Advent- December 11
Listen: Angles from the Realms of Glory
The prophet Isaiah told us that Jesus, the Savior, would come from a family line of Jacob. The family born from Abraham were called the Isrealites, all other people are called Gentiles. God promised Abraham that because of his faith in God, he would be blessed with many children and through his children, the entire world would be blessed. Jesus was one of his children and because of Him, we are all blessed!
Adults:
Jesus came to those born under the law (the Jews), so let’s find Him in their history to gain some historical context of the people He came to redeem. Genesis 25-49 tells the story of Jacob. Genesis forty-nine ends with the closing chapter of a blessing he gives to his twelve sons. Although at first read, the blessings don’t seem significant, a deeper look tells otherwise.
“Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might, and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. 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." -Genesis 49:3–4
Judas Iscariot came from the tribe of Reuben. Because Reuben lacked self-control and slept with his father’s concubine, his tribe would not inherit a blessing. Ruben represents a sinful man without the power of Christ and ruled by self.
“Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.” -Genesis 49:5
Like Reuben, Simeon, and Levi represent sinful Man, controlled by sin. When their sister, Dinah, had been raped by the son of a neighboring ruler, the two brothers sought revenge and cruelty by murdering all the men in that city. The natural Man, when unredeemed, will scheme and murder.
“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. 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. 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.” -Genesis 49:8-11
The tribe of Judah represents praise. Jesus, King David, and King Jehosophat came from the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Judah, represented by the standard of the Lion, always went before the others in war. Praise always precedes victory.
The symbolism in this verse point to Jesus. He defeated the enemy at the cross, fulfilled the requirements of the law, and is our strength.
Shiloh means rest. When Jesus finished the work at the cross, He finished the requirements of the law, and by faith, we entered into His rest.
The donkey and the vine point to Jesus being the vine, and we are the branches; the donkey is a picture of our salvation, and the vine is strong and fruitful.
“Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon." -Genesis 49:13
Zebulun means “glorious dwelling place.” The symbol of the flag of Zebulun is a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus performed many miracles on the Sea of Galilee, beginning with the miraculous catch of fish and ending with the meal he shared with the disciples after traveling with them on the road to Emmaus, teaching them all the places Jesus was in the scriptures.
“Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens; 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.”-Genesis 49:14-15
As Issachar’s prophecy predicted that he would become a “band of slaves” (we are slaves to sin before Christ), Jesus set us free from the power of sin, and through him, death was traded for life. Jesus demonstrated this reality in the city of Nain, which means “pleasant,” located in the territory of Issachar. Moved with compassion at seeing a widow grieving the loss of her only son, Jesus comforted her by raising him from the dead. With one word, death was traded for victory; a place of death became a place of life.
“Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 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.” - Genesis 49:16-17
Dan’s name means judgment. When Isreal pronounced his blessing, he began with the oldest until he came to the fourth son (Judah), and Dan, who should have been next, was usurped by the tenth son Zebulun. The number “five” in Hebrew means “grace.” “Judgement has been replaced by grace.”
“Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, but he shall triumph at last.” -Genesis 49:19
Gad in Hebrew means “troop.” Jesus helps us triumph over any enemy troop and sends us troops of angels to help us.
“Bread from Asher shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties.” -Genesis 49:20
Asher is where the city of Tyre is located.
Jesus met the Syrophoenician woman in Matthew 15 in the city of Tyre. A Gentile, she dared to believe that the healing He offered to the Jews was also for her daughter. Jesus commended her “great faith” and healed her daughter. Anna, the prophetess who blessed infant Jesus in the Temple, was of the tribe of Asher. The prophet who blessed Jesus before Anna stepped in was named Simeon, which means “hear.” The Jewish law begins with, “Hear, O Isreal, the LORD our God is one LORD.” Simeon represented the law; after he blessed Jesus, he departed, and Anna, which means “Grace,” stepped in to bless the person who is Grace. She lived her life telling of the Messiah, so she spoke “Royal Dainties.”
“Naphtali is deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.” -Genesis 49:21
The land of Naphtali, by the Sea of Galilee, is where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount and where he delivered a “daughter of Abraham” from the spirit of infirmity. Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were sick and oppressed by the devil.
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall.” -Genesis 49:22
In the land in which Jacob gave to Joseph, Jacob’s well was located; in the land of Sychar. One day, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at that well who was the first person to whom He revealed Himself as Messiah. He was the living water who bridged the gap between Man and God. Joseph was included as one of the tribes of Isreal through his sons, Ephriam and Manasseh, who represent a double portion.
“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning, he shall devour the prey, And at night, he shall divide the spoil.” -Genesis 49:27
The Blessing of Benjamin was a prophecy of the Apostle Paul. Descended from this tribe, Paul, a devout Pharisee, persecuted Christians and was there at Steven’s stoning, approving of it. That was the “morning” this verse speaks of. The “night” speaks of Paul sharing in the spoils of war in which Jesus won. “Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,” Isaiah 53:12
“Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine…He, too, will become a people (leAm), and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations (haGoyim). ..In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing:
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh” Genesis 48:5, 19, 20
When Joseph was sold into slavery, he married and had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. When Jacob blessed them, He crossed His arms and made the younger greater than, the younger. He also adopted them as his sons placing them in a patriarchal position replacing Rueben and Simeon. In doing this, Joseph inherited a double portion. When Jacob pronounced his blessing, he used his God-given name, “Israel.”
Ephraim, being the youngest, was blessed with a promise of being a “group of nations.” The word in Hebrew is “haGoyim,” which means “Gentile" Using his name Israel, he prophetically speaks of those who come from the lineage of Ephraim and would be included in his double-portion blessing. This speaks of the church. Israel made the symbol of the cross when he blessed his grandsons, speaking of Jesus’ sacrifice. “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.” Galatians 6:15-16 We, the church of the firstborn, have been adopted as children, inheriting the double portion of Israel!
An Excerpt from "Behold Jesus in the Tribes of Isreal”