Genesis 49:8-12
Published in 1985, this popular children’s book gave some sage advice on dealing with hungry mice while tricking us into learning cause and effect. Jacob’s prophesy over Judah at the end of Genesis also introduces us to the if-then idea.
Jacob’s last words over his son Judah presented a powerful message about the coming messiah and role that Judah would hold as the 4th born son. This prophesy speaks directly about Jesus in multiple ways. It shows the seed from the tribe of Judah will be king, will uphold the law, and whose sacrifice will lead to everyone’s profit. Only one solution fits: Jesus is the Messiah! We are challenged to see Jesus in Genesis, which leads to others seeing Him in us. After all, if it is fulfilled in the Bible, then it is to be fulfilled in us as well. Let’s take a look.
He Will Be the King of Israel (John 19:3,19)
Throughout Jacob’s words over Judah, we see images of power and leadership. Jacob says that his brothers will praise him; the scepter, which represents authority and power, will not depart from Judah; he is the lion, the power. Even the imagery of dark eyes and white teeth point to power, wealth, and royalty. The rousing cub remark is peculiar, however, in that it points to someone beyond Judah as well. What Jacob is saying is that Judah will hold this status among the other tribes in anticipation of the one who whom the kingship truly belongs. It will come down the line. There are plenty of prophecies that place this on Jesus (Rev 5:5 calls Him the Lion), but the best picture is when the Israelites put it on Him as a joke. Above his head, on the cross while He was in the moment being the Messiah. People meant that to be a joke, an insult, but little did they know how correct it really was. Verse 10 takes that to the next level – showing He will be the king of many nations, but royalty is not all that Jacob is prophesying about.
He Will Be the Upholder of the Law (Matt. 5:17)
Earlier in v10 we get the imagery of a ruling staff between His feet. That’s unique in all these kingly images as it refers the king being a law giver. Judah’s descendants would be responsible for maintaining and upholding Israel’s laws and traditions. This is obvious considering that they will be kings – government and law go hand in hand. But this points a bit deeper. It’s not just that Jesus upheld certain laws or oversees law as the king; He is truly the one and only who upheld everything. This is foreshadowing Jesus’ fulfillment of the law as the unblemished representative of humanity. He is the true fulfillment of the law because He never sinned. His righteousness qualified Him to be the perfect sacrifice for us to God.
His Sacrificial Offering is Our Profit (2 Cor 5:20-21)
The imagery here is a bit of a two-fold conundrum. There is a representation of plenty, but also of sacrifice. White teeth and rich, dark eyes complete this image of power and strength and the donkey being tied to a grape vine signifies wealth and prosperity. However, wine is too often connected to blood in scripture and the idea of washing in the blood refers directly to our sinfulness. There us plenty, but there is also sacrifice. Paul tells us that Jesus was made to be sin (red, blood) for us. This imagery of color (red on white) is a strong statement on the impact of sin in our lives and the effort it takes to make us clean. Jesus paid the ultimate and most painful of sacrifices for us to be holy. No beatings, no lashings, no punishment whatsoever. He took it all, so we wouldn’t have to. In Him, we have all the riches from God and none of the required payment for sin. Eph.1 is a good example of our riches in Christ. With His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus brings ultimate and eternal prosperity and peace to his people, those who believe on Him for their salvation and righteousness. So what do we do with this?
Next Steps
Our desire throughout the course of the whole series is that you see Jesus more and more throughout the Bible as you read. The more you see Him in the pages, the more you will be drawn to Him in life, becoming more like Him. And that passes on to others. How?
- Read the Bible daily for one month. Ask God to show you Jesus and make Him real to you, then see what happens.
- Forgive yourself for past mistakes, but let the Holy Spirit guide your steps away from personal gratification and towards Jesus’ living.
- Share Jesus with people you know, like, and trust. Through friendliness and hospitality, let people see Jesus in you.
The more you see Him in the pages, the more you will be drawn to Him in your life. The more He is drawn into your life, the more like Him you will look, thereby giving others the chance to see Jesus in you as you see Him in scripture. Then you get the cookie.
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