Genesis 49:2–27

In youth those eyes were too keen for "his own things." Then they were opened to see clearly the future of his sons up to, and at, the end of days. Truly no prophecy comes from its own interpretation. No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man. Men spoke from God, carried along by the Holy Spirit, Who does not stop short of His glorious purpose for Christ in the latter day.

They were the sons of JACOB. They took their character from their poor father, the supplanter, whose up-and-down history is so well known. Even so, Jacob speaks with the conscious dignity God had given him: "Listen to ISRAEL your father." Jacob's own history foreshadows that of his descendants. At the beginning it was marked by deceit and sorrow; at the end it was graced by dignity and honour.

He speaks as "Israel their father" — that is, as a man of God in the true form of a prophet.

The last words of Jacob to his sons are often called "the blessings." What he said is rather a prophecy. He said the most about Judah, because from Judah was to come Shiloh, that is, the Messiah. Jacob's prophecy covers in a remarkable way the entire history of Israel — past, present and future.

In Genesis 49, we find Jacob still presented to us as a man of faith. He called his sons together to pronounce a blessing on them. He was conscious that in doing so he was speaking as a prophet, foretelling what would happen to them in the last days. We are therefore on safe ground when we take his words to refer to "the last days," and not just to the nearer future of the tribes.

Now at the age of 147 he called for all his sons to tell them their future. That future would reach much further than any of them would live to see, but it applies to each tribe, going on to "the last days" (v. 1). For each tribe borrows its character from the character of its head.

Now, under the Spirit and as the oracle of God, he had to retrace in their presence the ways of his sons in past days. He had to trace the fruit of those ways in days still to come. He had to do much of this with a wounded heart, and with memories that might well be deeply humbling. For these words about his sons were a kind of judgment on himself for his past carelessness about his children.

On the whole, I think we have a complete history of Israel in this way. First his failure: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi — corruption and violence, as already noted. Then Judah, God's purpose in His people, in connection with the royal line and Shiloh. This is plain enough. To Him the gathering of the peoples was to be.

Now the Spirit of God has come to guide us into "all truth" (John 16:13), and He has revealed the mysteries of Jacob's remarkable prophecy. We are now able to read there the history of the nation — what has already been fulfilled, and what still waits to be fulfilled. Above all we read of the true Shiloh who, as God's anointed, will gather Israel around Him in His kingdom.

Jacob used the term "firstborn" in this general sense of dignified excellence when blessing his unworthy eldest son, Reuben: "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power" (Gen. 49:3). That is the rank the title of "firstborn" gave Reuben over his brothers. But in his case its value to him and his descendants was largely lost through his own sinful failure.

This is what he was as the firstborn. In himself he was "unstable as water," and he should not excel. Gen. 49:3-4. He forfeited his birthright for defiling his father's bed. It was given to Joseph, who in Ephraim and Manasseh had a double portion among the tribes. 1 Chr. 5:1. The law declared that if a man's firstborn son was by a wife he hated, he must not put another wife's son in his place. The firstborn must have a double portion of all that the man owned, "for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his." Deut. 21:16-17. … Esau is called a profane person for selling his birthright. It was a privilege God had given him, and he should have valued it as such. Gen. 25:31-34; Heb. 12:16.

Reuben was the firstborn. In him above all, the might, the strength, the dignity and the power of Jacob should show. The very beginning of Jacob's strength and excellency were to appear in him. And what appeared? Nothing but instability and self-gratification — defiling, an outrage on all natural decency. What a disappointment for Jacob, to see this evil come out as the beginning of his strength!

Reuben stands for the dignity of nature — not the flesh, for God does not bless the flesh. He stands for man as natural: fallen now, yes, but not fallen of necessity. Man's nobility lies in his intelligent will, and only such a will truly deserves the name. Without it he would be a mere machine worked by other hands, or a boat adrift with no oar or rudder. … Sin has come in, and his will has become self-will — an independent energy stamped with "vanity." That is a "bubbling over," which is what the word "unstable," used here of Reuben, really means. … So the will in man has lost its dignity, and become his degradation.

The firstborn are pictures of human excellence. They are the sons with a natural claim to the birthright, the place of honour and rule. … "Reuben," says the dying father, "you are my firstborn … preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power." But he had to add, "Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence." So the firstborn sons in the book of Genesis lose the place of blessing. Cain, what is he? Ishmael gives place to Isaac; Esau to Jacob; Reuben to Joseph. "That which is first is natural, and afterwards that which is spiritual."

The fallen, unstable first man must give place to the Second Man. He is the only One who could stand before God. And He stands for the feeblest of those who put their trust in Him.

It is a complete historical prophecy. In it we see, as in a mirror, God's account of men, shown in the twelve tribes. The great lesson in it is the setting aside of the responsible man (the first man), and the bringing in of Christ. All true blessing, whether heavenly or earthly, must come through the second Man.

The word "unstable" means the boiling and swilling of water. It is the surging up of the passion and force of nature, which cannot be trusted in the things of God. It ends here in positive evil.

Sin has come in, and his will has become self-will — an independent energy with "vanity" stamped on it. It is a "bubbling over," which is what the word "unstable," used here of Reuben, really means. And it does not hesitate to shame and defile the man himself, who is its source.

Reuben did forfeit his birthright, and it was entirely his own fault. He had gone up to his father's bed and committed adultery with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and so he lost his privileges. The position linked with the birthright went to Judah, the fourth son of Leah. The wealth linked with it went to Joseph, since the firstborn had a right to a double portion of the inheritance.

The man who dishonoured his father — and in a way not even found among the nations that do not know God — was forgiven. But he lost his birthright. He could have no pre-eminence now, nor when God's kingdom comes for the earth.

The firstborn are pictures of human excellence, the sons who had a natural claim to the birthright, the place of honour and rule. "Reuben," says the dying father, "you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength." But he had to add, "Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence." So the firstborn in the book of Genesis lose the place of blessing. Cain, what is he? Ishmael gives place to Isaac; Esau to Jacob; Reuben to Joseph.

Here we have a prediction of what marked Israel the nation all through their sad history, and especially when they were tested under the law. In the wilderness or in the land, under Moses or Joshua or the Judges or the Kings, their story is one long record of unstable swings between the worship of the LORD and of idols. Their adulterous link with false gods defiled them. And they were the sample nation, chosen so that the test of man might be carried out in them. In their condemnation all the nations stand condemned, ourselves included.

Reuben's prince is Elizur the son of Shedeur. The meaning of the first name is beyond question, and it is beautiful — "God is a Rock." What a contrast to the instability of Reuben is the rock-like stability of God! And it is the learning of this, and how to build on it, that gives stability to the unstable. In ourselves there is never strength, and the way of strength for us is to know this: "when I am weak, then am I strong."

Jacob gives the history of what his sons did, and some of it is most sad and humbling. Moses presents instead the workings of God's grace, both in them and toward them. Jacob records the evil deeds of Reuben, Simeon and Levi; Moses leaves them out entirely. Jacob views his sons in their personal history. Moses views them in their covenant relationship with the LORD. Jacob gives us human failure, weakness and sin. Moses gives us God's faithfulness, goodness and loving-kindness.

These two brothers are considered together, and united in cruelty and violence. Nothing good is said about them at all. Jacob refused to be identified with them in their rampage of murder, driven by their bitter anger. He refers to their slaughter of all the men in the city of Hamor and Shechem.

Their father never forgot their cruel and violent action, recorded in Genesis 34. He separated himself from it. They claimed to be avenging their sister's honour. But Jacob would not join his honour to what they did, and he condemned it as the fruit of their anger.

They band together and deceive, as religious bigotry always does, but every truly religious man will echo Jacob's rejection of it. The innocent suffer with the guilty in these cursed crusades — the innocent ox with the guilty Shechem — and Shechem was not half as bad as they were. The worst part of this crime is that they do it in the name of God, of religious order and separation. So they make thoughtless people hate religion, and they manage to wrong the world and the church at the same time.

The last clause of verse 6 is unclear, because the reading is not certain. But take it as it stands: "they dug down a wall." We may apply this to their murder of their Messiah and Deliverer. In killing Him they destroyed their own separated position, and so dug down the wall of protection that had been theirs.

In the end he sees what all this really was — the fruit of his living at Shechem. In self-will a man had been killed there, and a fence thrown down. But Jacob himself had dug down God's fence before. The call of God had raised a wall between the clean and the unclean, between the Jew and the Gentile. Jacob himself, in spirit, had broken that wall down when he settled as a citizen or landowner on his purchased estate at Shechem.

How striking the language is! God could not come into Levi's council, or join his company. That was impossible. God could have nothing to do with self-will, fierceness, and cruelty. Yet He could bring Levi into His own council, and join him to His company. He could take him out of his home, where the instruments of cruelty were. He could bring him into the tabernacle to handle the holy instruments and vessels there. This was grace — free, sovereign grace. Here we must look for the basis of all Levi's blessed and high service.

By nature he was "joined" in a covenant of murder; by grace "joined" in a covenant of "life and peace." The former, because he was "fierce and cruel"; the latter, because he feared and was afraid of the Lord's name.

The first action of Levi that the Scriptures record is an act of cruelty. Levi was one of Jacob's twelve sons. Excessive wrath drove him, and he acted in a deceitful way. Read the account in Genesis 34: "Simeon and Levi... took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males" (Gen. 34:25). Jacob had to say: "You have brought trouble on me" (Gen. 34:30). This is why, later, the blessing of the tribe of Levi was turned into a curse.

Simeon and Levi come next. Their father never forgot their cruel and violent action, recorded in Genesis 34. He dissociated himself from it. They claimed to be avenging the honour of their sister. But Jacob would not join his own honour to what they did, and he denounced it as the fruit of their anger.

These two brothers are considered together, and united in cruelty and violence... Then comes a prophetic sentence: "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." Their unity in evil would result in division even among the tribes.

As a consequence of Simeon and Levi's sin, these two brothers were "divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel" (Gen. 49:7). However, they differed from each other. In grace the Lord used Levi's dispersion to give him priestly functions suited to his position. It was otherwise for Simeon, who continued to bear the mark of God's judgment... Simeon was small in number. His land lay partly inside Judah's territory, was open to enemy attacks on the south, and had no definite borders.

It may be instructive to compare the case of Levi as an instance of God making His judgment an occasion of blessing. Genesis 49:7 says, "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." But in Deuteronomy 33:10 we see Him overrule that dividing and scattering. It made them teach "Jacob your rules, and Israel your law" more effectively. "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more."

By nature he was "joined" in a covenant of murder; by grace "joined" in a covenant of life and peace... By nature Levi was familiar with the instruments of cruelty; by grace, with the instruments of God's tabernacle. By nature God could not come into Levi's assembly; by grace, Levi is brought into God's assembly.

It refers, we believe, to that terrible outbreak of anger and cruelty in the nation, which reached its climax in the rejection and death of Christ. Stephen speaks of Him as "the Righteous One," in contrast to the sinful men killed by Simeon and Levi. He added, "whom you have now betrayed and murdered" (Acts 7:52). Strikingly enough, Simeon and Levi achieved their murderous intent by a preliminary act of betrayal.

Anger is allowed in a believer, but it must not become a settled feeling... There is a holy indignation. The sight of shameless evil may stir it, and it is far from private hostility... When harboured as a lasting sentiment, it is sin; and in its results it is nearer to cursing than to blessing.

And again she bore a son, and said, "Now I will praise Jehovah"; so she called his name Judah. Never do we hear of her soul rising so high. The sorrow-stricken woman breaks out in praise of Jehovah, and her fourth son carries it in the name she gave him that day. Yes, from Judah, in human descent, came the Christ, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. How much His grace rises above our praise!

The blessing of Judah strikes an entirely different note. In verses 8-12 we turn to a prophecy about Christ. He was rejected and killed, yet He comes out triumphant in both grace and judgment. There is a play on Judah's name, for it means "Praise." And Christ is to be the Object of universal praise, as we see in Revelation 5. Verse 8 shows two classes: his brothers and his enemies. His brothers are to sound out his praise, and his enemies are to feel the power of his hand putting them down. Here his father's children are to bow down before Judah, who stands for Christ, just as they were earlier to bow down before Joseph, since he stood for Christ.

"Judah prevailed." What a gracious way of declaring God's pre-determined purpose! In history, how did Judah prevail so as to get this honour? He was one with his brothers in their hatred of Joseph... Judah's prevailing is simply the will of God. So he prevailed, not by his goodness. The Holy Spirit has given us a sketch of his home life, his private life, and Genesis 38 tells his character and his sin plainly. No other son of Jacob is brought into the light like this.

The prophecy about Judah stands in great contrast to the one about Simeon and Levi, for all of it is favourable. Judah had been guilty of very serious wrong too. But his deeply felt repentance, seen in Genesis 44:18-34, was such that God was free to bless him greatly.

But first of all, Judah shows us a picture of Christ Himself. God's purpose is in Him, and Judah is the one whom his brothers shall praise. This could not be said of Reuben; there was nothing praiseworthy in him, whatever his position at the head of the family might have been... God's purpose is in Judah (Psalm 78:68), and here the Christ is brought before us as the One to be praised. Let us praise Him from our very hearts!

"Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the book." Here we see the definite plans of God about the centre of His purposes on the earth. Judah was the one in whom the promises were centred... The general promise at the beginning was, "the offspring of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." Then it all rested on Abraham's offspring: "in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." The line became narrower and narrower. Judah was chosen from among his brothers, and last of all, the family of David.

The lion of the tribe of Judah tells us of this mighty power at work for God's ancient people. It matches the prophecy of Jacob, which foretells that Judah will prevail over his enemies — "Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies." In order that Judah may prevail he has the strength of "a young lion." But the real source of Judah's strength is that out of that tribe the One would come to whom the people would gather (Gen. 49:8-10). Christ is the true Lion of Judah.

Judah is the royal tribe whose ensign was a lion, and from him Messiah sprang. Lions stand for the majesty and dignity of Israel's throne. Think of that, and you get some sense of the true dignity of the nation as linked to the Son of David. Judah is a young lion. "From the prey, my son, you have gone up," says Jacob... We live in the light of accomplished redemption, with the power of Satan broken at the cross. So we can see how He has gone up, having stripped principalities and powers and triumphed over them... "But who shall rouse Him up?" That shall be the day of the vengeance of our God.

Judah was to stoop and lie down. The first of these original words implies a forced lowering; the second a voluntary humiliation (Psalm 102:10; Philippians 2:7). But he was to lie down as a lion, and in the end to rise up in royal dignity and judgment. It is, in principle, the "sufferings of Christ and the glories that follow." At the end of the Book, the apostle John is called to look at the Lion of Judah, who had prevailed to open and carry out God's decrees for the world. John turned and saw, not a lion, but a "Lamb, as though it had been slain." That was how the lion had prevailed: by humiliation, suffering and death. He went down into them so as to rise again into royal dominion and power.

The lion is a type of unstoppable strength. It may act lawlessly, or, as here, in the righteous carrying out of God's judgments, for "a king's wrath is like the growling of a lion." (Proverbs 19:12.)... These prophecies are still unfulfilled; for He who holds God's mighty power, symbolised by the lion, has not yet appeared in this character. He has been on earth as a lamb led to the slaughter, but not as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah." This is the character, however, which He now takes.

So it is Christ that Jacob has in spirit before him when he sees Judah taking on the lion-character. In David the lion-character did rise up for a short time, just as predicted. But the brief glory of his kingdom only foretold and announced the better glory of Christ's lasting one. So the Lion of the tribe of Judah is not only the "Branch of David," springing out of the cut-down tree. He is also, as here, the Root of David, and David himself gets all his real meaning from Him... David's throne is to be lifted up from the dust, and Judah's long-delayed hope is to open out into fulfilment. The thought of Judah's Lion cannot be separated from Judah taking the prey, and then lying down with a front of power that no one will dare to disturb.

In verse 9 Judah is compared to a lion, as a king among beasts. Here we see a hint of Christ acting in judgment. Genesis is the seed-plot of the Bible. We pass on to Revelation, where everything comes to fruition and finality, and in Revelation 5 we find "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" about to take the book of judgment and break its seals. And the universe is filled with His praises.

The prophecy about Judah is in great contrast to the one about Simeon and Levi, for it is all favourable. Though Judah had also been guilty of very serious wrong, his deeply felt repentance, seen in Genesis 44:18-34, was such that God was free to bless him greatly. His brothers would praise him (Judah means "praise"). He would subdue his enemies. His father's children would bow to his authority. He is likened to a lion, the king of beasts, feeding on the spoils of his conquest.

The prophecy about Judah is nothing like the one about Simeon and Levi. All of it is favourable. Judah had been guilty of very serious wrong too. But his repentance was deeply felt, as Genesis 44:18-34 shows, and God was free to bless him greatly. His brothers would praise him (Judah means "praise")… The scepter of royal authority would not depart from Judah, and neither would a lawgiver, until Shiloh came. Shiloh is the Lord Jesus. To Him would be the obedience of the people.

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet (from among his descendants) until Shiloh come." This was remarkably fulfilled. The tribe always kept its cohesion and self-rule, even in captivity, until "a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered" — enrolled for taxation. The Jews were about to lose their nationality and merge into the Roman Empire as individuals. Joseph and Mary had gone to their home town of Bethlehem for the very purpose of registering as Roman subjects. At that moment Messiah was born. Shiloh came.

The "scepter" may be no more than the tribal symbol. If that is the sense, Judah was kept in that place until Shiloh, the Prince of Peace, came and was rejected. In due time the place was lost, until He comes again… If it means someone entitled to royal rule in Zion, that is true as well. So the line of David through Solomon ran on to Jesus, as Matthew 1 shows; and in Him — dead, risen and glorified — it remains, to be made good when God's time comes.

I believe, with the fullest authority in Hebrew, that the language allows us to take Shiloh as the subject and not the object. And the sense in the context, I believe, demands that we render it "until Shiloh (that is, Peace, or the Man of Peace, the Messiah) come."

The point that is hard to accept from the words is Israel's coming to Shiloh. Either it is "until rest come," or "until Judah come to Shiloh"… The ancient interpretations, the Targums and others, all take it as Messiah. If those are not accepted, then it is "till rest come," or "till Judah come to rest." The words "to him shall the gathering of the peoples be" are the difficulty then.

At the end of that verse another striking fact appears. The word "people" is more correctly "peoples." It refers to the nations in general, and not just to the nation of Israel. Through His rejection and death, the coming of Shiloh has made Him the centre of gathering for a great crowd out of all nations. In the coming age He will be the visible centre of Israel and of the nations too.

Shiloh came; but Israel were not ready, and refused Him. So the gathering (or the obedience) of the peoples, however certain, is still future. God's purpose seemed to fail. But the blood of the cross established it, though unbelief thinks the cross is its ruin. It is postponed, not lost.

Whatever the difficulties of this passage, one thing is clear. God promises a ruler from the tribe of Judah. The people will gather around Him, and He will bring in a period of peace and plenty. Most agree that this ruler is the Christ. But how does the prediction fit His first coming? At that time He was not the ruler. He was the One who had nowhere to lay His head.

Verse 11 hints at His lowly character: He identifies Himself with the godly in Israel. People did not expect a king to ride a donkey, but a horse. Yet Zechariah 9:9 foretells the Lord Jesus coming to Jerusalem on a donkey, and the Gospels record how it happened (Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:35-38).

Binding his foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, may point to the lowly ties of Messiah with Israel at His first coming. The first speaks of His link with the nation as a whole. The second speaks of His link with the remnant, the disciples.

But the vine and the "blood of the grapes" in which He washes His clothes stand for the voluntary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on Calvary.

The washing of His dress in wine, and His garment in the blood of the grapes, is in harmony with Isaiah 63:1-6, where He comes in judgment.

It is hard to see how this passage could apply to the work of Jesus on the cross. He wears glorious clothing. He is in all the greatness of His strength. He treads the winepress and tramples down the people in His anger. His garments are sprinkled with their blood, not theirs with His.

The wine of joy stands for the remembrance of Christ's precious sacrifice… With this there is no drunkenness, no spoiled taste, no evil, but only good. Of Judah, the worshipper, it can be said, "He has washed his garments in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes; his eyes shall be red with wine." The fear of drinking too much never enters the soul here.

As it is, only the first part — the negative part — has been fulfilled. The rest waits for the coming thousand-year kingdom, when all nations will gather to the Shiloh of Judah and find blessing in Him.

Judah, as we know, means "praise." … Judah, therefore, was not to lose the sceptre until Shiloh came (the "Man of peace") — Christ coming from Judah — and the obedience of the people would be to Him. This takes us clearly through the whole of Old Testament history and on into the New. Then, strange as it may seem, the prophecy implies that Judah's sceptre would pass away, just when the coming of Christ seemed set to make it permanent.

His eyes red with wine are a contrast to "His eyes like a flame of fire" in Revelation 1:14, where He is presented as judging in righteousness. Here in Genesis 49:12 we see Him in grace. His teeth are white with milk too, and this speaks of the gentle nourishment of the Word of God. That is the contrast to the sharp sword coming out of His mouth in Revelation 1:16, which also stands for the Word of God, but in terrible judgment.

The washing of His clothing in wine, and His garment in the blood of grapes, agrees with Isaiah 63:1-6, where He comes in judgment. The eyes red with wine seem to foretell the deep satisfaction of His joy on earth, once the judgment is past. The teeth white with milk speak of the pleasures that are His in the rest of His kingdom.

What marks the life that comes from God is that it turns back to God again, and the joy of the Lord is always its strength. The "wine" that fills Judah's portion is the sign of a joy in which there can be no excess. The "milk" may show that here there is not only stimulation but nourishment as well — and in a form that even the youngest baby can take.

With Judah there is more ground for speaking of something that continues. But to me it is clear and certain that the gathering of the nations to Shiloh, their obedience to Him, is still future. What is before us here is the kingdom, not the gospel — a future crisis, not past or present history.

The prophetic hints in verses 11 and 12 are not so clear, since the language is highly poetic and figurative. Still, we cannot miss the words "his foal" and "his donkey's colt." They carry our thoughts at once to Zechariah's prophecy, and to how it was fulfilled when our Lord presented Himself to Jerusalem, as Matthew 21:5 shows. So the words look as if they belong to His first coming rather than His second, and so point to His sufferings and to the grace offered to us as their result.

Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are corrupt and violent. Judah is connected with God's purposes as to the royal line. Zebulun, a haven of ships, and Issachar, a strong donkey burdened, are linked with prosperity in commerce with the nations, or Gentiles. Then Dan is to judge his people. So when Israel joins with the Gentiles in that way (Zebulun and Issachar), you get the serpent brought in.

Zebulun gives us the next picture of the history of Israel. Now that they have had Shiloh presented but have refused Him, the Jews find their comforts in dealings with the Gentiles. This is what they do now — trying to make themselves happy, when, if they weigh their own prophets, they must suspect a fatal error somewhere in their history. They have lost their Messiah, and they court the world.

In the fourth place, we come to Zebulun, and again Jacob points to his name. It means "dwelling with," in closeness, as Leah's use of it shows. But Jacob here uses another word, and in this place it clearly has a bad sense. Its primary meaning is "to lay oneself down." Zebulun does this at the haven of the sea — the haven for ships — and his border is toward Sidon. The idea of prosperity, or at least of working hard for it, is plain. Yet for Israel we must remember that this trade with the idolatrous nations was not a good sign, and it did not end well. Her border reaching out toward Sidon predicts a dangerous rubbing out of the line that divided Israel from the nations.

Here we find Zebulun in connection with the sea of peoples and nations. Zebulun (= dwelling) looked entirely towards the nations, and to Sidon in particular. Baal worship came from there, and King Ahab brought it into Israel.

With Zebulun, in verse 13, we come to a prediction. It sets out what has marked the people since they rejected their Messiah. That tribe did occupy the north-western part of the land toward Sidon. This brought them into contact with the wide outlook of the shipping world. And for many centuries now the Jew has been pushed out all over the world and has given himself up to trade. Ships are a fitting symbol of it.

Zebulun, the dweller in relationship, as he should have been, had long fulfilled Jacob's prophecy. "Dwelling at the shore of the sea," he had become the picture of Israel as a whole. Israel gave up its "dwelling alone" to mingle in adulterous commerce with the nations... But the Saviour of sinners is not stopped by this, and there in the darkness was the very place for light to spring up. And now there had come to Zebulun a Dweller, in whom God Himself could dwell with man.

However much the inconsistency may surprise us, the fact remains that there are many Christians who have far too much traffic with the world, yet who, if foundational principles are attacked, will throw off their worldly spirit and come forward vigorously, even to a death struggle and martyrdom, in defence of the word of God and the honour of Christ.

He was a donkey lying down lazily between two burdens. (The word translated "strong" seems mocking — literally "bony." This is certainly not praise of Issachar.) He saw that rest was good and bowed down between two burdens. He is like people who live by sight and try to make this world their resting place. But they find themselves burdened twice over — with spiritual and everyday responsibilities. The world takes it out of him too; he becomes "a servant unto tribute." He crouched down in a humiliation he chose himself.

Trade marks the nation, since his side touches Sidon; but if this brings personal prosperity to some, it does not make the nation fat, for Issachar is a bony donkey. Crouching between two burdens, he has come under the servitude of the Gentiles; and here he is content to rest.

Issachar is a bony (or strong) donkey, lying down between two hurdles. He saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant. He bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant paying tribute.

The Jew has indeed shown remarkable strength. But his two burdens have pressed him down without a break. He has carried them for the sake of rest for his wandering feet and a pleasant life. Two things have weighed him down: the labour of gaining wealth on one hand, and being "a servant to tribute" on the other.

Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are corrupt and violent. Judah is connected with God's purposes about the royal line. Zebulun a haven for ships, and Issachar a strong donkey under a load, go with prosperity in trade with the nations, or Gentiles. Then Dan is to judge his people. So when Israel joins with the Gentiles in that way (Zebulun and Issachar), you get the serpent brought in.

Zebulun and Issachar stand for the long period of Israel patiently bearing the Gentile yoke, during which the riches of the earth come into their hands; they are weighed down with wealth. But this leads us on to Dan, the tribe that turns away.

In Issachar we find Israel content to be the drudge of the Gentiles. The one who would not bear God's yoke quietly accepts the yoke of men. Here too the name is dwelt on: "there is reward"; ease and gain are all that is sought. How true to the character of unbelieving Israel! And these are the ways God governs. They do not know Him, yet He still arranges their circumstances.

From Jacob's prophecy we see that Issachar stands for yoke-bearing. But it is clearly a slavery that speaks of self-indulgence and the empty reward of sin's pleasure for a season. Here, though, we are to think of deliverance by grace from that servitude. We come to the One whose loving voice calls us to hear and find true rest. So we come under His yoke and learn from Him. He is the meek and lowly One who stooped to bear our burden and carry our sorrows, even to death, the death of the cross. In this way we enter a new service.

In Jacob's prophecy we see the one reaching out toward the surrounding nations, and the other crouching under their yoke. We are reminded of this here, though how different everything is now. Zebulun may now rejoice in going out, and Issachar in the tents of her pilgrimage. They still reach out toward the nations. But now they go as ambassadors of a present King, with a joyful invitation to come up and pay Him homage.

He was a donkey lying down lazily between two burdens. The word translated "strong" seems mocking — literally, "bony." This is not praise of Issachar: it is the opposite. He saw that rest was good and lay down between two burdens. He is like those who live by sight and try to make this world their resting place. They find themselves carrying twice the load — spiritual duties and earthly ones. The world takes it out of him too; he becomes "a servant unto tribute."

In Issachar, we find Israel content to be the drudge of the Gentiles; one who would not endure God's yoke but accepted the yoke of men without resistance. Here, too, the name is dwelt upon: "there is reward;" ease and gain are all that is sought. How true to the character of unbelieving Israel!

The Jew has indeed proved himself to have remarkable strength. But his two burdens have pressed him down again and again. He has borne them for the sake of rest for his wandering feet and a pleasant life. He has been burdened with the labour of acquiring wealth on the one hand, and of being "a servant to tribute," on the other. Again and again he has crouched under a further burden: he must hand over, as tribute of one kind or another, much of what he had piled up.

The Gentile yoke had come as their father Jacob had long since prophesied... Israel had accepted fellowship with the Gentile, and Caesar's coin was only the sign of this. She was Gentile in heart and in way, and God had counted her where she belonged. She could not hold on to an independence which, for her, could only be another name for dependence on God. Let them give Caesar his own; but let them give God His own also. When they really do this, there will be no question at all to settle about Caesar. Not by self-assertion, but by repentance only can deliverance come for them.

But we are urged to stand fast in this liberty in which we have been made free — for the danger of getting caught in some yoke of bondage is always there. We fail in this when the heart goes after the things of the world and the flesh. Then we become slaves, and, like these sons of Jacob, we serve what we follow. That slavery hinders all service and witness; we become wretched ourselves and useless to others.

From Jacob's prophecy we see that Issachar stands for yoke-bearing. But it is clearly a slavery that speaks of indulging the flesh and the empty reward of sin's pleasure for a season. Here, however, we are to think instead of deliverance from such slavery by grace. It comes as we come to the One whose loving voice calls us to hear and find the true rest. So coming under His yoke and learning from Him (Matt. 11:29) — the meek and lowly One who stooped to bear our burden and carry our sorrows, even to death, the death of the cross — we enter a new service... finding in this way the true reward, for "If anyone serves Me, My Father will honour him." Issachar means, "There is reward."

Judah stands for the truth, the basis of all government among the people of God. Dan stands for carrying that government out. Dan means judge, and that is what he stands for in Jacob's prophecy. Most significantly, Jacob also foretells the apostasy.

Has God let this tribe drop out of His chosen earthly family, so that it has no part in the final blessing? The voice from long ago answers the question decisively: "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel." No! the Lord's grace prevails over all failure: Dan does not lose his place. It cannot be that a tribe should perish out of the chosen people... The staff of authority to judge has not fully gone. But he keeps only what his place as a tribe requires — "as one of the tribes of Israel," nothing more.

No matter how low the people of God sink in failure, nothing sets His purposes aside. As the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, "the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." So the words "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel" make his place in final blessing sure. Jacob is about to tell of Dan's terrible future as an instrument of Satan. Yet he can take comfort: blessing will come for Dan in the end.

Yet such is the grace of God that Dan comes first in Ezekiel's prophecy of the restoration of the tribes. There the question is not service but mercy. Dan, the worst sinner of all, is the first named and provided for — though very fittingly he is the least near to the sanctuary. Then at last Jacob's assurance comes true, the assurance even their wickedness could not cancel... And Dan, with all his faults, receives the honour of a deliverer called from his sons, when from that tribe strode out the heroic and powerful figure of Samson.

Prophetically this brings us to the time when Israel takes up self-government again. To some degree this has been true since 1948... Comparing this verse with Revelation 7, it seems likely the antichrist will come from the tribe of Dan, for there Dan is left out of the 144,000. Yet even though Dan is missing from that sealed company, he will have his place in the blessing of the millennium.

His name means "judge," or "judging," and he stands for the spirit of rule. That spirit can only be reached through the lesson of self-rule, self-judgment and self-government, and this means the truth applied to the whole man. Dan's history shows little of this. It is the opposite of what his character should be... Self-judgment and self-government become possible in only one way: by submitting to another will and power, that of God revealed in Christ.

In Jacob's blessing, Dan comes in at the point of apostasy, but for that very reason also at the point of waiting for blessing. Dan is like an adder in the path biting the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward. And then comes an interjection, "I have waited for Your salvation, O Lord"; faith says that God must now come in.

It is the moment of total ruin among the Jews, but exactly the point of change for blessing. Then the cry comes out: "I have waited for Your salvation, O Jehovah." Here is the sudden change from the energy of Satan to a heart looking up and out to Jehovah Himself.

Here "salvation" is used, we judge, in the sense of deliverance. It is very clear that Dan marks out the apostasy of Israel in a future day. In view of this, the resource of those who remain faithful — the remnant — is shown. They will be brought to know that Jehovah alone can deliver them. Oppressed by "the man of the earth" and held in his grip, they will find human effort to get themselves out completely useless. So they must look to Jehovah alone for help. Faith, then, recognising this, says, "I have waited for Your salvation, O Lord." ... It is a lesson we all need to learn when we are brought into hard places, confusion, or trials. The flesh is impatient and, like Saul at Gilgal, cannot wait, but must do something to make a way out of its difficulties, to rescue itself.

The thought of these things stirred the prophetic soul of the patriarch, and led him to express his own faith and hope. "I have waited for Your salvation, O Lord." This is the first occurrence of the word "salvation" in our English Bible. Jacob had to wait for it. Many centuries later old Simeon could say, "My eyes have seen Your salvation," and each of us can now say that in heart and life we have experienced it. But in the sense Jacob had in mind, the cry still goes out: "Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!" (Ps. 14:7).

"Salvation" was identified with the coming and work of the Messiah. Believers understood little, if anything, of how it would happen. But they had no doubt about the saving grace that would then appear... they looked on to the last day as the goal of their hopes, when Messiah would establish salvation fully and for ever. How clearly it is "grace," not of works that human nature might boast in.

As he speaks his prophetic words about his sons, now and then his own heart is allowed to speak. These outbursts are full of spiritual affection, showing a much improved condition of soul... In earlier days he had been careless about the apostate ways of his children, who married the daughters of Canaan. But now, in the same prophetic words, he looks at the apostasy of Dan. Sick at heart over such a sight, he breathes out a longing for the promise — "I have waited for Your salvation, O Lord."

Believers already receive the end of their faith in the salvation of their souls, and the Spirit is the seal and witness of it. Now they have to wait patiently for that salvation to be completed by the redemption of their bodies... There is a sense in which the saints still wait, as Jacob and the prophets did, for God's salvation (Gen. 49:18; Isa. 25:9; 1 Peter 1:5).

Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are corrupt and violent. Judah is connected with God's purposes about the royal line. Zebulun is a haven of ships, and Issachar a strong donkey carrying a load; both are linked with prosperity in trade with the nations, or Gentiles. Then Dan is to judge his people. So when Israel joins with the Gentiles in that way (Zebulun and Issachar), in comes the serpent. Then Gad is overcome, but overcomes at last. After that all is power and blessing in Asher and Naphtali, in Benjamin and Joseph.

Gad was the first son of Zilpah, Leah's maid. His name means "a troop." The prophecy uses that same name: a troop (armies of enemy nations) would trample Gad (representing Israel) underfoot. This will happen in the tribulation period. But Gad will in the end overcome the troop. God will give Israel the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gad — troops shall press upon him; but he shall press upon their heel.

This tribe lived east of the Jordan. With Reuben and Manasseh, it had to bear the shock of the enemies who attacked Israel from the east (1 Chr. 5:18-22). They were a warlike tribe, suitable for such an exposed position. Some of them joined David, and the record calls them "men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, who could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the deer upon the mountains" (1 Chr. 12:8-15).

Gad is overcome by a troop, but overcomes at last. The prophet Daniel tells us what the final trooping together against Israel will be (read Psalm 83 too). But God will bring His earthly people out of the trouble. Then blessing comes to Asher in abundance and good cheer, and Naphtali, like a deer set free, will give glory to Jehovah. Deliverance, consolation, and liberty.

In verses 19-21, Jacob groups three tribes together: Gad, Asher and Naphtali. His words seem to set out what the godly in Israel go through as the true Messiah overthrows the antichrist and takes his place. At first everything will work to overcome them under the persecuting power of the "beasts" we read about in Revelation 13. They will suffer persecution and insults for righteousness' sake, but at the end theirs will be the kingdom, as the Lord stated in Matthew 5:10-12. Like Gad they will overcome at the last.

Jacob's words go on: "Gad, a troop, shall overcome him, but he shall overcome at the last." That is the certain character of the new order of things — conflict, defeat at first, but victory in the end. So Christ says, "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." [There is a play on the meanings of the names. Gad means "a troop."]

When the remnant look to the Lord for salvation, then the moment of deliverance is at hand. So Gad sets out a great fact. The godly remnant may be overcome at first and pass through great suffering. But in the end they will overcome. Abundance of blessing for the nation will follow, as shown by the "royal dainties" of Asher.

Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are corrupt and violent; Judah is connected with God's purposes as to the royal line... then Dan is to judge his people... then Gad is overcome, but overcomes at last; and then all is power and blessing after that in Asher and Naphtali, in Benjamin and Joseph.

Asher was Zilpah's second son, and his name means "happy." The prophecy about him points to the rich provision God will make for the nation Israel — even "royal dainties" — when He restores them to their land in the millennium. What a wonderful contrast to their years of deprivation and desolation!

Asher speaks of the prosperity that follows. "His bread shall be fat." Israel enters the land with all its blessing from the Lord. There they enjoy what Isaiah 25 describes: "The Lord of hosts makes for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow. He will swallow up death forever, and will wipe away tears from all faces"... In response to the Lord's salvation and blessing, Israel gives Him "royal dainties" in return. Does the Lord not tell Israel in Numbers 28 which royal dainties please Him? There He says, "Command the people of Israel and say to them, My offering, My food for My food offerings, with a pleasing aroma to me."

"He shall yield royal dainties" too — not only taste them but supply others with them. What makes the queen bee so much larger and more regal than the rest? The food she is given early in life. Her egg and young larva are just the same as the others. Feeding on "royal dainties" is what makes her grow royal in body and mind. So those who nourish their spirits with royal dainties become royal in spirit.

He was in the territory of the tribe of Asher, of whom Jacob prophesied, "He shall yield royal dainties." So there was no table in Zion for David's Son. But there was one spread in the wilderness of Asher. There He had royal food to eat that Israel knew nothing of, and there were crumbs of grace for hungry Gentiles too.

Asher's prince was Pagiel, which means "event of God," and his father's name, Ocran, means "afflicted"... Asher means "happy." But even the blessing of Asher has to be tempered with God's dealings — events of God — to bring affliction. For true happiness always comes through suffering, little as we may appreciate this at first.

Anna completes the number of these witnesses. Everything else has failed with her; but she has been brought into the wilderness only so that God may speak tenderly to her. She is a true child of Asher, the "happy," and of Phanuel, the "face of God." Her own name, Anna, means "grace." That name marks the principle of a life like hers, where fastings and prayers are nothing but love's service.

"A fruitful bough by a well": hidden sources of nourishment as well as of energy — the water of life springing from the wounded ground. Even if they lock him up, he is like a noble tree in a prison yard.

Joseph is the picture of the martyr spirit, whose courage shows itself in endurance, in facing the consequences without flinching. In him, patience has its perfect work. So in the end he rises to mastery over everything around him, because he is master of himself first. He receives from God's hand; he does not take things into his own. How fruitful he is! And how the branches run over the wall! They yield their fruit inside no narrow enclosure, free for anyone to gather. For who may not gather such fruit? It takes no great wisdom, no bringing out of inner resources. It is simply "man's weakness waiting upon God" — and who may not wait on Him?

Joseph speaks of Christ as the One who will secure all blessing in the Millennium, both for Israel and the nations. He is a fruitful bough by a well, drawing refreshment from the well of the Word of God. His branches run over the wall — the wall of separation between Israel and the Gentiles. His branches run over for the blessing of Gentiles.

Joseph means "Jehovah has added." That is exactly what the Lord Jesus has done in rejection and affliction (compare Genesis 41:51 and 52). His fruit has run out over the middle wall between Jew and Gentile in wonderful blessing (see Ephesians 2:14).

Take, for example, John 4:6. Why is it mentioned, "Now Jacob's well was there"? Surely to arrest our attention in some special way; and Genesis 49:22 discovers the secret... So in this weary Man, who sat by the well of Sychar in the midday heat, we see the true Joseph. Even as we look at Him, we see His branches running over the wall of Judaism, reaching this poor woman of Samaria with their good fruit.

And having said this of Joseph, the Spirit uses it as a figure of a Greater than Joseph... We have Christ in Joseph. Here we see the risen Christ as in a picture. All power is now His, in heaven and on earth. He is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. His title to the resources of creation is sure, sealed by the dignity of the place He now fills. And the resources He now owns, He will in time use for Israel and for the whole earth, following the pattern of this mystery of Joseph.

Here we see Joseph filling up the measure of his sorrow, while his brothers are filling up the measure of their sins. He is in exile, keeping his purity and separation to God, while they at home are defiling the covenant. God is with him, and man against him. He takes his place in the cloud of witnesses, suffering for righteousness' sake... The archers are grieving him deeply and shooting at him. But his bow stays strong, and the mighty God of Jacob makes the arms of his hands strong. He may be persecuted by men, but God will not forsake him.

"Joseph is a fruitful bough." It takes every rough blow without resentment, and gives back its own rich fruit... "The archers have sorely grieved him" — and this is not the calm of a man who feels nothing. They "shot at and hated him, but his bow stayed firm." He did not use it against them; he kept it for their enemies. And it "stayed firm in strength": this is the self-restraint of power, not the slackness of weakness.

These verses give us a beautiful picture of "the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." "The archers" have done their work; but God was stronger than they. The true Joseph was shot at and badly wounded in the house of His friends. But "the arms of His hands have been made strong" in the power of resurrection... Look at Joseph in the pit and in the prison, then as ruler over all the land of Egypt. You see the difference between the thoughts of God and the thoughts of men. Look at the cross, then at "the throne of the majesty in the heavens," and you see the same thing.

There is no strength without dependence. Strength is not found in us, but in Him whose strength never fails on our behalf. The Man Jesus Christ is the example of this. He looked for strength only in God; otherwise He would not have been the Perfect Man. Struck by the archers, His strength did not leave Him. When His weakness appeared to give way to the enemy's power, His bow remained strong — His strength was full.

In this tired Man, who sat by the well of Sychar in the noonday heat, we see the true Joseph. Even while we look at Him, we see His branches running over the wall of Judaism, reaching this poor woman of Samaria with their good fruit. Not in fact, but morally, the archers had grieved Him deeply, shot at Him and hated Him. Yet His bow stayed firm. You can see it in the deliverance He worked that day for this poor captive of Satan.

As for ourselves, fellow Christians, our bow will stay whole on one condition. We must put our confidence in God, who gives us His strength... Nothing is weaker than a Christian who has given up Christ as his strength... Let us not weep over our weakness as though we had no resources: that would not be faith, nor confidence in Christ.

In Joseph's own history we have already seen a preliminary forecast of Jacob's blessing. His brothers hated him and shot at him. But the mighty God of Jacob stood behind him and made his hands strong. So he became a blessing to the civilised world of his day. The language of verse 24 is remarkable when you notice how often the history mentions Joseph's hands — see Genesis 39:3-4, 6, 22; Genesis 41:42. Here we see the secret spring of Joseph's skill. Upon the hands of Joseph rested the hands of the mighty God.

The power and might are not those of unstable Reuben, or cruel Simeon and Levi, but the strength of Jehovah Himself, the excellent power of God shown in the Man of His purpose.

But the One rejected by His own is made strong by the mighty God of Jacob, and "from there" is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. "From there" — from the place of weakness — He is exalted to a place of strength. From the place of death, where He was "shot at," He is brought again from the dead, just as Joseph was brought up out of the pit. So He becomes the "great Shepherd of the sheep" (Hebrews 13:20). And "the stone which the builders cast away as worthless, the same is made the head of the corner" (1 Peter 2:7).

The archers have done their work; but God was stronger than they. The true Joseph has been shot at and badly wounded in the house of his friends. But "the arms of his hands have been made strong" in the power of resurrection. Faith now knows Him as the basis of all God's purposes of blessing and glory for the Church, Israel, and the whole creation.

The word "Stone" is a title of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherever it comes up, building is in the mind of the Spirit. When He is called the Shepherd, a flock is in view. As the Stone, however, He Himself is part of the structure. He is the most important and pre-eminent part, yet still part of the building. The Shepherd is different: He is distinct from the sheep, though He cares for them and sees that not one of the flock will perish (John 10).

The first prophetic reference to the Lord Jesus as the Stone is in Genesis 49:24, when old Jacob, in blessing his sons, made a parenthetic exclamation, "from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel." Under this figure He again appears in Isaiah 28:16, and so on into the New Testament.

It is very fitting that the promise of the Messiah, in His patient and passive character, should be tied to Joseph in this way. It is all the more striking because the connection is only moral, not by descent, as it is with Judah and Shiloh.

That nation will never be right until it is gathered round the true Shepherd and under His care. It must also stand on the foundation Stone that can never be moved.

The king was a passive instrument. Yet in his surrender he was so joined to Elisha's strength that the act of shooting was his own. This is the only way the bow of any servant of the Lord can stay firm. It was so with Joseph. POWER, PRESERVATION, PERMANENCE. The might of God directs us in our warfare. The Shepherd of Israel keeps us safe in every danger. The unmovable Rock holds us firm. All of this is there for the one who gives up any strength he thought he had, and yields himself wholly to God.

Scholars do not agree about where the word shaddai comes from, or what it means. Some give it as "all bountiful," others "all sufficient," others "almighty," and so on. This is not surprising. Any name of God must be above mere human learning or definition. Yet it was the ground of faith to those who had the revelation. The name first occurs in Genesis 17:1; God said to Abraham, "I am God Almighty." This links it with the patriarchs: it is the name by which God was known to them. The title "the Almighty" without the name of God added occurs first in Jacob's address to his twelve sons before he died.

The Name of the Almighty assured Abraham that God would do everything He had promised… Jacob uses the Name of the Almighty in Genesis 43:14; 48:3 and 49:25. He knew the all-powerful might of Him who had blessed him despite all his failures.

Verses 25-26 indicate the widespread fullness of the blessing of the Almighty resting upon the Lord Jesus. There are blessings of heaven above. That is a faint hint that He would have a heavenly company. He does have one today, "blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). "Blessings of the deep that lies beneath" implies the blessing of Gentile nations through the Messiah of Israel (Rev. 17:15). The heavens speak of what is above Israel, and the deep of what is in a lower place, as the Gentiles rightly will be.

There are the blessings of the deep that lies under. They are the precious things that come from the bed of the oceans to enrich God's earthly people. The twelve gates we have read of were "twelve pearls; each one of the gates was of one pearl." Where do the pearls come from? Are they included in the blessings of the deep that lies under?

The breasts speak of nourishment, and the womb of fruitfulness. This shows that the land will produce plenty. Israel's blessing in Christ will exceed what Jacob's ancestors, Abraham and Isaac, received. It will bring wide blessing on the earth, "to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills." This completes the three spheres of the great blessing connected with the Messiah: the heavens, the deep, and the hills of earth.

The rejected but exalted Christ becomes the source of blessing far exceeding all known blessings, for He will bless "with the blessings of heaven above" in addition to the blessings of the deep "that lies under." This is blessing that will far exceed anything the nation has enjoyed in the past. What is more, the blessing will reach beyond the land "to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills."

These verses display "the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." The archers have done their work, but God was stronger than they were. The true Joseph was shot at and badly wounded in the house of His friends. But "the arms of his hands have been made strong" in the power of resurrection. Faith now knows Him as the basis of all God's purposes of blessing and glory.

All power is now in Him, in heaven and on earth. He is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. His title to the resources of creation is sure, sealed by the dignity of the place He now fills. And the resources He now owns, He will in time use for Israel and for the whole earth, after the pattern of this mystery of Joseph.

Israel's blessing in Christ will be greater than the blessings of Jacob's ancestors, Abraham and Isaac. It will bring wide earthly blessing, "to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills." This completes the three areas of the great blessing tied to the Messiah: the heavens, the deep, and the hills of earth.

This word occurs 16 times in all in the Old Testament. The first time it appears, it refers to Joseph, "him that was separated from his brethren" (Gen. 49:26; Deut. 33:16). Joseph was, of course, not a Nazarite in the full sense, for the law had not yet been given. Still, his example shows very well what separation is really about. It is not separation as an end in itself. It is not a proud, self-righteous separation driven by the flesh either. It was a matter of separating from his brothers, who spoke evil of their father. Joseph stood on his father's side. His untroubled relationship with his father made it impossible for him to side with his brothers in this matter.

Then the blessings of heaven and of the deep, of the breasts and of the womb, are multiplied on the head and on the crown of Joseph, the one separated from his brothers. All of this points ahead to the many crowns and the glory, in heaven and on earth, of the true Nazarite, the Lord Jesus, now sanctified in heavenly glory. And He far exceeds it.

So the blessing on Joseph is spiritual and hidden. It has the character of eternity, and it has no limits... These descended on the head of Joseph and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brothers. He had suffered a double rejection, from the world and from his brothers. So the blessing is emphasised twice over.

All this blessing comes "on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers." Joseph, separated from his brothers, is a picture of the Lord Jesus. Through His lonely sufferings and death, He is the great Recipient of all blessing from God. Yet Joseph shared with his brothers the blessing that came to him in Egypt. In the same way, the Lord Jesus will share with Israel all these blessings that are called the portion of Joseph. Indeed, today He shares far more than this with the Church of God, giving her a heavenly inheritance.

In many ways we all fail. Only Jesus, the true Nazarite, never failed... Pure and holy, He could say, Satan "has nothing in Me." May He be the pattern of our own separation to God — "He that was separated [a Nazarite] from his brethren." (Gen. 49:26; Deut. 33:16.) Then, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we shall follow Him. We will follow at a distance, no doubt, as Israel followed the ark two thousand cubits behind. But we shall follow Him still, and to follow Him is to grow in His likeness.

Lastly we come to Benjamin, and here we close on the solemn note of judgment. Israel's earthly blessing will not come in apart from judgment. This is a fact we are often tempted to overlook, and never more so than in the day in which we live.

If the true Joseph brings in universal and lasting blessing, there must be power to subdue all evil. This is set out in Benjamin. The rod of Messiah's power brings in the peace of the millennium and keeps it. Messiah tears Israel's enemies to pieces, and they never lift their heads again.

Benjamin, let us recall, means "Son of the right hand." He pictures Christ exalted to the right hand of God, carrying out judgment on His behalf. Psalm 110 brings this before us so strikingly. Verse 5 of that Psalm reads, "The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath." This exactly matches verse 27 of our chapter. But it states the same truth in plainer and less figurative language.

Benjamin himself, the son of his father's right hand, pictures Christ — not at all as head of the church, but as the conquering Son of might when the kingdom is set up in the land, and indeed over the earth, and the enemies perish before Him. This clearly looks on to the coming day of power and glory for the earth: a clear contrast with Him who suffered and now sits hidden in the heavens.

Joseph and Benjamin give a twofold picture of the glory of Christ in the millennium. Joseph (= He will add) is a special type of the Messiah. His brothers rejected Him, but God exalted Him to sit at His right hand... Benjamin (= son of the right hand) is more typical of the earthly side of Christ's reign. At His appearing and the dawn of the Kingdom, Christ will destroy all His enemies. He must reign until the last enemy, death, is abolished at the end of the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:24-28) — "in the evening" (Genesis 49:27).

Jacob's prophecy closes with the final triumph of the divine life in Benjamin, and the judgment of its enemies. Joseph may bear personal wrong patiently, but God cannot let it end there. He must, as the Supreme Ruler, step in with a Judge and an Avenger. In that sense Benjamin, "Son of my right hand," is a type of Christ. God has appointed Him to judge the living ("in the morning" — the opening of the millennial day) and the dead ("at night," or at its close).

He speaks of Christ also, not as the Sufferer, but as "the Man of God's right hand." Like a wolf, He will strike fear into the heart of His enemies. He will judge in perfect righteousness all who rebel against divine authority. We will see this in the judgments of the tribulation and also at the Great White Throne, where at last every enemy will be fully put under His feet. He will gain "the spoil" also, and divide it among believers. In other words, there will be results in blessing for Him and for believers because evil has finally received its just judgment.

If there is to be a devouring of the prey, there will also be a dividing of the spoil. The true Benjamin "shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul to death."

Saul of Tarsus had an earlier namesake: Saul the son of Kish (1 Samuel 9:1-2). That Saul hunted David, God's anointed, bent on destroying him. Saul of Tarsus was just as bent on wiping out the Name of Jesus — David's greater Lord. These two men of the tribe of Benjamin were true to type by nature, for both were "ravening wolves" (Genesis 49:27). Could a more fitting vessel be found, both as an example of the power of the gospel, and as a willing, devoted servant to pass on the good news to others?