The Kingdom belongs to Jesus. Genesis 49.1-11
Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Genesis (7)
Pray Psalm 110.1, 2.
The LORD said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.
Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
Sing Psalm 110.1, 2.
(Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation )
“Sit by Me at My right hand,” the LORD says to my Lord,
“until I make Your foot stand on all who hate Your Word.”
The LORD sends strength from Zion: “Rule all Your enemies.”
While those who Him rely on go forth their LORD to please.
Read Genesis 49.1-11; meditate on verses 10, 11.
Preparation
1. How did Jacob refer to Judah?
2. How will the peoples respond to Judah?
Meditation
We have seen Jesus prophesied in Genesis as Enmity against the devil, the One Whose blood is shed to clothe us with righteousness, the fulfillment of God’s promises and Keeper of God’s covenant, the sacrificial Ram, and the risen One Who brings good out of evil and deliverance for His people. And there is so much more that could be noted as pointing to Jesus from the book of Genesis.
We pick up with Jacob, prophesying about the future of the tribes which would descend from his sons. We note the following about the tribe of Judah: The other tribes will look up to and praise him (v. 8). He will rule over his enemies (v. 8). He is like a lion, a lioness, and lion’s whelp, feasting on his prey (v. 9). A scepter—the emblem of a king’s rule—will be bestowed upon him, and a dynasty will issue from him (v. 10). That dynasty will end when “Shiloh comes”, and “Shiloh” will then assume the rule of all peoples (not “people” as in NKJV). Shiloh will be identifiable by riding on a donkey with blood-stained garments (v. 11).
The kings descending from David were all from the tribe of Judah. The Davidic dynasty was interrupted when Israel was taken into captivity, but it was taken up again by Jesus (cf. Is. 9.6, 7). Once Jesus became King, the dynasty came to an end and Jesus was exalted as King of kings and Lord of lords. God prepared a Kingdom for Jesus, and that Kingdom was given to Him upon the completion of His earthly work and His ascension into heaven (cf. Dan. 7.13, 14). Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is also Shiloh, a Hebrew word comprised of a contraction (shi) and a prepositional phrase (lo—no “h” on the end). Roughly translated, this means “which to Him”, or, smoothed out a bit, “which is for Him”. The reference is to the Kingdom which is for Shiloh, for Jesus, Who entered Jerusalem on a donkey where He shed His blood for our sins. But His blood—like wine—is for the refreshment of His people.
So our quote from Calvin is correct: This passage is about the Messiah, Jesus, Shiloh, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. His Kingdom is advancing over all the world and will continue to do so until He returns. At that time His Kingdom will come in its fullness and every knee shall bow and every tongue of all the peoples of history and the world will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2.5-11).
Even so, come Lord Jesus, come Shiloh!
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
To encourage new Jewish believers, the writer of Hebrews opened his letter by choosing passages from the Old Testament to show their fulfillments in Christ—to affirm that this Jesus, this Shiloh, is the long-anticipated Messiah:
For to which of the angels did He ever say:
‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You’?’” (Heb. 1.5)
“But to the Son He says:
‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness
more than Your companions’” (Heb. 1.8, 9).
A throne and a scepter for Him—Whose it is.
He is The Deliverer to Whom this world belongs, and all who dwell therein.
“He will be great,
and will be called the Son of the Highest;
and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Lk. 1. 32, 33).
“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea…
Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him.
His Name shall endure forever; His Name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed” (Ps. 72.8, 11, 17).
“…that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father Who sent Him.
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him Who sent Me
has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment,
but has passed from death into life” (Jn. 5.23, 24).
All by the power and prerogative of Shiloh.
Reflection
1. When you think of Jesus, enthroned in glory, how do you see Him?
2. Which of the types or prophesies of Jesus in Genesis has been most meaningful for you? Why?
3. Today, share with someone something about Jesus you have learned from Genesis.
It is certain that the Messiah, who was to spring from the tribe of Judah, is here promised. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Genesis 49.10
Pray Psalm 110.3-7.
Call on the Lord to equip you for this day’s worship and to prepare you for spiritual battle for the Kingdom of Jesus.
Sing Psalm 110.3-7.
(Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation )
Your people in Your power, arrayed in holiness,
like dew of morning’s hour shall serve like youth refreshed.
The LORD has sworn and never will He His promise check:
“You are a priest forever after Melchizedek.”
The Lord is at Your right hand to execute His wrath,
and judge all kings and all lands—doomed sinners in His path.
Then, all His foes defeated, He takes His hard-won rest,
in glorious triumph seated with us, redeemed and blessed.
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.
