Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons - And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: “Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, And listen to Israel your father. This process of spiritual growth finally reaches its height in that Christ Himself is seen in the believer. The first four sons of Jacob show the characteristic blessings which God had bestowed originally upon His people: If we follow the history of Christendom we see that these privileges were soon lost sight of. The poem itself appears to be a composite of many authors. The words of Jacob about Shiloh (meaning "he who brings rest") probably refer in the first place to Solomon, the king of peace. Here again, the prophecy has a twofold import, a historical one and a future one. He is a deer let loose and gives beautiful words. I will gather them up and they will be scattered.” He also states that he does not wish to be in their company, which essentially ostracizes them. Jacob's short prayer is the turning point of this chapter. The chapter then shares Jacob’s prophecies regarding many of his sons. The meanings of their names and of the others have been given already. Finally, Jacob speaks to the sons of Rachel–first to Joseph, whose sons, Ephraim and Manesseh, inherit his blessing and become part of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13). Paradoxically, this is the foremost argument for the early nature of this tradition. The wealth linked with it, however - the firstborn was entitled to a double portion of the inheritance - went to Joseph, the first son of Rachel, the loved one. But it is obvious that they reach far beyond him, as is shown by the words that the sceptre would not depart from Judah until the arrival of Shiloh, to whom the obedience of the peoples would be. But Jacob called the inheritance, which Joseph was to have in excess of his brethren, שׁכם (lit., shoulder, or more properly nape, neck; here figuratively a ridge, or tract of land), as a play upon the word Shechem, because he regarded the piece of land purchased at Shechem as … 15:4). It’s the last line that has scholars baffled. 17:12-13; Rev. Levites are scattered among all the cities. 2); on the other hand Christ in His heavenly glory is the goal of all our ambitions (Phil. It is worth noting, however, that their duties include protecting the sanctuary and killing anyone encroaching upon it. The Blessing of Jacob is a prophetic poem that appears in Genesis at 49:1–27 and mentions each of Jacob's twelve sons. Apart from this, Genesis 49 contains valuable lessons for ourselves as individual believers. As his life wanes, Jacob calls to his sons, and says: “Gather around, that I may tell you what will happen to you in days to come.” And while the poem does describe their futures, it also looks back to various incidents that have happened, incidents that will have an impact upon those futures. This is his firstborn. 15:24), "in the evening" (Gen. 49:27 NASB), and the millennium will give place to the eternal state. 29–32), an order he earlier gave to Joseph alone (47:29–31). Nothing happens as a result. This marked the end of the history of Israel and of the first man in his responsibility. Scholars believe that elements of this poem are … 12:29-30). Now therefore, my husband will love me." It has failed as much as God's ancient people. Then we see what happened after the prosperous times of David and Solomon and also after the rejection of the Messiah: assimilation with and subjugation to the nations, ending in complete apostasy. Jezebel's influence is found again in the end time in idolatrous Babylon the great (Rev. At best, scholars can only make educated guesses, which usually results in interpretative challenges. Additionally, because it is so ancient, many words are unknown. While Abraham is the "father" of both a heavenly and an earthly offspring, Jacob is more especially the progenitor of Israel after the flesh. Although we do recognize Christ's authority in our lives (Judah and Shiloh), we can be enslaved by the world, the law and sin (Zebulun, Issachar and Dan). Reuben (meaning "see, a son") behaved as an unworthy son, and Simeon (meaning "heard") and Levi (meaning "attached") were brothers in evil. A brief look at each prediction reveals that they were fulfilled. 3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, the child of my vigorous youth. They occupy the northernmost territory and have to fight their own battles without the help of other tribes. Despite the successes Israel and his sons have enjoyed in Egypt (vv. 1–12), Jacob knows that their future does not lie there. Our history as children and sons of God is not always flawless, as is shown in type in the first three sons of Jacob. Therefore the prayer of those who remain faithful to the Word and the Name of Christ is, "I have waited for Your salvation, O LORD!" Naphtali (meaning "my wrestling") rejoices in the freedom of the victor and sings the song of salvation. Additionally, because they do not own land, they are dependent upon the charity of others and never attain any wealth of their own. Some have argued that they provide food for Canaanite royalty at the expense of their own people. A small tribe, their successes lie in their ability to move quickly versus sheer strength. To sum up, the first three sons of Jacob show us natural man's corruption. When giving the blessing, Jacob crossed his hands to put his right hand on Ephraim, the younger son. To Christ the nations have even now become obedient by the obedience of faith (Rom. Who will deliver me from this body of death?" At His appearing and the dawn of the Kingdom, Christ will destroy all His enemies. He sings the song of praise of Christian liberty and cries, "Abba, Father!". Depending on how one calculates the dates, he could have been in his forties. 3). Reuben: the name means see a son – Whose mother was Leah. 16:31-33). Benjamin (meaning "son of the right hand") is more typical of the earthly aspect of Christ's reign. Now if the order of Jacob's sons in Genesis 49 is determined neither by the order of their birth nor by the order of their mothers, what principle is used here? In the story, he is unhappy because they will be “a stink” to the surrounding people. In the final instructions, Jacob’s sons are referred to as the twelve tribes for the first time. He is like a “ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey, and at evening dividing the spoil.” This probably refers to the tribe of Benjamin becoming successful warriors and enjoying the plunder from their victories. (1-2) What will befall the sons of Jacob in the last days.. And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: Lastly, Jacob speaks about Benjamin. Now this is exactly what we find in the next three sons of Jacob. Some render the phrase “until Shiloh comes,” without a good explanation of what that might mean. In its other uses, Shiloh refers to a place. They will share the glory of Christ who is the Firstborn among many brethren (Joseph is the one who was separate from his brothers, or the one distinguished among his brothers). Later, his sons carried him to “the Meld of Machpelah” for interment, but this was after he had been gathered to his fathers—an expression which denotes merely that he joined his fathers in the state of death, where “the wicked cease from troubling; and … the weary be at rest.” (Job 3:17-19) The word “ghost” is a translation of a Hebrew word meaning “breath.”