GENESIS 49 – by James Fire; for the Facebook video of this teaching, go here.
INTRODUCTION: PSALM 127:3-4 says,
3 Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
In this chapter Jacob prophesies over his sons, revealing both character and, or destiny. Parents desire that their children will accept all the lessons, counsel, wisdom and biblical understanding (PROV 1:8-9), and get a better head start in the Kingdom than their parents did. In that sense, our children are arrows that we fire from the bows of our parental care and launch them out to go further and farther than their parents ever could.
We have the twelve patriarchs of Israel, from Reuben, Jacob’s first born, to Benjamin, the youngest: these become the tribes of Israel that are in bondage in Egypt, in the next book, Exodus. The destiny of these twelve tribes that become the nation of Israel when they are delivered from bondage by the LORD GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is to eventually become the nation of prominence over all the world, and Jerusalem, the global capital, from which the Messiah of Israel shall reign as King of kings and LORD of Lords! We’ll examine these pronouncements made by Jacob over his sons throughout this chapter:
GENESIS 49:1-2
And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. 2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
This man had believed he lost a son in Joseph and feared that he might lose Benjamin his other son from his beloved wife Rachel; in fact, because of the drought, he was uncertain of the future of all of his sons.
Now he is preparing to depart this world; he’s ended his pilgrimage and preparing to go to his eternal home. He has the comfort of all of his sons with him. It’s been a life lasting one hundred and forty six years, by today’s standards an incredibly long life. But what’s more important than how long you live is how you live. My mother is almost ninety-three years old, and I’m soon going to be 58: if we both passed away today, we would be equally blessed in knowing that we’ve bowed before the LORD and surrendered to Him as our Savior.
He asks his twelve sons to listen “to Israel your father”; notice the name: again, not Jacob, but Israel, for he is prophesying concerning his sons, what the will of the LORD is, and what their futures hold. Not merely the future of his sons, but their tribes, and not only of their tribes but of the nation, and specifically the nation “in the last days” as it says in verse 1.
GENESIS 49:3-4
3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: 4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
1) The eldest son, Reuben, Israel’s first born, his might and the beginning of Israel’s progeny. Excellence of both dignity and power is pronounced but it’s mixed with sorrow and judgment – because he will not excel or be preeminent over his brothers, and why? Because of his ambition to replace his father as the head of the family. When did this happen? About forty years prior to this point in time.
GENESIS 35:21-22Reuben in taking his father’s concubine revealed his desire to become the head of the family. His father heard of it, but there was no immediate repercussions. Now, these many years later, there are: “Be sure your sin will find you out” it says in NUM 32:23; in ROMANS 6:23 it says, “the wages of sin is death” and not just as in the death of the body, but in this life, the ruin and curse of all that might have been good. GOD is never fooled by our cleverness in thinking we can commit sin and somehow get away with it:
21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. 22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
GALATIANS 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
So Reuben is degraded from the rights of the firstborn, but not disowned as a son, and an inheritor of Israel’s blessings. His brothers heard all the noble pronouncement spoken over Reuben “[Israel’s] might, the beginning of his strength, excellency in dignity and power” but all of that was stripped away because of his sin. His brothers saw this demotion and would be wise if they took it as a warning against any transgression they might commit.
No notable descendants are named in Scripture from Reuben; the only ones mentioned are Dathan and Abiram, both men were rebellious against Moses. No priest, prince or prophet came from Reuben. “Unstable as water”, was Reuben – impetuous; noble and heroic one moment, then ruthless and cunning the next.
GENESIS 49:5-7
5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. 6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
2 & 3) Here we have Simeon and Levi, and they don’t fare much better than Reuben. These two are so alike in character, that their father makes his pronouncement upon the two of them together. Israel relates the incident of what happened in GENESIS 34 regarding his daughter Dinah, and how these two brothers of hers took matters into their own hands in a fit of vengeance for what was done to her.
You remember that Dinah went to a place she had no place being in, got into trouble and was raped. But Shechem, the one who did this, seemed to display genuine affection for her and wanted to marry her. Letting their passions rule their hearts it led to ruin and the death of dozens of Shechemites that they murdered along with the man who raped their sister. Israel here doesn’t curse these two sons of his, but their intemperance and anger and cruelty.
PROVERBS 22:24Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:EPHESIANS 4:26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
It would not be surprising that these vengeful men were the ring-leaders in the plot against their younger brother Joseph. Of them all, Reuben and Judah seem the most intent on delivering Joseph, and still they couldn’t.
Israel states that they will be “scattered and divided” and as we know, the tribe of Levi was not given a territory like the other tribes; the Levites were given cities scattered throughout the territories of the other tribes. The Simeonites, never prospered, they couldn’t ‘get it together’ as it were, scattered in their attempts to prosper, but couldn’t. Zimri of this tribe was especially prone towards sinfulness in that he brought a Midianite woman into his tent for the purpose of fornication, in the very presence of a mourning Moses; Zimri was slain by the grandson of Aaron, Phinehas who thrust both Zimri and the woman through with a spear (NUM 25:7-8)!
GENESIS 49:8-12
8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: 12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
4) Now we come to Judah and Israel has a lot to say of this son. After such hard words spoken against these first three, the wondrous pronouncement spoken here shows grace, just as justice was just seen previously. Israel speaks of how Judah’s brothers shall praise him – for his name means “praise”. Judah, from whom comes Jesse, the father of David, the king and famous warrior of the nation: “your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies” and his “brothers shall bow before him”
The famous conquests and subsequent restful peace and prosperity of David’s kingdom is alluded to in the phrase, “he couches as a lion” – this is no raging, roaring lion seeking prey, but a lion that has won his prize and resting at ease.
Then we come to the scepter which is a royal emblem of authority; it was the custom of kings to have scepters, which were short, ceremonial staffs used in the making of official declarations of law. A king when making a law, would raise their scepter, indicating to the nearby scribes to write it down and have it declared throughout the land.
In verse 10, it states that the kingly authority of King David’s royal line would not be taken away “until Shiloh come”. Shiloh in the Hebrew has a somewhat obscure meaning, but scholars for the most part seem to agree that it could be rendered something like, “for whom it belongs” or “to him that it pertains” – others suggest a rendering like, “the peaceful and prosperous one” referring to the throne of David.
We understand from what the angel Gabriel said to Mary, that it would be her own son that would be granted the throne of David (LUKE 1:31-33). So in retrospect, we understand that “Shiloh” is in reference to the Messiah. The word pronounced by Israel is that the authority of the throne would not be taken away (not the throne itself), that is, Israel’s sovereignty, until the Messiah came.
The Roman government took away the last bit of Jewish rule when they took away the power of capital punishment from the Sanhedrin. This was decades later recognized by the Sanhedrin in JOHN 19:15 when they cried out before Pilate, governor of Judea, “We have no king but Caesar”. At that time when Israel lost the power of capital punishment, they mourned because “the scepter was taken away” and the Messiah had not come – but what they didn’t know, was that in Nazareth, there was a teenaged boy, growing up in the house of Joseph and Mary, Jesus the Messiah.
Of course, we all know that Judah is the most distinguished of all the tribes of Israel, in that from tribe of Judah, the Messiah Himself (“Shiloh”) shall come, from the house of David.
2 SAM 7:12 states that the LORD will raise up from David a seed who shall rule upon his throne “forever” and we see that this is the same seed as mentioned in GAL 3:16, coming from Abraham, and this “seed” is in the singular, not plural; one specific seed, which is the Messiah!
From verse 11, we see that prophecy regarding the prosperity of Judah will be renowned and unequaled by any of the nations of the Earth. Their grape vines will be so huge and plentiful that people will be able to bind their mules to them! Yet the true blessing will be known in Israel when GOD’s own True Vine will bring peace to His people (JOHN 15:1).
Now we come to these six other sons of Jacob: Zebulun, Issachar, Dan and Gad, Joseph, and Benjamin.
GENESIS 49:13
13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.
5) The men of Zebulun are foreseen as a tribe of sailors and fishermen, and when they came into Canaan land, the lots of the tribes of Israel were given by lot, that is, the appointment by ‘drawing straws’ as it were:
JOSHUA 19:10-11
10 And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid: 11 And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;
GOD never leaves anything to chance; Jacob prophesied that Zebulun would have havens for ships, and that they would dwell there; then when they entered the land, Zebulun’s turn came up to cast lots, and what do you know – they were given coastland on the border of the sea!
For the Christian, a child of GOD, there really is no such thing as coincidence; GOD is directly involved in every aspect of your life, and so as things happen, they are a ‘GODincidence’!
For the Christian, a child of GOD, there really is no such thing as coincidence; GOD is directly involved in every aspect of your life, and so as things happen, they are a ‘GODincidence’!
EPHESIANS 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
PSALM 107:23-26, 28
23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; 24 These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. 25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Let us always remember, that the storms we face in life, these are appointed storms, so that the LORD may reveal Himself to us as the LORD of the storms (MATT 8:27; JOB 9:8)!
GENESIS 49:14-15
14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: 15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.
6) Issachar’s and his people will become farmers, plowing like the ox, under the burden of fruitful labor that yields rest and satisfaction in the harvest. While those of Zebulun will always be toiling in their seafaring, always active, going to and fro for the harvest of the seas, Isaachar in his harvest of the land, once plowed, sown and kept, will know a time of rest until the harvest where once again they will know the blessed labor of receiving their bounty.
We ourselves know times as laborers in the LORD’s vineyard, a time of industry, of toil, and active and intentional labor – in using the sharp blade that is GOD’s Word in plowing into the hearts of men, of sowing the seed of the Word into people’s lives, in watering the seed with our prayers, in weeding by warning of the deceptive allure of riches and the cares of this world, in standing fast in spiritual warfare against the fowls of the air who are the ‘seed-stealers’ as pastor Sonny often calls them (consider the parable of the sower of the seed; LUKE 8:4-8).
Let us be mindful to sow good seed, spiritual seed, godly seed into our lives that we may reap the blessings and advantages of godliness in our lives! NOT sowing to the flesh, because that leads to ruin and corruption (GAL 6:7).
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-7.This verse not only applies to our offerings and tithes, but also all forms of our worship of the LORD – everything that we give to Him with our time, in study, in prayer, in fellowship and ministry, and especially in our love! . . . let us purpose in our hearts to do these things, with cheerful generosity!
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver
GENESIS 49:16-18
16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. 18 I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.
16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. 18 I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.
7) From this tribe of Dan came many judges, including Samson! Dan has the characteristic of a serpent which is subtlety, a sort of wisdom that is able to conceal one’s true intent or purpose that works to the person’s advantage over an enemy. This is a useful quality in warfare or in dealing with adversaries that intend harm.
We know that Satan is referred to as a serpent with this same quality of subtleness but in his case, he uses this characteristic for evil purposes, coupled together with the “wiles” (methods; EPH 6:11) the devil employs to carry out his wickedness.
Issachar shows the strength and fortitude of the ox, while Judah possesses the quality of a courageous lion; Dan, the subtlety of a serpent.
But the descendants of Dan in JUDGES 18:29-31, they promoted idolatry and established a priesthood that worshiped false gods from that time all the way to the Assyrian and later, the Babylonian captivity.
Later on in the book of REVELATION it lists the 12 tribes and Dan is not listed among them as these tribulation evangelists numbering 144,000 (REV 7:1-8; REV 14:1-5); many believe it’s for this reason – that they led Israel into idolatry.
But this brings up the question, how can Dan, one of the twelve tribes of Israel not be among this number and we still end up with twelve tribes? Because there really are fourteen tribes to select from:
1. Reuben 2. Simeon 3. Levi 4. Judah 5. Zebulun 6. Issachar 7. Dan 8. Gad 9. Asher
10. Naphtali 11. Joseph 12. Benjamin
If you remember pastor Albert's teaching in chapter 48, Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons, adopting them as his own: Manasseh and Ephraim. When it came time to divide the land of Canaan for territories among the tribes, Levi was not given a territory: instead, this tribe inherited cities throughout all the land of Israel, yet there are twelve territories still, excluding Levi.
So the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim are included instead, and Joseph, because he is the father of these two, is represented in these two territories given to his sons, though no territory is given under Joseph’s name (See NUMBERS 2:1-29). The Fourteen Tribes of Israel
GENESIS 49:19-21
19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last. 20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. 21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
8) Gad means “troop” and this intimates the war-like and militant nature of this tribe (Benjamin is the other tribe known for their ferocity in battle).
1 CHRONICLES 12:1-2,8Jacob encourages his son Gad, that though throughout his future days, his tribe will know defeat at times, that ultimately, he will conquer his enemies and the Ammonites and Moabites will eventually be overcome.
Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war. 2 They were armed with bows and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.
8 And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains
This should encourage us as well; the Christian is not exempt from defeat, especially if we are not warring in the armor of GOD which is Christ; if we are not living by the power of the Spirit. Yet even so, there are times, according to the wisdom of GOD that even then, we may be hindered by the enemy – even Paul the apostle knew such a defeat; 1 THESS 2:18. Yet ultimately, though we may lose a skirmish or a battle here or there, we have, because of the LORD Jesus Christ and our faith in Him, won the war in absolute victory!
ROMANS 8:37
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
What does this mean, “more than conquerors”? For the Christian, we don’t have to go out and do the conquering; we simply receive the victory of Christ over sin, over death, over this sinful world, over Satan and hell. By faith we stand in the victory we have in Christ and hold firm to this truth, no matter what the circumstances and situations in life may look like. Though all looks like darkness, disappointment and defeat, we believe GOD’s Word of Truth, over any sort of odds set against us and understand that we do not fight FOR victory, but we fight FROM victory!
9) Addressing Asher, a very rich and fruitful tribe with exquisite blessings from the LORD.
The LORD daily loads us with benefits (PSALM 68:19), and his answers to our prayers goes far about what we ask or even think!
EPHESIANS 3:17-20
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
So has the LORD blessed Asher, which means “happy, blessed” with abundance, above and beyond the basic needs, and has granted “dainties” of such volume, that they were able to bless all the other tribes, and even neighboring nations! Indeed, happy are the people, whose GOD is the LORD! (PSALM 144:15).
10) Speaking of Naphtali, which means ‘wrestling’ or ‘to prevail’
Judah the Lion, Issachar the Ox, Dan the Serpent (later becomes the Eagle), and here, Naphtali is pictured as a deer. A gentle people of kind, encouraging and goodly words of wisdom. Notice such a wide variety of natures represented in all these different tribes. All very different, yet of the same nation.
Likewise in the church, we see a wide variety of members that comprise one body of Christ, working together in concert and accomplishing together far more than what we could accomplish on our own.
Such people of goodness and wisdom will more often than not find such treasures in the midst of struggling, wrestling and then prevailing over hardships and trials and by these, prove that they have sought the Good LORD and His wisdom, for there is no other recourse by which we may obtain them. As the deer pants for the water brooks, so we thirst after the LORD our GOD
PSALM 42:1
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
PROVERBS 25:11-12
11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
Of all the tribes, we see Jacob spends the majority of his time describing the destiny of Judah and Joseph. We understand why too: because it’s from the tribe of Judah that the Messiah will come, and in the life story of Joseph, we see profound types and truths expressed that reveal the person of Jesus Christ (biblical “types” are like models or examples that represent something of paramount importance. Joseph is a type or model of Jesus; in the Bible “fowls” are types for demonic spirits, “tares” are types of unbelieving, “false brethren”).
GENESIS 49:22-26
22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) 25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) 25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
Last but certainly never least, Jacob addresses his two sons from his beloved Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin – “the last shall be first” and Joseph who was esteemed least for much of his life becomes the greatest; Benjamin, the very youngest as were all the youngest in Hebrew culture, was likewise esteemed least, but remember of all of Joseph’s brothers, he blessed Benjamin in the greatest measure.
11) “A fruitful bough” Joseph is described as; and we have seen this in his life; through hardships, trials, suffering, humiliation and isolation, his life has become so fruitful, that through his life, entire nations were ministered to and saved!
We have witnessed that through the malicious plans, launched like fiery arrows from these “[attacking] archers”, not of strangers or enemies, but of his very own family, among his brothers, as well as the false witness of Potiphar’s wife that landed Joseph in prison; and no doubt those members of Pharaoh’s court who, like the wisemen and astrologers of King Nebuchadnezzer’s court envied Daniel for this exaltation, despised Joseph, even though by his wisdom and deeds, saved their lives!
Yet for all these attacks, this barrage of baneful and belligerent assaults, the “bow [of his strength]” did not break! This sanctified “stone” that is Joseph became a shepherd for Israel in providing for them, just as “the stone of stumbling, the chief cornerstone” (1 PET 2:6) which is Christ, is the Good Shepherd both of Israel and the church!
How ungrateful of them, you're probably thinking, but certainly not as ungrateful as this Christ-rejecting world, though He shed His own righteous blood for their sakes, that attack His precious name on a daily, even hourly basis!
GOD was at work, fulfilling His sovereign will upon this humble and wise man. No weapon formed against him prospered; and so it is for the saints of GOD who walk in His ways:
ISAIAH 54:7
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
We often think that we see the way GOD is working in our lives: we see where we are now, at point A, and think of where point B is, and C, and D, and think GOD will take us through that way. But as we have seen in Joseph’s life, GOD brought him from point A, to B, then to X, Y, and C and finally to Z!
ROMANS 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
These blessed paths that the LORD led Joseph through were also blessings upon his father, Jacob, whose faith probably waivered, wondering how GOD’s promises would be fulfilled in making of him “a great nation” what with his favored son presumed dead, and the lives of all his other children (and grandchildren) at jeopardy because of this deadly, world-wide famine. Yet though heaven and earth be removed, the WORD of the LORD will be fulfilled (as the LORD Jesus said in MATT 24:35)!
Because Joseph relied upon the faithfulness of his GOD, Joseph himself proved faithful to GOD and such faithfulness yielded these blessings from heaven above and in the earth below; blessings in his offspring through fruitful mothers that prospered in the tribe of Joseph (via Ephraim and Manasseh).
It is interesting to note that the LORD first appeared to Abraham in GEN 12:7; He appeared to Isaac in GEN 26:2; and He appeared to Jacob in GEN 32:24 – when did He appear to Joseph? He didn’t – He was with Joseph, but Joseph never saw the LORD as did his fathers. Yet of these four men, whose walk with GOD was the most commendable but Joseph’s? Showing that we walk by faith and not by sight (2 COR 5:7)!
12) Finally we come to Benjamin:
GENESIS 49:27-28
27 Benjamin [is a ravenous] wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. 28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them and blessed them; everyone according to his blessing he blessed them.
As mentioned earlier in addressing the tribe of Gad, this tribe and Benjamin are the warriors, but of Benjamin, there is cunning, ravenous desire to seek out and inspire dread that only a wolf can bring. It was the tribe of Benjamin that the enemies of Israel dreaded the most. The men of this tribe were known for their ferocity and undaunted courage.
Ehud, a Judge of Israel came from this tribe, a left-handed swordsman and cunning indeed, having a hidden dagger, slew Eglon the Moabite king.
The first king of Israel was Saul of the tribe of Benjamin, who at least started out with humility, and was a valiant warrior in his own right.
Esther and Mordecai her uncle were of the tribe of Benjamin.
And of course in ROM 11:1 and PHIL 3:5 we learn that Paul the apostle is from the tribe of Benjamin – who was ravenous in seeking out and destroying Christians, but with that same ferocity, later waged war for Christ against Satan and all his evil powers.
GENESIS 49:29-33
29 And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah. 32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth. 33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.
So ends chapter 49 and completion of my contributions to the study of this awesome, foundational book of GENESIS!
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