Beyond Egypt
Genesis 49:1-33
May 10, 2015
As you know we have been studying the book of Genesis
For quite some time now.
We’ve actually watched as Moses walked us through his gospel.
• We’ve seen the dangers of sin
• We’ve seen the judgment it brings
• We’ve seen the sovereign election of God
• We’ve seen God’s salvation by grace through faith
• We’ve seen God’s sanctifying work
• We’ve seen God’s providential hand
Moses has given his gospel to his congregation
We are now in the final section of Moses’ message.
We have simply called this final section: “BEYOND EGYPT”
No, the children of Israel are not out of Egypt.
In fact, they still have over 400 years of Egypt life to go.
But it is important to Moses that his congregation understand
That God has nothing for them in Egypt.
Egypt was certainly a part of God’s plan.
• Egypt kept them unmixed from the Canaanites
• Egypt kept them protected from famine and war
• Egypt afforded them a place to multiply into a great nation
BUT EGYPT IN AND OF ITSELF WAS NOT THE GOAL
Jacob knew this
Joseph knew this
Moses knew this
And so the closing of Moses’ work of Genesis
Focuses on looking beyond Egypt.
We stress the importance of this reality in our lives too.
At times this world is good to us.
We enjoy laughter and health and prosperity and fun and comforts and pleasures.
There is certainly nothing wrong with that,
The writer of Ecclesiastes said those things were the gift of God
And we should enjoy them when they come.
But regardless of how good things can get,
We are never to let those things cause our heart to settle on the life here.
THIS IS NOT OUR HOME
This world is our Egypt…we are waiting for a better place.
(This world is merely the place God is using to prepare us for the next)
The New Testament (especially the book of Hebrews) reiterates that to us.
Hebrews 11:13-16 “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”
Hebrews 12:28-29 “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 13:12-14 “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.”
The writer reminds again and again and again
That this world is not our home.
We have a better place prepared.
Peter wrote:
1 Peter 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
The writers of the New Testament were adamant that
You don’t begin to see the pleasures of this world as the final goal.
God has much more in store.
And that is the exact same message that Jacob is preaching to his boys
And that Moses is preaching to his congregation.
Ever since they arrived in Egypt,
Jacob has made sure his boys understood that Egypt was not the end.
• He has given instructions regarding his burial
• He has recently reminded Joseph of the promise of God for the land of Canaan
• AND HERE HE IS GOING TO PROPHESY OVER HIS SONS
Incidentally, the very presence of a future prophesy
Is meant to focus one’s gaze on the future,
Since a prophecy like this deals totally with what is to come.
Jacob is moving their perspective to the future…
To the things to come…to the things beyond Egypt.
He’ll dwell on hardships they’ll face, victories they’ll win,
Even on the specific land that some of them will inherit.
The point then is easy.
• Jacob wants his boys always focused on the prize
• He wants them always focused on the promise
• He wants them always focused on the inheritance
So, as Jacob has come to his time to die,
He has now called each of his sons to him.
(1-2) “Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come. “Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob; And listen to Israel your father.”
Jacob is about to help them fix their gaze on the future.
What we want to do is
FIRST walk through the prophecies concerning each boy to make sure we understand them,
THEN look at them as a hole and grab an understanding of what Jacob would have you to know.
His order is simple.
• He begins with Leah’s boys
• Then he moves to the sons of the concubines
• Then he ends with Rachel’s boys
#1 REUBEN
Genesis 49:3-4
Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob.
He was born to Leah.
And by all accounts,
Reuben should have received the birthright and the blessing from Jacob.
He should have been the heir, the next patriarch,
And he should have received the double portion of the inheritance.
And yet, Reuben messed up.
Jacob called him, “Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it – he went up to my couch.”
You will remember that incident in chapter 35 in which Reuben slept with Bilhah (Rachel’s maid; Dan and Naphtali’s mother)
This incident was not only gross immorality,
But also a tremendous display of disrespect toward Jacob.
Because of this, Reuben lost his place as the firstborn.
Matthew Henry writes:
“No judge, prophet, nor prince, is found of that tribe, nor any person of renown except Dathan and Abiram, who were noted for their impious rebellion against Moses. Reuben himself seems to have lost all that influence upon his brethren to which his birthright entitled him; for when he spoke unto them they would not hear, ch. 42:22.” (Matthew Henry commentary, pg. 68, notes on Genesis 49:3-4)
#2 SIMEON AND LEVI
Genesis 49:5-7
These two boys are lumped together
Because they were co-conspirators in their folly.
We are familiar with the incident regarding the Shechemites back in chapter 34.
• When one of the Shechemites raped their sister, Simeon and Levi consented to give her in marriage to the man if all the men would agree to be circumcised.
• When the men were in pain from the procedure, Simeon and Levi attacked them with the sword and slaughtered the entire village.
Jacob was angry then, and apparently this act
Also disqualified them in as potential firstborn in Jacob’s eyes.
For Jacob said, “Let my soul not enter into their council; let not my glory be united with their assembly”
In other words, don’t let them call the shots,
And don’t let my name be associated with their violent decisions.
And the consequence of their sin was spelled out by Jacob.
“I will disperse them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.”
And if you will recall
• Levi became the tribe without land inheritance since they were the priests.
• Simeon’s allotment actually came inside of Judah’s.
Joshua 19:1 “Then the second lot fell to Simeon, to the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their families, and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Judah.”
Joshua 19:9 “The inheritance of the sons of Simeon was taken from the portion of the sons of Judah, for the share of the sons of Judah was too large for them; so the sons of Simeon received an inheritance in the midst of Judah’s inheritance.”
And so the first three sons all carry a common theme,
And that would be the consequences for iniquity.
While these prophecies were orchestrated
According to the will of the sovereign God,
It is obvious that in some mysterious way
God’s sovereign will coincided with these boys sin.
God may have pre-ordained their future,
But it is clear that their sinful choices played a part in it.
This would be a tremendous reminder to all the nation of Israel
About the dangers of sinful behavior.
Now also, to be fair, we must note that
God was not overly cruel to the descendants of these tribes.
They were punished
They lost preeminence
BUT THEY WERE NOT REJECTED
These boys and their descendants were not treated like Ishmael or Esau.
They still had a blessing.
And in reality it wasn’t even as severe as it sounded,
For Levi’s dispersal merely meant that he would become the priestly tribe.
Moses was a Levite and so clearly God had not rejected this tribe,
Even though they did suffer obvious consequences for their sin.
And then we move to the 4th son of Leah
#3 JUDAH
Genesis 49:8-12
Clearly here (and we have said it many times over) Judah is the next patriarch.
Judah is the next head of the family.
We even saw this emerge as he began to call the shots in regard to taking Benjamin to Egypt and was even willing to sacrifice himself in order to save him.
The important fact to remember again, however is that
Judah’s selection was not due to his impeccable character.
• Reuben was rejected for adultery
• Simeon and Levi were rejected for violence
AND YET JUDAH WAS GUILTY OF BOTH.
We know of his incestual affair with Tamar
And we remember that selling Joseph was his idea.
He was just as vile and sinful as his older brother,
Yet God selected Judah for preeminence.
That does not indicate that God somehow then treated Reuben, Simeon, and Levi unfairly. Indeed, they deserved their punishment.
It merely indicates that God treated Judah graciously
(better than he deserved)
None the less, Judah becomes the next patriarch,
The next head of the family.
God even promises 4 things to Judah.
1) PRAISE (8)
Previously Joseph had received such a promise, now it is given to Judah.
If you will remember when Joseph received that same revelation,
We attributed it to the fact that God was indicating Joseph as a savior.
Because the brothers didn’t like that insinuation, they sold him.
Now God is setting Juda apart as the savior.
And as a result of his salvation, his brothers will praise him.
God also promised:
2) POWER (9)
Judah is painted as a conquering lion, satisfied with his kill,
Sitting supreme over all the other beasts.
His power is unmatched and no one dares to mess with him.
3) PREEMINENCE (10)
Rueben may have lost it, but Judah received it.
It is promised that “the scepter shall not depart from Judah”
And that “until Shiloh comes”
The term “Shiloh” has been a difficult one for theologians.
• Some see it is a proper name (another name of the Messiah)
• Some see it is a single word meaning peace or rest
• Some see it is a compound word meaning “he whose it is”
Regardless of how you read it, the interpretation is the same.
There is One who rightly deserves that scepter…
There is One who will bring peace and rest…
He is none other than Messiah.
And the prophecy of Jacob is that Judah will reign until Messiah comes.
And the result of this will be:
4) PROSPERITY (11-12)
All of these poetic statements speak of excess and abundance.
• You’d never tie your donkey to the vine – it would eat the grapes
• You certainly wouldn’t tie it to the choicest vine
• That would be as foolish as using wine or grape juice to wash your clothes
The picture is that of such excess that
They use the most valuable things for the most menial purposes.
Today it would be like a person that uses $100 bills for tissue to blow their nose.
The prosperity will be extensive.
“His eyes are dull from wine, and his teeth white from milk.”
He will enjoy the prosperity.
And of course this will be the effect of Messiah reigning on the earth.
So Judah, regardless of his past flaws,
Will be the tribe that ushers in the Messiah who is the Savior,
Who will restore Israel to prosperity.
Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
In another Messianic prophecy, Isaiah would say:
Isaiah 55:1 “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.”
We sure are glad that God used Joseph to save Judah,
So that God can use Judah to save the world.
You see God’s obvious sovereign plan.
Now we move on to the boys of the hand maids
#4 ZEBULUN, ISSACHAR, DAN, GAD, ASHER, NAPHTALI
Genesis 49:13-21
Not much is said about Zebulun,
Except that Jacob announces his allotment of the land.
“Zebulun will dwell at the seashore”
That may seem insignificant to you, but remember,
When Jacob made this prophecy, Israel didn’t own any of the land.
Jacob was looking to the reward.
He was dispensing the land, even when he did not yet own it.
(14-15) “Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between the sheepfolds. “When he saw that a resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, And became a slave at forced labor.”
Here we find that Isaachar would be a man not given to battle,
But rather to peace and service.
It does not indicate some sort of forced slavery,
But rather the quiet life geared for work and labor
As opposed to a life of battle.
(16-17) “Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel. “Dan shall be a serpent in the way, A horned snake in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, So that his rider falls backward.”
Jacob obviously does a word play on his name here.
If you will remember:
Genesis 30:6 “Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan.”
Dan means “to judge” and Jacob says that is precisely what he will do.
He will also be a dangerous enemy to those who oppose him.
Pictured as a snake that lies in wait,
But that which is lethal when it strikes.
Over the centuries people have almost universally applied this to Samson, a judge from the tribe of Dan who brought judgment to the Philistines.
And then comes a parenthetical thought from Jacob
(18) “For Your salvation I wait, O LORD.”
It is merely a reminder that Jacob is focused on the prize.
He sees the service of Issachar and the fighting of Dan
And still longs for a better day.
Jacob is looking to the future.
Up next is Gad.
Gad’s name meant “fortune” as in “good fortune”
And yet, Jacob prophesied that there would always be others
Who would seek to take that from him.
(19) “As for Gad, raiders shall raid him, But he will raid at their heels.”
Then comes Asher.
(20) “As for Asher, his food shall be rich, And he will yield royal dainties.”
Asher would also be a picture of wealth and comfort.
Some see it as though Asher would be a great farmer,
Others as though he would be rich and luxurious.
And finally, Naphtali
(21) “Naphtali is a doe let loose, He gives beautiful words.”
Naphtali is apparently the gracious and beautiful one of the bunch.
He is compared to a graceful deer.
Prophesied to be beautiful.
Now these are the children of the hand maids,
But the pictures are seen that some will have adversity
And some will have tranquility and peace.
Some are pictured to be in battle, attacking and being attacked,
Others are pictured to be full of beauty, wealth, and prosperity.
And then we’ll move on to Rachel’s boys.
#5 JOSEPH AND BENJAMIN
Genesis 49:22-27
Obviously the key word for Joseph is that of blessing and prosperity.
Jacob recounts the hardship that Joseph went through,
And how God blessed him in the midst of it.
(23-25) “The archers bitterly attacked him, And shot at him and harassed him; But his bow remained firm, And his arms were agile, From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), From the God of your father who helps you, And by the Almighty who blesses you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.”
He would walk through extreme difficulty, even coming under attack,
But would be the recipient of much blessing as a result.
This not only accurately described Joseph’s life,
But also was prophesied over his descendants.
And the final boy to be addressed is Benjamin.
(27) “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, And in the evening he divides the spoil.”
Benjamin is as a wolf that attacks, plunders and enjoys the plunder.
He would be one successful in battle and victorious in his raids.
And then the story ends with Jacob again asking to be buried in the Promised Land and him breathing his last.
READ: GENESIS 49:28-33
So just before Jacob died, we have these prophecies concerning his sons
Surely we can read them as specific and unique to each boy.
And we find that “He blessed them, every one of them with the blessing appropriate to him.”
And to some degree we can’t fully understand all of that
Because we don’t have full knowledge of each of those boys.
• Perhaps Zebulun loved the water…
• Perhaps Asher loved to cook…
• Perhaps Naphtali was very handsome and gracious…
• Maybe Isachar like to farm
• Maybe Dan was sneaky and vindictive…
We just don’t know, but certainly in Jacob’s mind
Each of these prophecies fit his boys.
What we can do is see these prophecies in a corporate sense
For the entire nation and learn what Jacob wanted them to know.
1) THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES FOR INIQUITY
It is impossible to read these prophecies concerning these boys
And not recognize that choosing sin was not wise.
Reuben, Simeon, and Levi felt the consequences of their sinful behavior.
Sin always seems fun for the moment,
But the consequences for it down the road are never worth it.
Allowing the flesh to satisfy its cravings as those three boys did
Will never take you where you want to go.
There are always consequences.
Another clear reminder for the nation of Israel is:
2) THERE WILL BE TIMES OF TRANQUILITY
By in large what Jacob prophesied for his boys was pleasant.
They are seen as dwelling by the sea, resting between the flocks, enjoying royal dainties, speaking beautiful words, being blessed beyond measure, and enjoying the spoil.
Much of what Jacob promised was good for his descendants.
There would be times of tranquility and peace and comfort.
And certainly we have those same expectations.
God’s desire is not to harm us or to deprive us.
He does in fact satisfy our years with good things.
Every child of God should be able to smile at the future.
However, we also live in a fallen world and so we also see:
3) MOMENTS OF ADVERSITY
These boys also would be warned of trying times that are coming.
They would be raided
They would be slaves
They would be in battle
There will be difficult times.
God will use those to shape and change and mold and sanctify, but that does not mean they will be easy.
And yet all of that points to Jacob’s main focus.
4) EVENTUAL PROSPERITY
Without a doubt the prophecy that sticks out in the chapter
Is that of Judah.
Regardless of the hardship, regardless of the adversity,
Regardless of the battles or the struggles,
There is a day of prosperity coming.
When the descendant of Judah comes who rightly deserves to rule,
Then the entire nation will be able to enjoy
The peace and prosperity that God intended.
As Jacob lay dying in Egypt, his message to his boys was extremely clear.
Look for the coming savior!
Don’t settle for Egypt, God has much more in store for you than that.
The Lion of Judah will come and lead you to absolute victory,
And when He does, praise Him!
And of course we know exactly who this is:
Revelation 5:5 “and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”
• It is Jesus who will receive the praise of the nations
• It is Jesus who will be clothed in power
• It is Jesus who will rise to absolute preeminence
• It is Jesus who will lead Israel to prosperity
As Jacob lay dying he did not want his boys to grow comfortable in Egypt, he wanted them to eagerly await the coming savior who would usher in God’s promises to Israel.
That, incidentally, is the same message Moses would preach to his congregation and the same message preached to us today.
Don’t settle for this place
Don’t seek treasure here
Don’t attach yourself here
Look beyond Egypt, look for the Savior, look for the coming King
Who will set this world right.
This is the duty of every true child of God.
Paul wrote:
2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”
Hebrews 9:28 “so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”
Paul said he thanked God for the Corinthians because they were:
1 Corinthians 1:7 “…awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
1 Corinthians 16:22 “If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.”
“Maranatha” means “Lord Come”
The idea being that anyone who is not eagerly anticipating the coming of the Lord is way off target!
And you get the point.
In this life we will have our share of adversity and good times.
Sometimes we will face hardships that are consequences for our sinful choices and
Sometimes they will be hardships that are simply the result of living in a fallen world.
But regardless of how bad or good things are,
Never – never – never lose sight of the prize.
We are waiting for the return of our Savior!
We are waiting for His kingdom!
We are waiting for our true inheritance!
That was the main and only concern of Jacob as he faced death,
And it should be ours as we live life.
So let me remind you again this morning to look “BEYOND EGYPT”
Don’t get allured here
Don’t get off focus
Jacob said it best.
Genesis 49:18 “For Your salvation I wait, O LORD.”
That should be the mindset of every believer.
Regardless of what we face,
We are waiting for the return of the Lion of the tribe of Judah
Who will usher in His kingdom
And restore God’s truest inheritance to His people.
In closing let me just read to you:
TURN TO: REVELATION 21
