~ Prove all things; hold fast on that which is good. I Thessalonians 5:21

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Genesis 49:11-19


i.      Genesis 49:11 – Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
§        Choice vines will be in abundance, so much that one would tie his ass to it
§        The press will be so full of grapes that it will reach up to the garments and stain them
j.      Genesis 49:12 – His eyes [shall be] red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
§        Does this point back to Judah or is it still pointing to Shiloh?
§        Much of what is said regarding the destiny of Judah can be applied to the Lord Jesus Christ in that:
o       He is the Lord of His Father’s Children
o       He receives the praise of the “joint heirs”
o       He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah
·        Revelation 5:5 - And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda
o       He possesses the scepter
·        Hebrews 1:8 - But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom.
o       He is the lawgiver
·        James 4:12 - There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
o       He is Shiloh that will gather the people of the nations
·        John 12:32 - And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me.
o       He is living water, the vine that we are to abide in that refreshes the soul.
·        John 15:4 - Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
·        Isaiah 55:1 - Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
§        We can see that Judah will be very prosperous and we need look no further than Solomon to see this fulfilled.  Yet even today we see Judah is very prosperous.
k.      Genesis 49:13 – Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he [shall be] for an haven of ships; and his border [shall be] unto Zidon.
§        Zebulun à exalted
§        Jacob prophecies:
o       Dwell in haven of sea
·        Joshua 19:10-11 - And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid: And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that [is] before Jokneam;
·        But is this the “latter days”?
o       Shall be a haven for ships
o       Border unto Zidon
·        Zidon - צידון Tsiydown, ancient Phoenician city, on Mediterranean coast north of Tyre; means hunting
o       1 Chronicles 12:33 - Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: [they were] not of double heart.
·        The tribe of Zebulun is later known for being skilled with weaponry and their loyalty to the king.
l.      Genesis 49:14 – Issachar [is] a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
m.      Genesis 49:15 – And he saw that rest [was] good, and the land that [it was] pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.
§        Isaachar à there is recompense
§        Jacob prophecies:
o       Strong ass couching between two burdens
o       Became a servant to tribute
§        Two burdens - משפתים mishpath, masculine noun 1) fire-places, ash-heaps 2) sheepfolds, saddlebags
§        Spiritually and perhaps mentally lethargic and utterly unambitious. Seeing the prospect of "rest" and a good "land" and "pleasant," this tribe would rather surrender other advantages and become a group who would "stoop over with the shoulder to take on a burden," working for others in work that required only the contented exertion of brute strength, Yea, they were ready to become a "toiling labour band" for others as long as a fair measure of ordinary creature comforts could be enjoyed. Such an unprogressive, unambitious attitude has nothing noble about it. Leupold, Commentary on Genesis
§        The name Issachar is related to the root sakkîr, "a day labourer"
o       Is Jacob warning him not to set his goals too low?
§        1 Chronicles 12:32 - And of the children of Issachar, [which were men] that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them [were] two hundred; and all their brethren [were] at their commandment.
o       Did the tribe heed Jacob’s warning in becoming men who had understanding of the times?
§        What Issachar the individual demonstrated as a trait Jacob prophecies the entire tribe will develop
n.       Genesis 49:16 – Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
o.      Genesis 49:17 – Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
§        Dan à a judge
§        Jacob prophecies:
o       Shall judge his people
·        Samson was one of the most famous of the judges
·        Judges 13:2…24 - And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name [was] Manoah; and his wife [was] barren, and bare not… And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
o       Shall be a serpent by the way
·        Will be a subtle, but powerful warrior
·        Samson was of the tribe of Dan
o       Will bite the horse’s heel
o       Several ancient records report that a Semitic people called Danaan were expelled from Egypt and sailed to Greece to establish the early Greek civilization.  Could this Danaan be a reference to a portion of the tribe of Dan?
§        Dan brought idol worship into the camp at several points
o       Judges 18:30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
o       1 Kings 12:28-30 – Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves [of] gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went [to worship] before the one, [even] unto Dan. 
·        Jereboam set these sites up out of jealousy if fear that if Israel returned to Jerusalem to worship that the two kingdoms would reunite and he would lose his throne.
o       Amos 8:14 They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.
§        Is it possible that this phrase “serpent by the way” refers to the antichrist descending from the tribe of Dan? Some scholars believe this
o       Daniel 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
·        Specifically mentions “the God of his fathers” which gives some indication that he will be of the tribes of Israel
o       Jeremiah 8:16-17 – The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.  For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which [will] not [be] charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.
§        Dan is vacated from the tribes of the 144,000 (12,000 from each tribe) but is redeemed in the millennium
o       Revelation 7:5-8 – Of the tribe of Juda [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin [were] sealed twelve thousand.
·        Levi is added in lieu of Dan
o       Ezekiel 48:1 - Now these [are] the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazarenan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east [and] west; a [portion for] Dan.
§        1 Chronicles 12:35 - And of the Danites expert in war twenty and eight thousand and six hundred.
§        Judges 18:29 - And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city [was] Laish at the first.
o       The children of Dan seemed to have an affinity for naming regions after themselves and could be an identifying characteristic for identifying the tribe in history.
o       Judges 5:17 - Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
·        Tells us that at least a portion of Dan were sea dwelling people
o       The following geographical features have some form of Dan in their name:
·        Dnieper – major European river in Ukraine
·        DniesterEastern Europen river that empties into the Black Sea
·        Danube – major river that transverses most of Europe
·        Eridanus – The mythical name for the River Po of northern Italy
·        Anodanus – another name for the Rhone river of Switzerland and France
·        Codanus Sea (Baltic)
·        Scandianavia
·        Sweden
·        Denmark
o       Could it be that the Danites of the tribe of Dan eventually became the Danes of Denmark and were prominent Vikings who sailed with a serpent or dragon head on their ships?  There are vast amount of articles that both speculate and provide evidence that Dan was a tribe of explorers and were a fierce bunch
p.      Genesis 49:18 – I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
§        Salvation…this is the first mention of the word salvation in the Bible, what is the Hebrew word for salvation? ישועה yĕshuw`ah, the name of our Lord and Savior whom we refer to as Jesus Christ.  Here after blessing Dan, Jacob calls out for salvation and in doing so calls out for Y’shuah!
§        Waited - קוה qavah, to wait, look for, hope, expect
o       Jacob waits, expects, is looking for the salvation of YHVH, which is Y'shuah Ha MaShiach, Jesus the Christ! In the midst of his prophetic blessing.
§        Hebrews 11:13-14 - These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
o       This is the salvation for which Jacob waited
q.       Genesis 49:19 – Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
§        Gad àa troop
§        Jacob prophecies:
o       A troop shall overcome
·        1 Chronicles 12:14 - These [were] of the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least [was] over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.
·        Jeremiah 49:1 - Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why [then] doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?
·        Deuteronomy 33:20 - And of Gad he said, Blessed [be] he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.
                                                                                                                i.     Moses prophesied that Gad will become a nation with a large population and will build a strong military under it’s rulers that it will use against other nations.
                                                                                                               ii.     Jacob prophesies that in the latter days this militaristic nation of Gad “will be overcome”
o       He will overcome at the last
·        If Jacob were speaking of a nation in the latter days, what nation could “fit the bill” of rising to power with a fierce military only to be overcome by an alliance of other nations?
·        Additionally since this nation was initially overcome, they have regained prominence on the world stage.
·        Could Gad be Germany who rose to power with a strong military lashing out aggressively at neighboring nations only to be overcome by an alliance of nations?  Since then Germany has recovered to produce the fourth largest GDP among all nations.  Something to consider.

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