“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch;he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk. (Genesis 49:8-12)
We have looked at:
- First born Reuben. Turbulent in character lacking self control and lacking in command to protect his younger brothers thus losing his father's trust.
- Second and third born Simeon and Levi. Lacking wisdom and having an untamed anger. Vengeful with devastating aftermath.
Today we examine 4th born Judah. The Hebrew name for Judah, Yehudah, means thanksgiving or praise. His birth is recorded at Gen. 29:35; upon his birth, Leah exclaimed, "This time I will praise the Lord".
In Gen 37, when he and his brothers cast Joseph into a pit out of jealousy, Judah spotted a caravan of Ishmaelites coming towards on the way to Egypt and suggested a sale rather than death (Gen. 37:26-28, "What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? ... Let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh.")
Judah and his wife had three children, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er married Tamar, but God kills him because he "was wicked in the sight of the Lord" (Gen. 38:7). Tamar became Onan's wife in accordance with custom, but he too is killed after he refuses to father children for his older brother's childless widow, and spills his seed instead. Although Tamar should have married Shelah, the remaining brother, Judah did not consent, and in response Tamar deceived Judah into having intercourse with her by pretending to be a prostitute. When Judah discovered that Tamar was pregnant he prepared to have her killed, but recants and confesses when he found out that he was the father (Gen. 38:24-26).
Twenty years after being betrayed, Joseph met his brothers again in Egypt. With Simeon held hostage and Reuben unable to convince his dad to allow Benjamin to travel with them to Egypt as a condition for release of Simeon, Judah stepped in offering himself to Jacob as surety for Benjamin's safety, and managed to persuade Jacob to let them take Benjamin to Egypt. When the brothers returned, Joseph tested them by demanding the enslavement of Benjamin.Again Judah pleaded for Benjamin's life (Gen 44:33), and Joseph revealed his true identity.
Judah is the representation of a leader, a protector, a negotiator, a mediator and reconcillor. He had the language of a king. Knowing the right buttons to press to unlock even the most stubborn of hearts. As opposed to violent Simeon and Levi who used force to combat opposition, Judah was a man of words and my word didnt he use them wisely. See how he pleads for Benjamin's release:
Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ And we answered, ‘We have an aged father....Gen 44:18-33. Judah narrates every detail to show what it took to get Benjamin to Egypt and what it meant not returning with him. It meant sending Jacob to the grave and denying Joseph a chance to see his father again.
The tribe of Judah was the leading tribe of the Kingdom of Judah, and occupied most of the territory of the kingdom. David was on the royal line of that tribe. Fulfilling the declaration by Jacob that " the scepter will not depart from Judah". Judah also produced prophets such as Isaiah, Amos, Habakkuk, Joel, Micah, Obadiah, Zechariah, and Zephaniah. Judah is also promised wealth and prosperity.
Do you want to live in royalty? A life worthy of praise? Totally subduing your foes? The scepter of your destiny not departing from you? Then like Judah walk like a royal, speak like one, carry yourself like one. Prov 15:1-2 says "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly".
We have those outwardly adorned like royals but what proceeds from the heart is filth reeking with rotten lingo. A suited up executive spewing vulgar language without blinking an eye and making it look like part of the dictionary. Those are not hallmarks of royalty but of deep seated deception and lack of true sense of self worth.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
Pump up that volume and sing it loud, ooooh ooooh ooooh oooooh I know who I am (Sinach)
We have looked at:
- First born Reuben. Turbulent in character lacking self control and lacking in command to protect his younger brothers thus losing his father's trust.
- Second and third born Simeon and Levi. Lacking wisdom and having an untamed anger. Vengeful with devastating aftermath.
Today we examine 4th born Judah. The Hebrew name for Judah, Yehudah, means thanksgiving or praise. His birth is recorded at Gen. 29:35; upon his birth, Leah exclaimed, "This time I will praise the Lord".In Gen 37, when he and his brothers cast Joseph into a pit out of jealousy, Judah spotted a caravan of Ishmaelites coming towards on the way to Egypt and suggested a sale rather than death (Gen. 37:26-28, "What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? ... Let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh.")
Judah and his wife had three children, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er married Tamar, but God kills him because he "was wicked in the sight of the Lord" (Gen. 38:7). Tamar became Onan's wife in accordance with custom, but he too is killed after he refuses to father children for his older brother's childless widow, and spills his seed instead. Although Tamar should have married Shelah, the remaining brother, Judah did not consent, and in response Tamar deceived Judah into having intercourse with her by pretending to be a prostitute. When Judah discovered that Tamar was pregnant he prepared to have her killed, but recants and confesses when he found out that he was the father (Gen. 38:24-26).
Twenty years after being betrayed, Joseph met his brothers again in Egypt. With Simeon held hostage and Reuben unable to convince his dad to allow Benjamin to travel with them to Egypt as a condition for release of Simeon, Judah stepped in offering himself to Jacob as surety for Benjamin's safety, and managed to persuade Jacob to let them take Benjamin to Egypt. When the brothers returned, Joseph tested them by demanding the enslavement of Benjamin.Again Judah pleaded for Benjamin's life (Gen 44:33), and Joseph revealed his true identity.
Judah is the representation of a leader, a protector, a negotiator, a mediator and reconcillor. He had the language of a king. Knowing the right buttons to press to unlock even the most stubborn of hearts. As opposed to violent Simeon and Levi who used force to combat opposition, Judah was a man of words and my word didnt he use them wisely. See how he pleads for Benjamin's release:
Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ And we answered, ‘We have an aged father....Gen 44:18-33. Judah narrates every detail to show what it took to get Benjamin to Egypt and what it meant not returning with him. It meant sending Jacob to the grave and denying Joseph a chance to see his father again.
The tribe of Judah was the leading tribe of the Kingdom of Judah, and occupied most of the territory of the kingdom. David was on the royal line of that tribe. Fulfilling the declaration by Jacob that " the scepter will not depart from Judah". Judah also produced prophets such as Isaiah, Amos, Habakkuk, Joel, Micah, Obadiah, Zechariah, and Zephaniah. Judah is also promised wealth and prosperity.
Do you want to live in royalty? A life worthy of praise? Totally subduing your foes? The scepter of your destiny not departing from you? Then like Judah walk like a royal, speak like one, carry yourself like one. Prov 15:1-2 says "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly".
We have those outwardly adorned like royals but what proceeds from the heart is filth reeking with rotten lingo. A suited up executive spewing vulgar language without blinking an eye and making it look like part of the dictionary. Those are not hallmarks of royalty but of deep seated deception and lack of true sense of self worth.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
Pump up that volume and sing it loud, ooooh ooooh ooooh oooooh I know who I am (Sinach)
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