Read: Genesis 49
After
adopting and blessing Joseph’s sons, Jacob now called his other eleven sons
together to prophesy over them (v. 1).
He then pronounced a blessing on each which reflected their past actions
and told of the future of their descendants.
In this passage Jacob clearly prophesies that Joseph and Judah were the
most blessed, as their blessings make up the majority of the passage.
Reuben – the firstborn son status was
forfeited because of his shocking behaviour with Bilhah (see Gen.
35:22-23).
Simeon and Levi – Jacob referred to
their violent actions at Shechem who they murdered because of the rape of their
sister Dinah. Their offspring would be
scattered throughout the other tribes (v. 7).
Judah – his blessing included being
held in high esteem by his brothers (v. 8) and included royalty and kingship (v.
10). Jacob was predicting the great
empire of David and that the Messiah would come from this line.
Zebulun – would dwell at the sea, this
prophecy has yet to be fulfilled
Issachar – the blessing tells of the
strength of his descendants but the reference to a donkey speaks of being
forced to work for others
Dan – he would judge, his blessing
included a prayer for salvation
Gad – would be attacked by raiders and
become warriors
Asher – they would enjoy a prosperous
future with fertile land
Naphtali – is compared to a doe and would
flourish
Joseph – he received the longest
blessing which included a reference to his suffering (v. 23) and how God
sustained him through it (v. 24). He would
receive blessing and fruitfulness and would be set apart from his brothers (v.
26).
Benjamin – they would be aggressive
warriors
The
blessings on these children can be clearly seen in the twelve tribes of the
nation of Israel. Judah and Joseph
(through Ephraim) were clearly distinguished from the rest of the tribes as leaders. This is mostly due to their significance in
Genesis 37-50. Jacob then reiterated his
desire to be buried in the land of Canaan, with his fathers (v. 29); in the
cave that Abraham bought for Sarah (v. 30).
This cave would hold the remains of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah,
Jacob, and Leah. His desire to be buried
there reflects his belief in the permanence of the promise that the land would
be given to the descendants of Abraham, through Isaac and now himself. The chapter concludes with his death (v.
33).
Prayer and Journaling
1. The
twelve sons who received these prophecies from their father would never leave
Egypt and see the Promised Land. They
would not see the fulfillment of these prophecies in their lifetimes. These prophecies were left unfulfilled until
many years later. The words were never
meant to be for the individual sons but for their tribes. Although some sons received “better”
prophetic words than others, they were all blessed to be part of the nation of
Israel – God’s chosen nation! None of
the brothers could complain about their prophecy because that which was
foretold was not independent of the past, but an extension of it. Each received the blessing “suitable to him”
(v. 28). Some prophecies were influenced
by their past sins (Reuben, Simeon and Levi).
Joseph’s prophecy was based on his past faithfulness in suffering (v.
23-24). Thank the Lord for the gift of
prophesy which is still present in the church today. Thank Him for listening prayer and that we
can hear God! God speaks to His
children! He cares and He continues to guide and direct people according to His
plans. What a good God!
2. Not
all of the prophecies listed in this chapter have been fulfilled. The promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
were never fully realized in Israel’s history, and thus they are still viewed
to be futuristic. There are still prophetic words in Scripture that are to be
fulfilled. Pray for the church to
receive a greater understanding of these prophecies. Pray for a better
understanding of the End Times prophecies.
Pray for a hunger to study the Word of God and to hear what the Holy
Spirit has to say.
3. The
twelve sons of Israel would not live long enough to see the prophecies that
their father gave them fulfilled. So,
why bother giving these prophecies in the first place? One reason was to show us how our character
affects not only our own destiny but also the future of our offspring. There are bigger repercussions to our sin than
we may initially think as generational sins and curses can be transferred down
our generational line. These sons shaped
the future of the nation of Israel even though the nation was not formed for
many more years. If ever there was a
reason to get right with God, this would be one of them! If not for yourself, do it for your kids and
grandkids! Leave a legacy of holiness
and righteousness for your families! Ask
the Lord to help you live a godly and holy life so that you can leave a legacy
of godliness for your children and grandchildren. Ask Him to show you any generational issues
that you need to bring before Him today.
Ask Him to show you what to do about each of them.
