Genesis 49:21 Jacob's Blessing: Naphtali

"Naphtali is a doe set free

that bears beautiful fawns."

Genesis 49:21 (NIV)

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This one verse has engendered some interesting commentary.  It is a rather intriguing verse.  I mean, is Jacob really telling Naphtali that his tribe will be like a deer that has beautiful offspring?!

My trusty NIV Study Bible notes that this may be "a reference to an independent spirit fostered in the descendents of Naphtali by their somewhat isolated location in the hill country north of the Sea of Galilee..." (note on Genesis 49:21, pg.81)  An image of a wild, elusive deer silently disappearing into the forest comes to mind, so I can see where such an interpretation comes from.

What about the "beautiful fawns" part, though?  Surely it has some significance, or Jacob wouldn't have bothered to tell us this detail.  I wondered if it had some reference to the physical attributes of Naphtali's descendants.  Perhaps they would be a generally good-looking bunch! 

Actually, the NIV Study Bible has an additional note on the latter part of this verse that says these words could also be interpreted "...he utters beautiful words."  OK, that makes more sense.  One of the commentaries which I read said that the tribe of Naphtali was known for their skill at prose and verse, but I do not know where that information came from.  I will try to research that a bit.

Meanwhile, if you go to this page, you can read several comments from learned men about this verse.  Here also, if you are so inclined, you can check out the tabs along the top of this page to see the  'Interlinear' or 'Hebrew' functions of this site so that you can check the original translation for yourself.  Even if you don't speak/read Hebrew, you can get enough information to help sort through difficult verses or their interpretations by various writers.

Some interesting points from the comments on that page:

• The main historical event in which the tribe of Naphtali figured was the defeat of Jabin's (a Canaanite king known for his 20-year long cruelty to the Israelites and his 900 iron chariots) forces by Barak and Deborah, which is detailed in Judges chapters 4 and 5.
• One writer notes that Jesus and his disciples spent much time in this area, and says that the "beautiful words" part of this verse refers to the Gospel going forth from this area.  He also notes that many of the disciples of Jesus came from this area.  That is very interesting to me, especially in light of these verses from Matthew 4:12-17:

"When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison,

he returned to Galilee.

Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum,

which was by the lake

in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali --

to fulfill what was said by the prophet Isaiah:

'Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the way to the sea, along the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles --

the people living in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death

a light has dawned.'

From that time on

Jesus began to preach,

'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.' "

Matthew 4:12-17 (NIV)

(The quote from Isaiah mentioned in this passage is from Isaiah 9:1-2.)

      I knew about the verses in Matthew already, but when combined with the prophecy from Genesis 49:21 about Naphtali's 'beautiful words", it certainly gives an added dimension to these verses!

So far I have been unable to locate any information about examples of people from the tribe of Naphtali being particularly skilled with words.  If anyone has any examples or information, please make a comment below.  Thanks!

      

Genesis 49:20 Jacob's Blessing: Asher

"Asher's food will be rich;

he will provide delicacies fit for a king."

Genesis 49:20 (NIV)

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I thought I would take the Scriptures which refer to Asher and search them for information about this individual and tribe.  This seemed to be a better solution than trying to figure out whether the various scholars' ideas and statements were indeed true.  Not that I dismiss these scholars' ideas, just that I know that what Scripture says about things will always prove, in the end, to be accurate.  Again I picked up a concordance and found that searching through references to this tribe brought up many interesting facts:

• Asher was the second son of Jacob and Zilpha (Leah's maidservant).  (The first son of these two had been Gad.)  (Genesis 30:10-12)  See also Genesis 35:26, where Gad and Asher are named in a list of Jacob's sons.
• Asher means 'happy'.  When Asher was born, "...Leah said, 'How happy I am!  The women will call me happy.'  So she named him Asher." (Genesis 30:13 NIV)  
• Asher's sons are listed in Genesis 46:17.  At that point, Asher's family tree looks like this:

 Jacob

     |   

Asher
     |
Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah, and a daughter, Serah
                                          |
                                      Heber and Malkiel

• A man from Asher named Pagiel, son of Ocran, was one of  the twelve men chosen (one from each of the twelve tribes) to assist Moses and Aaron in the military census of the Israelites. (Numbers 1:13)  Pagiel also was the one to bring the tribe's offering when Moses dedicated the tabernacle. (Numbers 7:72).  There he is described as "the leader of the people of Asher".
• At the time of this military census, the tribe of Asher had 41,500 men who were twenty years old or older and could serve in the army. (Numbers 1:40-41; 2:27)  [Of course, in addition to these men, the tribe of Asher would have women and children and other men who were too old or incapacitated to serve.]
• Positionally, the tribe of Asher formed part of the rear guard, along with Dan and Naphtali. (Numbers 10:25-28)
• Later, when the Lord told Moses to send men to explore the land of Canaan, a man named Sethur son of Michael was chosen as a representative from the tribe of Asher. (Genesis 13:13)  The men in the list in Numbers 13 are different than the list of leaders mentioned in earlier chapters of the book of Numbers.  This task may have required a higher level of fitness.  Also, it seems that there could be several leaders within each tribe (see Numbers 13:1 "...From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.") All those sent, however, were leaders of the Israelites. (Num 13:3)        
• At the time of a second military census (Numbers 26), Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron (Aaron had died) were chosen to number the men twenty years old and above, who were able to serve.  "The descendants of Asher by their clans were:

                            through Imnah, the Imnite clan;

                            through Ishvi, the Ishvite clan;

                            through Beriah, the Berite clan;
and through the descendants of Beriah:

                    through Heber, the Heberite clan; 

                    through Malkiel, the Malkielite clan.

                   
                    (Asher had a daughter named Serah.)

         These were the clans of Asher; those numbered were 53,400."
                                      (Numbers 26:44-47 NIV)

• Note that the number of fighting men were now 53, 400 instead of the previous 41,500.  The number of fighting men had increased 11,900.  I assume there was a corresponding increase in women and children.  God was continuing to keep His promise to Abraham (Genesis 12) to make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavens.

• In Numbers 34:16-29, one leader from each tribe was selected to help Eleazar and Joshua assign the land of Canaan to the Israelites.  Ahihud son of Shelomi was the man from the tribe of Asher who was chosen for this duty. (Numbers 34:27)
• In Deuteronomy 33, Moses gives his final blessing to the tribes. Asher's blessing is found in verses 24-25 of this chapter.
• One last thing:  Asher's land, as promised, was quite fertile and enabled the tribe to produce abundant food.  I thought that these comments from John Gill summed up the blessings upon  the tribe of Asher quite nicely:  John Gill commentary on Genesis 49:20 (You will need to type Genesis 49:20 into the search box on this page and scroll down to John Gill's comments.)  Several of his most interesting points (to me at least) were that the land assigned to Asher actually was very fertile and was used to supply King Solomon's household, and that Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine happened in this area, as well as Jesus' teaching on how he was the 'bread of life' -- both very appropriate for an area prophesied to produce an abundance of food fit for royal households.

Genesis 49:19 Jacob's Blessing: Gad

"Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels."

Genesis 49:19 (NIV)

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Gad was the son of Zilpah, Leah's maidservant.  Leah had given Zilpah to Jacob as a wife when she thought she had stopped being able to have children.  (Genesis 30:9) (However, later Leah bore Jacob two more sons and a daughter.)  When Leah saw the son of Jacob and Zilpah, she uttered an exclamation that could be interpreted either "What good fortune!" or "A troop is coming!"  Since this was in the middle of what I have called 'the Battle of the Babies', both meanings are probably present:  Leah was delighted to see that another son was being presented to Jacob from 'her' side of this battle for Jacob's affection, and she believed that even more sons would be coming along in the future, much like reinforcements in a battle.

Gad's name also is similar to the word for "press", as in a raider pressing forward in battle.  Jacob indicates to Gad that in the future, he will be involved in battles against those who sought to raid him.  At times these raiders would be successful, but in the end, Gad would 'attack them at their heels', i.e., as these raiders fled.  By these words, Jacob was assuring Gad that he would ultimately be successful.

In I Chronicles 12:8-14, the Gadites were compared to lions "...Their faces were the faces of lions,..." and also to gazelles "...and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains." (v.8)

Gad's inheritance was on the other side of the Jordan, and this tribe was subject to raids from Moabites and Ammonites, who would attack their rather exposed position.  At times these raiders would be successful, for the Israelites sometimes fell into idolatry (Judges 10:6-10) and the Lord would correct them by allowing their enemies to overcome them until they turned back to him.

Ultimately, Gad, along with the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh which assisted them, routed these raiders and lived in their portion of the land until the exile.  (I Chronicles 5:18-22)  The Chronicler makes sure that we realize that the Gadites' success was due to the Lord helping them:

• "...God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle..."  (v.20)
• "...He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him." (v.20)

• "...and many others fell slain, because the battle was God's..." (v.21)

...The lessons for our own battles are obvious.

Genesis 49:17-18 Jacob's Blessing: Dan

"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 backward.

I look for your deliverance, O Lord."

Genesis 49:17-18 NIV

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Dan was the son of Bilhah, Rachel's maid.  Rachel gave her maid to her husband in order to produce children, for Rachel was barren at that time.

Jacob's last words to his son Dan state that Dan will provide justice for his people.  As a tribe, the Danites were not able to take possession of the inheritance allotted to them, so they ended up going north to Laish, where they conquered the isolated inhabitants.  They renamed the area Dan.  Dan became synonymous with the northern border of Israel.

Unfortunately, King Jeroboam built a pagan temple at Dan and set up a golden calf to be worshipped.  This sin is repeatedly referred to throughout Israel's history, probably because it was a shockingly blatant example of idolatry -- one of the worst.  Another calf was set up at Beersheba, the southern limit of Israel.  These calf-idols were intended to prevent Israelites from needing to go to Jerusalem to worship, for Jeroboam feared that the people would eventually rally to David again instead of remaining loyal to himself. (I Kings 12:25-33)

Jeroboam's actions would have the effect of violating both the commandment which forbade making any type of images/idols and the one which said that only God could be worshipped.  The widespread effect such idolatrous actions would have upon the people is another reason why Jeroboam's actions are treated with such contempt.  It is bad enough when the people fall into idolatry, but when the king initiates and encourages such practices, a certain line has been crossed.  The prophet Amos denounced such idolatry (Amos 8:13-14) and asserted that those who invoked such idols would fall, never to rise again.  [This story is especially compelling because Jeroboam himself had been chosen to rule over ten tribes when the Israelites had begun to worship other 'gods' during Solomon's reign. (I Kings 11:26-40)  Yet he, too, proceeded to fall into idolatry.]

Some believe that these idolatrous actions are why the Tribe of Dan is not mentioned in Revelation 7:1-8 as having 12,000 members sealed with the seal of God.  Others believe that the Antichrist will arise from this tribe, although I am not aware of any Scriptural evidence to support this conclusion.

Jacob's words state that Dan would provide justice for his people.  Samson is probably the most famous person from the tribe of Dan.  Although Samson had glaring flaws, most notably in his choice of women, God did use him to strike a blow against the Philistines.  (Judges 15 & 16)  This is the only example that I can think of where a Danite provided justice for the Israelites.

I included verse 18 in this section about Dan, because I believe it is related to this idea of idolatry.  Some say that Jacob's words here are merely his request to the Lord for physical strength as he continues his final blessing of his sons.  There may be some element of this included here.  However, I also think it could be that Jacob has been allowed to see at least an outline of the coming problem of idolatry present in this tribe.  Such a revelation could be discouraging.  Whatever the reason, Jacob draws strength from God to meet his needs.

Genesis 49:14-15 Jacob's Blessing: Issachar

Jacob now has a word for his son Issachar.  I thought it was a bit strange that Issachar, who is Leah's fifth son, was blessed by Jacob after he gave Zebulun (the sixth son) his blessing, for the other sons of Leah seemed to be dealt with in their birth order.  However, comparing Genesis 29:31-Genesis 30 (the account of the births of the various sons except Benjamin) with the account of Jacob blessing his sons in Genesis 49, the birth order is not followed with the other sons, so perhaps it is not important here.  For all I know, Jacob may have blessed his sons in the order that they were ranged about his bedside while he was giving them his final words.

Or, there may be some reason Jacob chooses this order which I haven't discovered yet.  At any rate, Jacob next chooses to speak to Issachar:

"Issachar is a rawboned donkey

lying down between two saddlebags.

When he sees how good is his resting place

and how pleasant his land,

he will bend his shoulder to the burden

and submit to forced labor."

Genesis 49:14-15 NIV

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Here are some of the observations about Issachar which I have read as I looked for information about this son of Jacob.  Sometimes the comments are pretty similar, while at times a totally new idea is advanced.  At times I wondered how to distinguish between accurate facts about the various sons of Jacob and someone's fiction.  I do not have the expertise about these matters to be too dogmatic, so I try to stick to what can be supported by Scripture.  I also try to include other interesting possibilities or reasonable conclusions, especially if the writer's ideas are backed up by some type of empirical evidence.  Needless to say, comments and corrections are welcome.

Now, back to Issachar:

• There are differences of opinion about the meaning of his name.  Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for 'reward'.  Leah named her son this, for she figured that he was her 'reward' for having let her husband have her servant Zilpah as an additional wife. (Genesis 30:9-17)  That same passage also gives an account of how Leah hired Jacob to spend the night with her instead of Rachel by giving her sister some mandrakes (thought to increase fertility) which her son Reuben had found.  Issachar's birth as a further result of this transaction opened the way for the pun on his name 'man of hire'.  No doubt there is a pun intended -- both aspects are certainly present in the account of his birth.
• Then there is the difference of opinion regarding the meaning of comparing Issachar to a patient donkey, bending to his burden and toil.  Some see it as Issachar submitting to paying tribute to Canaanite peoples rather than fight them, and engaging in agricultural pursuits.  Others see it as Issachar toiling in the study of the Torah, supported in his endeavors by the more mercantile tribe of Zebulun, with whom the tribe of Issachar is often associated.  I do not know enough of the tribe's history to have a definitive opinion on this matter, although I imagine that there could be elements of all three aspects in the history of this tribe.
• Related to the "Torah" aspect of the above, some say that the men of Issachar are reputed to have great wisdom, especially in dealing with the intricacies of the Hebrew calendar.  I do know that I Chronicles 12:32 speaks of "...the men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do...", which certainly supports the idea that they had wide-ranging and practical wisdom.
• Issachar also had some military prowess.  When Canaanites threatened their territory, Issachar joined the battle, as mentioned in Judges 5:15 in the Song of Deborah:  "The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley..." (NIV)  After this battle, the land had peace for forty years. (Judges 5:20)  This would seem to negate the above idea of the tribe of Issachar passively accepting subjection to the Canaanites!

That's all I have for the moment, although I suspect I may be coming back to update as I discover more about this interesting tribe.

Genesis 49:13 Jacob's Blessing: Zebulun

Next, Jacob has a word for his son Zebulun.  Zebulun is the sixth son of Leah.

"Zebulun will live by the seashore

and become a haven for ships;

his border will extend toward Sidon."

Genesis 49:13 NIV

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Jacob's word to Zebulun is a bit puzzling, because although his territory was within ten miles of the Mediterranean, the territories of Asher and Manasseh were on either side and thus Zebulun was not situated right along the seashore.  Some commentators point out that the tribal boundaries which we see on maps of Israelite territory are not exact, and that the tribe may have migrated nearer the sea at various times in their history due to agricultural or military reasons.  Others point out that a major caravan route passed through this territory and that the reference to ships and the seashore may have more to do with profit obtained from maritime pursuits or trade than to where they actually lived.  However, the verse above seems to me to indicate actually living by the seashore.  Perhaps, too, the reference is prophetic and has yet to be fulfilled.

Jesus Christ grew up in this territory, in the city of Nazareth, fulfilling a prophecy from Isaiah 9:1-2:

"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom

for those who were in distress.

In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun

and the land of Naphtali,

but in the future he will honor

Galilee of the Gentiles, 

by way of the sea, along the Jordan--

The people living in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death

a light has dawned."

Isaiah 9:1-2 NIV

Some observations on the above verse:

•  It is called 'Galilee of the Gentiles'.  The tribe of Zebulun (as did other tribes) allowed various Canaanite peoples to continue living among them instead of driving them out and were thus subject to the temptation of intermarrying with them and having their own religious practices corrupted with pagan influences.  No wonder that by Jesus' time, the area was known for its Gentile presence.  Interestingly, Jesus' ministry was largely conducted in this area.  God's intent was for the Jews to eventually spread the knowledge of God to all peoples.
• I notice that the area is noted as being 'by way of the sea' -- which to me is another indication that the territory of Zebulun must have had some real contact with the sea in some physical way.
• The last part of verse 2, where the people see a great light, and where a light dawns on those living in the shadow of death is also interesting, especially in light (pun intended) of the fact that Jesus claims to be the light of the world. (See Luke 2:32, John 1:4-9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35; 12:46, for just some of the verses about this.)
• Later in this 9th chapter in Isaiah, verses 6-7 have some incredible things to say.  A son is supposed to be born who will be called, among other names,

                                              'Mighty God',
                                              'Everlasting Father' or, as some have translated it, 'Father of Eternity',
which is pretty hard to explain unless this son is somehow God.
   
         Also, "of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end" (v.7).  Again, how could a mere human govern indefinitely?  Moving on in this verse, "He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom...with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever."  So this one who rules forever must be from David's line.

         The end of verse 7 states that "the zeal of the Lord will accomplish this", so if it seems as though there are some incredible things going on in this passage, things which would take a miracle to accomplish, then you are right.  God Himself is bringing salvation to mankind.  I think that this fact that the Lord is the One who will accomplish this is both comforting and realistic, for we could never have the power/righteousness to do it by ourselves.

There are plenty of other interesting things about the tribe of Zebulun which you can discover if you take a look at all the passages in which this individual and tribe is mentioned.  You can take a concordance (a book which lists where each word is found in the Bible) -- there are free ones online -- and check it out for yourself.  You can just type in the word you are interested in and a list of where the term is found in the Bible will appear.  One thing which I discovered is that this tribe was known for being steadfast warriors, which I hadn't realized.  Other aspects may be mentioned when we get to Moses's blessing of all the tribes in the book of Deuteronomy.

Genesis 49:10 Until He Comes...

"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."

(Genesis 49:10 NIV)

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Jacob is in the midst of blessing his son Judah when this verse comes along.  Its curious statement is sandwiched between promises of preeminence and prosperity for this tribe.  It is curious not because of the words themselves, which are fairly obvious:  Judah's tribe will continue to reign over the others.  However, the object of the last part of the verse and the scope of that one's rule is what gets our attention.

First, we might ask ourselves, "Just who is that one 'to whom it belongs', anyway?"  Actually, we need to look at the scope of this one's rule to help give us a clue.  The obedience of the nations will be his, not just the tribes of Israel.  Therefore, he is someone who will be far greater than Judah himself.  It is as though Judah and his descendants will be placeholders until the actual ruler comes along, one who is from that tribe.

Then we need to ask ourselves, "To whom does that right belong -- to rule over all the nations?"  My first thought would be 'God'.  As Creator, he has the right to reign over all nations.  Other Scriptures immediately come to mind:

Psalm 2, where the kings and rulers of the earth take their stand against the LORD and against his Anointed One (v.2), but God merely laughs at them and insists that He has installed His king on Zion (v.4-6).  This King is spoken of as having an iron scepter (v.9) and the kings are urged to serve him, and submit to his rule, or they will be destroyed (v.10-12).  However, those who take refuge in him are blessed (v.12).

It is this Anointed One who Genesis 49:10 speaks about.  Both Genesis 49:10 and Psalm 2 are regarded as Messianic -- that is, they refer to the Messiah who will come.  There is much more to be said on this matter, but this will come out as we go along.  Personally, I believe that Jesus Christ turns out to be that Messiah who is predicted here.  Perhaps you do not believe that.  I hope you will still follow along and see why I believe that way.  There are a whole lot of Scriptures which point to him.  As we go along, I will try to point them out.

By the way, 'Christ' is the English term for the Greek word which means 'the anointed one'.  It is a translation of the Hebrew word which means Messiah.  So, even to those who do not claim to believe in Jesus' divinity, Jesus is commonly known as Jesus Christ, or Jesus the Annointed One/Messiah.  I think that is interesting.  As is the fact that 'Jesus' translates to "Yahweh/Jehovah/God is salvation". 

Genesis 49:8-12 Jacob's Blessing: Judah, The Lion King

"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."

Genesis 49:8-12 (NIV)

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Judah's name means "praise".  He was the fourth son of Jacob's wife Leah.  Jacob now gives him this amazing blessing.  Some observations about this blessing:

• Judah's brothers would praise him.  We will hear more about Judah and his descendants as we continue to follow the story of the Israelites.  Already Judah has distinguished himself as being willing to make hard decisions and take personal consequences for his decisions.  Remember when Judah offered himself to his father as surety for Benjamin?  Soon afterwards he offered himself as the substitute for Benjamin when the silver cup of Joseph was found among Benjamin's belongings and it looked as though Benjamin would be taken as Joseph's slave.  Such an attitude of self-sacrifice and the ability to take decisive action in a crisis are indications of the character of true leadership.
• Judah would be victorious.  Like a lion he would return from his hunt having obtained his objective.  There is a sense of quiet dignity about his bearing which inspired respect from others.
• His brothers would bow down to him.  We are used to hearing these type of words in connection with Joseph, whose dreams indicated that his brothers would bow down to him, and they did.  Joseph might hold the position of the favored firstborn, but to Judah would come the kingly right of being the head of all the tribes of Israel.
• Verse 10 is a prophecy of the continued rule of the tribe of Judah "until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his."  This prophecy has been traditionally understood as being Messianic.  I will do another post on this verse specifically, because there are too many important details to cover here.
• Prosperity would be the result of his reign.  His vines would be robust enough to allow them to be used as tethers for a donkey or young horse.  Plentiful grapes would allow him to wash his clothes in wine, if he so desired, for wine would be as abundant as water.  His eyes would be darker than wine -- not from excessive drinking, but an indication of health and strength.  His teeth would be white and strong, for milk would be abundant as well.  Altogether, these images indicate divine blessing upon his land.
• Judah is called "a lion's cub" (v.9).  Doesn't that give you the idea that there is someone in his line who is actually the Lion -- that is, someone who is even greater than Judah?  Yes, I think it is time to stop this post and go on to a fuller explanation of verse 10, as promised.

Genesis 49:8-12 Jacob's Blessing: Judah (Preview)

"Next, Jacob turns to his son Judah.  Now Judah had been a bit of a disappointment at times, I am sure.

Judah had been the one who suggested that the brothers sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites.  Although this was a cold and calculated action, it was far better than the other brothers' original idea, which was to kill Joseph rather than have to listen to his accounts of his dreams or deal with their father's favoritism toward Joseph.  [Of course, Jacob would not have known this about his son until after the family is reunited with Joseph.]

Judah was also the one who separated himself from his brothers and went off to marry a Canaanite woman, with rather disastrous results.  Two of his sons were put to death by the Lord because of their wickedness.  Judah himself resorted to going to a prostitute after his wife had died, and unknown to him, ended up sleeping with his widowed daughter-on-law, who then bore Judah twin sons.  He did not sleep with her again, although he apparently provided for his former daughter-in-law and their sons.

On a more positive side, Judah was the one who finally persuaded Jacob to let the brothers take their youngest brother Benjamin with them back to Egypt so that they could obtain food.  He also was the one who offered himself as a slave to Pharaoh's second-in-command (Joseph) instead of Benjamin, so that Benjamin could be returned to their elderly father.

In a way Judah grew into his role as leader of the brothers after Reuben, Simeon and Levi had been rejected because of their sinful behaviors.  We might wonder why the other brothers were passed over for the honors which Judah will receive despite his own sinful shortcomings.  This decision is hidden within the wisdom of God, who knows each man's heart, but I assume that Judah must have repented and sincerely desired to follow God's ways, for otherwise, I do not believe that God would have allowed him to receive the following rather amazing blessing from Jacob.

It is a bit long, though, so I think it would be best if I started another post about it so that we can study it in more detail.

Genesis 49:5-7 Jacob's Blessing: Simeon and Levi

Next, Jacob turns to give his final words to his sons Simeon and Levi.  They, like Reuben, are sons of Jacob's wife Leah.  Jacob speaks to them with the same message, for their character seems to be identical:

"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."

Genesis 49:5-7 NIV

Jacob asserts that Simeon and Levi are brothers in the sense that they share the same traits:  They use their swords as weapons of violence.  Their anger was fierce, and their fury cruel.

Jacob's words hearken back to the incident which happened in the city of Shechem.  Their sister Dinah had been raped by Hamor, the son of the local ruler.  Later, Hamor, wished to marry Dinah.  The men of Shechem wanted to mingle and intermarry with the Israelites.  Of course, this was unacceptable to the Israelites, for they could not marry uncircumcised unbelievers.

Simeon and Levi conceived a plan whereby they deceived the Shechemites.  They explained that they were unable to intermarry with people who were uncircumcised.  Deceitfully, they agreed that if the Shechemites became circumcised, they would be free to join as one people.

This was deceptive on more than one level.  They had no intention of allowing Hamor to marry their sister, or becoming one people with the Shechemites.  Also, they used the sacred ceremony of circumcision as though it was only an outward practice, instead of an outward sign of an inner covenant with God.  Instead, Simeon and Levi used this practice as a means to incapacitate the Shechemites so that they could kill them.

When Jacob spoke of their swords as weapons of violence, you may have thought, "Of course swords are weapons of violence -- what else could they be?!"  Obviously, swords are fashioned to slay enemies, or at least defend oneself against them.  However, Simeon and Levi had lied to the men of Shechem, and took revenge upon all of the men of Shechem, not just the guilty party.  They also plundered the city.  Jacob's words here in verse 6 give us additional information.  They had hamstrung oxen.  So what?  Well, oxen were not beasts of war.  There was no need to incapacitate innocent animals in this way.

Verse six also distances Jacob from such practices of anger and wanton cruelty.  He asserts that he had not taken any part in their plan, either in planning or execution.

Notice that Jacob does not rail against his sons personally, but their sinful actions:  their use of their swords to slay indiscriminately, their fierce anger, their cruel fury.  This leaves room for repentance and change.  Think of it this way:  If you and I are having a fight, and I say that you are an idiot, there is very little room for any constructive change.  However, if I say that what you said or what you did was unwise or ungodly, it moves things back a step or two and the problem is clearly your choice of words or your actions, (which can be changed), not your personal state of idiocy, a characterization which you might take, well, personally.

Now we get to the interesting part.  Speaking prophetically, Jacob says, "I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel."  Jacob is speaking for God, who will accomplish this.  In the future, Simeon's tribe is assigned a territory in the midst of Judah's territory, and are gradually absorbed, so they were no longer a distinct entity.  They were probably also scattered by the various nations which took captives from the divided nation. More on that as we go on.  Levi, however, ends up becoming the tribe from which the priests and levites are obtained.  What is going on here?

Well, Levi does end up being scattered as well, with no territory of their own aside from assigned cities within the territories allotted to the other tribes.  The descendants of Levi rally to Moses in the midst of the incident where Aaron made a golden calf-idol while Moses (who was busy getting the Ten Commandments from God) was absent.  As a reward for their zealousness in forsaking such idolatry and fighting against those who participated in it, the tribe of Levi receive the honor of acting as caretakers of the Tent of Meeting and assisting the sons of Aaron (Moses' brother, also a Levite) in their role as priests at the tabernacle.

The honor of the priesthood was given to Aaron's descendants when Phineas (a Levite and grandson of Aaron) likewise fought against idolatry by slaying both a man and his unbelieving girlfriend who were boldly flaunting their disobedience.  (Numbers 25:1-17)  The Israelites had been seduced by the Moabite women and were joining them in their sacrifices to their god, namely Baal of Peor.  While the Israelites were gathered in assembly to entreat the Lord's mercy, for His anger was fierce at this breaking of the covenant which Israel had made with Him -- and it seems a plague had already started breaking out --  this man Zimri (the son of a leader of  a Simeonite family) brought a Midianite woman home right before the eyes of Moses and the weeping assembly.  Phineas was so incensed that he took a spear and killed the couple, thus stopping the plague.  For his zeal, Phineas and his descendants were awarded a perpetual priesthood.

As the Levites had no central territory of their own, but were assigned places in the territories throughout the nation of Israel, the prophecy regarding their 'scattering' was upheld, yet in a good way.  Therefore, God's Word was upheld, yet individuals who followed Him with all their hearts were acknowledged and honored.

Also, you might say that Phineas' descendants were given an honor they themselves had never earned.  So, regarding one's own godliness and the effect it can have on descendants, several things seem apparent:

• A person's sin can affect his/her descendants.
• A person's godliness can affect his/her descendants.
• God knows each person's heart and will punish sin and honor righteousness.  (Sometimes the sinner is given additional time to repent and the righteous has to wait for his reward, but it will all be sorted out eventually)  However, a man will reap what he sows.

The idea that one's own actions can benefit or hurt his/her descendants is one which should cause us each to carefully weigh our own ways.  Of course it goes without saying that it is not only our descendants which can be affected by these things.  Our words and actions can encourage others to godliness or cause them to stumble.  We should walk carefully, indeed...