49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: ‘Gather round so that I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come (Prophetic Blessing).
2 ‘ASSEMBLE AND LISTEN, sons of Jacob (they were all together when Jacob spoke to them);
listen to your father Israel. Genesis 49
Jacob called all his sons together, perhaps for the last time. They would have known that his words to them were not to be taken lightly; it would have been a solemn occasion.
3 ‘Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honour, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.
Reuben lost his place as firstborn because of his sin. We can of course receive forgiveness through the Blood of Jesus, but immorality is described as a serious sin in the New Testament.
5 ‘Simeon and Levi are brothers –
their swords are weapons of violence.
6 LET ME NOT ENTER THEIR COUNCIL,
LET ME NOT JOIN THEIR ASSEMBLY,
for they have killed men in their anger
and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7 CURSED BE THEIR ANGER, SO FIERCE,
AND THEIR FURY, SO CRUEL!
I WILL SCATTER THEM IN JACOB
AND DISPERSE THEM IN ISRAEL.
Simeon and Levi were the only brothers spoken of as a pair (intertwined destinies), but the bond was because of their fierce anger. JACOB REFUSED TO BE UNITED WITH THEM in any way and the Bible has much to say against anger. (Levi was honoured by Moses when he blessed the tribes in Deuteronomy 33, because they stood with the Lord. Simeon isn’t mentioned by Moses, perhaps they were already scattered).
8 ‘Judah, your brothers will praise you (Judah means Praise);
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your father’s sons WILL BOW DOWN TO YOU. (Same as Joseph)
Judah became the leader of the tribes, but Jacob spoke much more over him, some of which wouldn’t be fulfilled for over 2000 years.
9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah (the Lion of Judah/Messiah);
10 The sceptre will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come
AND THE OBEDIENCE OF THE NATIONS WILL BE HIS.
Jacob saw the coming of the Lord and His Kingdom so far ahead and prophesied He would come through Judah. God ordained it and it came to pass, His Kingdom will rule on this earth.
Joseph (seen as a Type of Christ) was the other brother with Judah who received a mighty blessing.
22 ‘Joseph is a fruitful vine (Fruitful, same blessing as Jacob),
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.
26 Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
than the bounty of the age-old hills.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
It’s interesting that the last recorded words of Jacob and Moses, two fathers of the tribes, WERE WORDS OF BLESSING, spoken before their deaths. (No need to wait until the end TO BLESS THOSE NEAR AND DEAR TO US.)
Immanuel, Stay Strong, God is with us.