THE LAST WORDS OF JACOB
TO HIS SONS
Chapter 49
After interviewing Joseph and his sons, Jacob called his other sons to his presence to bless and impart his last message to each one, starting with the oldest and, following the order of age, ending with the youngest.
These messages were very important, being prophetic, to be fulfilled centuries later in the tribes which descended from each one: what was then prophetic is now largely history.
Not only the prophecies concerning the people of Israel, but also those concerning each tribe, have been faithfully fulfilled. The phrase translated “in the last days” is used in Scripture to mean the period of occupation of Canaan by the Israelites and the time of the coming of Messiah, which includes the tribulation (Deuteronomy 4:30, Ezekiel 38:16), the millennium and His eternal kingdom. In some cases it also refers to the period of the church in its entirety (Hebrews 1:2) or at its conclusion (2 Timothy 3:1, James 5:3).
Again we see proof of the faith of Jacob: although the Promised Land was inhabited by the Canaanites, and his family were well accommodated in Egypt, Jacob does not hesitate to predict the return of his descendants to the land God had promised to his grandfather Abraham, Isaac his father and himself. The distribution, centuries later, of this land among the tribes of Israel, by lot, is described in Joshua chapters 14 to 19.
Reuben was not privileged to be the firstborn: Jacob did not forget how he betrayed him with Bilhah (Chapter 35:22), and consequently his birthright went to Joseph (1 Chronicles 5:1-2). "Unstable as water” has the sense of rocking, the picture of instability. No prophet, hero or judge came from that tribe.
Simeon and Levi are mentioned together, called brothers not so much for having the same mother, but mainly because they were partners in violence and hatred at the massacre of the men of Shechem (Chapter 34:25), and in the cruelty of hamstringing oxes, that is to cut the tendons of their legs. Jacob obviously did not approve the savagery of these sons. As a result he cursed their anger and their wrath: the tribe of Simeon received their inheritance within the inheritance of Judah (Joshua 19:1, 1 Chronicles 4:39-43), while the tribe of Levi received no portion of the promised land for inheritance, only some cities to dwell in and their common-lands for their livestock (Joshua 21:1-3). The Levites were opposed to the idolatry of the golden calf (Exodus 32:26) and so were assigned to the priestly service of the people of Israel.
Judah, who sold Joseph into slavery and sought to defraud his daughter-in-law from her inheritance, may have changed his character for the better (Chapter 44:33-34), and now got the best of blessings: he would carry the royal line of Israel "until Shiloh": Shiloh meaning “rest” and “tranquillity” is the name of a city (Judges 21:19), but as the word also means “peaceful” (comp. with Isaiah 9:6) it could more fittingly refer to the Messiah. Judah´s symbol is the lion, King David is descended from him and his lineage goes down to the Lord Jesus (Revelation 5:5), where it stopped because He had no children. He will be recognized all over the world on his second coming, and verses 11 and 12 describe the millennial prosperity. Verse 12 "His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk", indicates His good health.
Zebulun would inhabit an area between the sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean sea, so would be involved with merchant sailors.
Issachar would be strong, and not very adventurous, accommodated to the fertile land he would inherit. This tribe was located north of the land of Canaan, and took care of much of the menial work of the nation, they were the 'workhorses'!
Dan produced Samson, who judged Israel for 20 years (Judges 13:2 -16:31.). But, like snakes, his tribe introduced idolatry into Israel in an official manner (Judges 18:30-31) and for leading the rebellion against God it would need the salvation of the LORD. It is omitted from the list of tribes that will provide servants to preach during the great tribulation (Revelation 7:5-8).
Gad, when settling along the eastern border, east of the Jordan River, would be at the forefront and vulnerable to enemy attacks coming from the east, in need of brave warriors to protect their heritage (1 Chronicles 5:18, 12:8).
Asher received the valuable coastline north of Mount Caramel. They provided no judge or hero to the nation, but the prophetess Anna was of this tribe (Luke 2:36).
Naphtali is likened to a doe that has been released from confinement and springs forth with tremendous speed to carry good news. Their inheritance was a very fertile territory and with beautiful landscapes, inhabited at the time of the Lord Jesus by many foreigners, therefore was called the Galilee of the Gentiles (Matthew 4:15), where He served most of His ministry (Mark 4:13-16), performing miracles and telling parables. All the disciples, except the traitor, came from the territory of Naphtali, and much of the Lord's ministry was there.
Joseph received the most eloquent blessing, starting with a brief biography of him. Among his descendants were Joshua (Joshua 1:10, 11), Deborah (Judges 4:4) and Samuel (1 Samuel 1:1 - 3:19) of the tribe of Ephraim, and Gideon (Judges 6:11, 12) and Jephthah (Judges 11: 11), of the tribe of Manasseh. Unfortunately there was also Jeroboam, an idolater, who led the revolt to divide the kingdom, coming from the tribe of Ephraim.
Benjamin, the last son, was a warrior: like a hungry wolf, victorious in war, but also cruel (Judges 20). King Saul (I Samuel 9:1-2) and Paul (Romans 11:1) were both of the tribe of Benjamin. This tribe always kept itself close to the tribe of Judah, and was its partner when the kingdom was divided.
We have evidence here that for Jacob death was not the end: he would gather himself to his people. Though dead they still existed. He wanted his body to be buried in the cave that Abraham bought, thus ensuring that he would be in that land when he rose again from the dead, to live on it in fulfilment of the promises God had made.
Now he was ready for death, having lived a long life, full of good and bad experiences, but confident in what he calls the Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd and Stone of Israel, his God, the Almighty (verses 24 and 25 ).
He drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Hebrews 11: 13).
R David Jones
1 And Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:
2 "Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, And listen to Israel your father.
3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father's bed; Then you defiled it— He went up to my couch.
5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.
6 Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.
8 "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10 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.
11 Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.
13 "Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon.
14 "Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens;
15 He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves.
16 "Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse's heels So that its rider shall fall backward.
18 I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!
19 "Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last.
20 "Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.
21 "Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.
22 "Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him.
24 But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
25 By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.
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 what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.
29 Then he charged them and said to them: "I am to be gathered to 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 as a possession for a burial 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 field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth."
33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
Genesis chapter 49