless, he used to talk all the time about the things that we enjoy that we don't understand, like electricity. You know, you don't think about electricity until you go to flip the switch and nothing happens. Most of the time we don't. But he loved to talk about this. He said, you know, we understand how electricity works. We understand what it does. But we really don't know why. You know, scientists theorize that the Earth's core is a giant lead ball that creates its own static, produces electricity, and yet somehow electricity has to do with how our hearts beat and that sort of thing. And we really don't understand why electricity does what it does. It doesn't mean that we go and stick our finger in a light socket. It also doesn't mean that we don't enjoy the benefits of electricity, even though we don't understand it. Y'all, back to God's word, there are many things we don't understand and we don't have to, to enjoy the benefit. Because not only is Jacob blessing his sons, he's blessing all of God's people. And that means you and me. But he's got some particular things for his sons, and yes, While he speaks in broad terms here, what he says is borne out through history. So, verse two, assemble and listen, sons of Jacob. Listen to your father Israel. Verse three, Reuben, you are first born, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch, and defiled it. Now. What is he talking about here? Well, if you were to flip back to Deuteronomy 35 verse 22, you find out that there's this little episode there where Jacob is going to set up a pillar, and he's talking with God at Bethel, and then we find out that verse 22, while Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah, and Israel heard of it. Y'all, here it is. Now, that was how many years before that? And yet, what does he say to Reuben? Well, here, what we find out is that even though Reuben is the firstborn, he no longer gets the firstborn's blessing. Instead, it's gonna go to another. Now, as we reckon out, are there 13, are there 12 tribes, are there, 11 tribes, how many tribes are there? See, we get into this because Joseph is never listed as a tribe because his two sons received tribes, but then it's like, well, I thought there were 12 tribes of Israel. Well, as we're gonna get to with Dan, Dan has some issues, also Levi. Levi is a tribe, but Levi doesn't have any land holdings because they're the servants of the temple, and it's confusing, but nevertheless, y'all, we'll get to that as we roll along. So that's Reuben. And y'all, this prophecy became true. Reuben did lose its strength, its power. Though firstborn, he did not receive the firstborn blessing. Verse five, Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council. Let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger. "'and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. "'Cursed be their anger, so fierce, "'and their fury so cruel. "'I will scatter them in Jacob "'and disperse them in Israel.'" Now, before you say, whoa, what is his problem with Simeon and Levi? And I thought Levi, that was gonna be the good guys. Y'all remember what Simeon and Levi did. that whole Dinah and the Shechemite thing, where they said to them, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Listen, you can marry our sister, even though you've already raped her and defiled her honor. But she really shouldn't marry a Canaanite. So why don't you and all your men in this city get circumcised, and then we'll deal with it? And so they did. And while the men were in recovery, Simeon and Levi and others went in and murdered everybody and took everything. That's the anger that's so fierce. That's the swords that are weapons of violence. You know, swords can be used for lots of different things. A modern-day equivalent to that is a gun, right? Interestingly enough, there are those that view guns as inherently evil and dangerous and wicked and all that kind of stuff, though, fascinatingly enough, there was a gun show a few weekends ago in Fishersville, and I didn't hear about any guns staging a rebellion and just started shooting people randomly. No, they're a tool, okay? Just like a sword was a tool. A sword that was used to defend the innocent and powerless could be used to murder the defenseless and the powerless. But you notice what we learn here from Simeon and Levi and what Jacob says. Again, verse six, let me not enter their council. Let me not join their assembly." What he's talking about is this bitter seed, this bitter root that was planted. As it relates to Simeon, yes, Simeon is scattered. Simeon was never a super powerful tribe. And Levi, Levi never had any land holdings. But it's fascinating, y'all. It's really fascinating when you fast forward all the way to the book of Exodus. Moses receives the Ten Commandments, comes down from the mountain. Remember he has that conversation with God where he says, it sounds like sounds of fighting, and it wasn't sounds of fighting. It was the sounds of revelry. It was the sounds of the Israelites worshiping the golden calf. Moses stands at the entrance to the tent and says, who is with me? Who's on the Lord's side? And Moses' countrymen, his family, the Levites, show up. And they go through and they kill every man they see. Now in that instance, their strife, their anger, their fury that was so cruel was used by God, but Make no mistake about it, the Levites, hoo-wee, y'all, some murderous, dangerous, dangerous people. I think that's one of the reasons that God dedicated them to the temple. But fast forwarding to Jesus's time, you got serious problems with the priesthood. Oh, serious problems. All of this, of course, is borne out in what we see. Now, Reuben is not considered the firstborn anymore. He's still firstborn, but he doesn't get the firstborn blessing, so who does? Verse eight, Judah. Your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down to you. You are a lion's cub, O Judah. You return from the prey, my son. Like a lion, he crouches and lies down. Like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. and the obedience of the nations is his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk." You know, the blessing of the firstborn goes to Judah. Why? Well, because of this turnaround that we see from Judah's life, where Judah is the one ultimately that becomes selfless. Judah is the one ultimately that will take responsibility. Judah is the one ultimately that would lead. And though we don't have the rationale here, it's entirely possible that Jacob reasoned out that the only reason he ever saw Joseph again was because of Judah. You remember when Jacob said, nope, nope, I've lost two sons. Joseph is gone and so is Simeon, he's gone. Remember when Joseph had him arrested and kept him in custody and said, hey, bring your youngest brother back or you're never gonna see my face again. Ruben, or excuse me, Judah was the one that reasoned with Jacob. Judah was the one that led and Judah was the one that said, listen, let it be on my head if I don't return Benjamin to you. Fast forward to what happened with Joseph later. When Joseph wanted to take Benjamin, Judah was the one that stepped up and said, no, no, no, no, no. Take me as your slave. And that full circle moment where Judah had been the one that suggested selling Joseph as a slave. And then Judah leads and says, no, take me instead. It's that self-sacrificing act that really comes to this point. where Judah receives the blessing as firstborn. And y'all, this is not just about what would eventually happen. Though interestingly enough, the first king of Israel is not out of Judah, he's out of Benjamin. The second one, however, would be. And this promise would be reaffirmed to David that always one of his sons would sit on the throne. But y'all, who do you think this is really talking about? Is it talking about David? No. Certainly the first king was out of the tribe of Benjamin, that would be Saul. So how is this promise realized? Well, we know that as we've read about this cub, this lion, this lioness, we know that the lion of the tribe of Judah, Jesus the Christ, is the one in whom this prophecy is ultimately fulfilled. And when it says, and the nations will serve him, This is not just about the other tribes of Israel. This is about all the nations on earth because of that time that it's coming when every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That's what Jacob is prophesying here, the coming Christ. And as he describes Judah, is it not true? Y'all, ferocity manifests itself in many different ways. It's not always just through killing. It's not always just through violence and physical power. I challenge you to find someone more fierce than Jesus. When he said to Pilate, after Pilate said, don't you know I have the power of life and death over you? And Jesus said, don't you know that you have no power except that which is given you from above. Oh, so fierce. This is our God, you see. This is our King, King Jesus, prophesied here through Judah. He continues along Zebulun. Verse 13, Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships. His border will extend towards Sidon. And that's true, that's how it bore out. Issachar is a raw bone donkey lying between two saddlebags. When he sees how good his resting place, or when he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. He's talking about how Issachar would eventually be enslaved. Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backwards. How can he be both justice for his people and a viper? Y'all, what this is referring to is Dan's descent into idolatry. That's what this is. Remember, out of these tribes, 10 of them is going to go to Israel in the north. 10 of them. Just Judah and Levi will remain in the south with Jerusalem. Verse 18, I look for your deliverance, O Lord. Now this is fascinating. Is this in relation to Dan? Or is this just Jacob reflecting on what will become of his sons? I think the answer is, yeah, I think it's Jacob looking at what's gonna happen. I think it's Jacob calling on the name of Jehovah in light of what he knows is gonna take place with these 12 sons of his. Verse 19, Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels. Asher's food will be rich, for he will provide delicacies fit for a king. This is referring to where Asher would settle. It's the most fertile area. Verse 21, Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. Now, there's lots of ways to interpret that, but this has to do with the abundance of Naphtali's descendants. Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness, archers attacked him. They shot at him with hostility, but his bow remained steady. His strong arm stayed limber because of the hand of the mighty one of Jacob, because of the shepherd, the rock of Israel, because of your father's God who helps you. because of the almighty who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb. Your father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age old hills. Let these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers." Now y'all, he's already blessed Joseph through Ephraim and Manasseh. But you got this weird thing going on here where Jacob's talking about what had happened and what will happen. Ephraim and Manasseh being blessed, being mighty, mighty nations within the nation of Israel. But also he's talking about how God had protected him all along. What we see here is yet again, Jacob recognizing God's faithfulness. But then there's one left, Benjamin. And what we find, verse 27, is that Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning, he devours the prey. In the evening, he divides the plunder. And indeed, this is an accurate description, all based on Benjamin's shame that would be coming. Benjamin's shame in the form of Saul, one who stood a head taller than any other man in Israel, the most impressive man in Israel. But, the king whose heart was not after God's own heart, the king who went his own way. These words indeed are true, and they bear out in what would take place in the future. And so Jacob finishes by saying, all these are the 12 tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. giving each the blessing appropriate to him. This is Moses given that commentary at the end there of what took place. We see it echoed in Deuteronomy chapter 33, but y'all, again, see this for what it is. That it's true, that it is the means of blessing, but it's also prophecy pointing to how the nation of Israel would unfold. And y'all, all of these things point to God's sovereign purposes being fulfilled. All of these point to God's power, His ability, the means by which He works. Now, what does that have to do with you and me today? Here's the thing. In the same way that God was sovereign over the affairs of mankind then, so He is the same now. In the same way that God gives blessings upon blessings to His people, He does the same thing now. In the same way that this blessing was given to Judah, and ultimately would trickle down to the other nations, so it has with you and me. This is not just the story of ancient Israel, it's our story, as we are loyal subjects of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, but also with God as our father and Christ as our brother, this kingdom that Jacob is pointing to, this kingdom in all of its fullness will be yours in Jesus alone. So what do we do with this? Marvel at God's sovereignty. That's a good one. Be grateful that God is always working and executing His plan. That's a great one. But remember that God is sovereign, no matter what you're facing. He's got you. He's in control. And He is working all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, as we know from Romans 8. The challenge that we face is to believe it. and to seek his kingdom first, being faithful, trusting that God is in control. So let us receive that prompting from Genesis 49. Let's pray. Our God and our Father, we praise you for this time that you've given to us, and we pray that you would work in our hearts and our minds, give us grateful hearts, give us keen minds that would focus on the truth of your word. Please guard God and direct us, and we are so grateful that your promise never fails. and that indeed we are loyal subjects of Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And we pray all of these things in his name. Amen. Well, I'd like to thank you all for being a part of this time. Lord willing, we'll be back tomorrow morning at six o'clock. Until then, hope you have a very pleasant Tuesday or whatever day it happens to be. Take care.