Who Shall Be First?

Judah and Jesus, of course. Judges 1.1-20

Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Joshua, Judges, Ruth (4)

Pray Psalm 28.8, 9.
The LORD is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever.

Sing Psalm 28.8, 9.
(Angel’s Story: O Jesus, I Have Promised)
Our strength are You, O Savior, our strong defense and sure.
Anointed with Your favor, we rest in You secure.
Save us, and bless us, Jesus, upon us turn Your face.
With shepherd’s care, LORD, keep us forever in Your grace.

Preparation
1. What did the people of Israel need?

2. How did God answer their need?

Meditation
This is now the third time that God has put the spotlight on Judah and the tribe that descended from him. We recall that Judah ‘saved” Joseph’s life (Gen. 37.26) and offered himself as “surety” for the life of Benjamin (Gen 44.32-34)—the guarantee of his safety—and a substitute in his place. And in Genesis 49.8-11, Israel prophesied of a dynasty of kings descending from Judah, a dynasty that would come to its end when “Shiloh” ascended the throne.

And all these pointed forward to Jesus, Who would descend through Mary from the tribe of Judah. Now here, after Joshua’s death, the people seek the Lord concerning who of the tribes should be first to continue to lead Israel into the land of promise. Comes the answer from God: “Judah”. Judah is the largest tribe and the most capable in battle. Conquests are realized and more of the promised land is gained under Judah’s leadership. But it does not last, and the people will soon begin to languish, waiting for a king.

The tribe of Judah is a type of Christ and foreshadows His coming. As Judah was first, so Jesus is first, the forerunner of our salvation. As Judah led Israel into more of God’s promised land, so Jesus leads us ever deeper into the exceeding great and precious promises of God, of which He Himself is the fulfillment.

But unlike the victories Jesus attained and the victories He leads us into day by day, the victories of the tribe of Judah were short-lived. Israel needed to learn a difficult lesson, as the book of Judges unfolds for us; but, as we shall see, even while Israel experienced faithlessness and trials, Judah would fulfill the role of a shelter and the continuation of God’s promises to a new generation.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people” (Gen. 49.10).

“Behold! My Servant Whom I uphold, My Elect One in Whom My soul delights!” (Is. 42.1; Matt. 12.18).

“You are My beloved Son, in Whom I AM well pleased” (Mk. 1.11).

“The LORD possessed Me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.
I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no fountains abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth;
while as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, or the primal dust of the world.
When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
when He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when He established the clouds above,
when He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
when He assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters would not transgress His command,
when He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;
and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world,
and My delight was with the sons of men” (Prov. 8.22-31).

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Gal. 4.4-6).

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham; Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers…begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus Who is called Christ” (Matt. 1.1, 2, 16).

“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed…
Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain
to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5.5, 12).

Jesus. There He is—throughout all the Scriptures—before time and beyond into eternity.
“I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (Rev. 22.13).

Reflection
1. Why is it important that we be able to recognize Jesus in some form throughout all the Scriptures?

2. How does knowing that Jesus is giving us glimpses of Himself throughout the Scriptures affect the way you read and study the Bible?

3. How does knowing this affect your prayer life?

The choice of Judah was the first hint that Jacob’s prediction for Judah (Gen. 49:8–12) was coming to pass. The prophecy would come to fruition with the establishment of the monarchy under David and his descendants; David was from the tribe of Judah. Earl Radmacher (1933-2014), NKJV Study Bible Not on Judges 1.1-4

Pray Psalm 28.1-7.
Jesus is the Captain of our faith. Pray for the day ahead and the opportunities for working your Personal Mission Field. Pray that you will keep Jesus first in all you do. Be specific in your prayers.

Sing Psalm 28.1-7.
(Angel’s Story: O Jesus, I Have Promised)
I cry to You, our Savior, O, be not deaf to me!
LORD, speak to me with favor, lest I should dying be.
Hear now my supplications when for Your help I cry.
Receive these, my oblations, before Your throne on high.

LORD, count me not among those who walk in sinful ways.
With words of peace their tongue glows while evil fills their days.
Your works they disregard, LORD, while evil fills their hands.
Destroy them by Your Word, LORD, and let them no more stand.

Blessed be the Name of Jesus, for He will hear our prayer.
His strength protects and shields us with mercy and with care.
In You our heart rejoices; You help us by Your Word.
To You we raise our voices to praise and thank You, LORD.

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.