Read Selected Scriptures from Gen. 49-50

·       49:1: in the last days.  Just a reminder that this is the first use of this idea of “latter days” in the Bible.  It is spoken of in the OT and NT.  Jacob is talking about a time that will be significant in latter days before the completion of God’s fulfilling His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

·       49:3-4: Reuben acted in a way that demonstrated his “excellency” of dignity and power.  Yet, because of lack of self-control, he never would excel.  What a waste.  But lack of self-control does that to a man.  Remember this from Prov. 7:21-23: ²¹ With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him. ²² Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, ²³ Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life.

·       49:5-7: Simeon and Levi.  Their anger needed to be watered down.  Thus, when the land was parceled out to the tribes, they were both dispersed throughout Israel.

·       49:8-12: Judah, whose name meant “praise,” had the praise of his brothers.  This is the part of the blessing on the “firstborn” that went to Judah (1 Chron. 5:1-2).  While Jacob had the lead, Ephraim gave him the most trouble.  “Shiloh” is almost certainly a Messianic term.  From the word for “peace” (Shalom), the coming of peace is what the latter days are about, being the time when not just cessation of wars but enjoyment of all God’s blessings is brought in by the Messiah.

·       49:13-15: Zebulun and Issachar don’t make sense in terms of the land they received in the time of Joshua.  But it might make sense in the latter days when the land is divided in a different way (Ezekiel 47-48).  Likewise, it sounds like Asher and Zebulun (49:20) are reversed in Joshua.  Naphtali would receive the area in the north, today called the “Hula Valley.”

·      49:22-26: Again, v24 sounds like Messiah.  But neither Nazareth (where Jesus was raised) nor Capernaum (His ministry headquarters) were in Ephraim or Manasseh.  It may refer to Joshua, the first head of the nation in the land, who was certainly a type of Christ.

·       49:27: Benjamin was the “wolf.”  Today in Israel, when you enter the area of Benjamin’s inheritance, you know it by the signs in the photo.

 

·       50:3: The death of Jacob lasted 70 days.  In Israel “funerals” were typically held the day following someone’s death.  As 1 Th. 4:13 says, we ought not grieve as those who have no hope.