“Prophetic Blessings: Jacob’s Sons” (Genesis 49:1–28)
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Eastside Baptist Church
Sunday PM, February 5, 2017
Genesis 49:1–28 (NIV)
49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
2 “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel.
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as t...
“Prophetic Blessings: Jacob’s Sons” (Genesis 49:1–28)
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Eastside Baptist Church
Sunday PM, February 5, 2017
Genesis 49:1–28 (NIV)
49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
2 “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel.
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers—
their swords are weapons of violence.
6 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.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury, so cruel!
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.
8 “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.
9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
11 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.
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.
13 “Zebulun will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon.
14 “Issachar is a rawboned donkey
lying down among the sheep pens.
15 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.
16 “Dan will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider tumbles backward.
18 “I look for your deliverance, Lord.
19 “Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels.
20 “Asher’s food will be rich;
he will provide delicacies fit for a king.
21 “Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.
22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;
they shot at him with hostility.
24 But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25 because of your father’s God, who helps you,
because of the Almighty, who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
blessings of the deep springs below,
blessings of the breast and womb.
26 Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
than the bounty of the age-old hills.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
in the evening he divides the plunder.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.
- Reuben – the rebellious, immoral son
- Simeon and Levi – the angry, vengeful, violent sons
- Judah – the leader among his brothers and the tribe of Israel’s King
- The Other Sons: God determines the destinies of his covenant people:
- Zebulun – trading with sea merchants for valuable goods
- Issachar – working hard in a good and fertile land
- Dan – seeking justice, but sometimes violence
- Gad – attacked, yet victorious
- Asher – prospering through farming and trade
- Naphtali – flourishing in the fertile region of Galilee
- Joseph – the one who overcame his enemies by the strength of his God, now blessed and the recipient of the firstborn blessing (1 Chronicles 5:1–2).
- Benjamin – the skillful, aggressive soldier
Lessons/Applications:
- Be sure your sin will find you out (Reuben, Simeon, Levi). Our sins often have consequences. Sometimes those earthly consequences still follow us, even if we have been forgiven by God’s mercy and pardon.
- God’s grace can transform anyone’s shame into honor (Judah).
- Not all avenues of service are notable and spectacular (lesser known tribes).
- God rewards the faithful for their loyal service. Those who show themselves faithful he blesses more abundantly.
- God blesses whom he wants to bless. He is the sovereign Lord. We deserve nothing from God. Any gifts that he gives are grace.
- God is the Lord of redemptive history, who used all these tribes, but especially the tribe of Judah, to bring our redeemer, Jesus Christ into the world.
