“He Whom Your Brothers Shall Praise” (Gen 49:1-28)

“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” (vs8)

The Lord Jesus, the One who obeyed God the Father, is spoken of here (Gen 49:8). We read, “You are he whom your brothers shall praise”. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi have lost their birthright preeminency because of sin (vs3-7). Likewise, we, by transgression, have forfeited our right to reign, broken fellowship with God, and we can only be accepted by faith in the One who put sins away for us.

Christ is praised because He saved us from our sin, gave us mercy, and mediates between us and God, assuring us everlasting peace.

Secondly, because of grace and the rest that God gives, we bow to Him (Gen 49:13). We read, “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between two burdens; he saw that rest was good, and that ther land was pleasant; he bowed his hsoulder to bear a burden, and became a band of slaves”. We calculate spiritually, and we declare by obedience that His way is better - that Christ's yoke is better than sin, and being hated for serving God now is BETTER than being hated by God eternally. We bow because forgiveness soothes us, and God promises the same Christ who earned the pardon has earned power to obey.

We are willing slaves of Christ, because we're spiritually taught that it is better to serve Christ, the reward is sure, and by experience, we taste it now. In hope, we trust Him, and in power, we understand that we're right to have done it.

Thirdly, trusting Christ, we conquer (Gen 49:22-25). We read, “The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow stayed in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)“. It doesn't matter what comes against you, the hatred of Satan or the attacks of human beings, God, the Almighty, will see you through. You will conquer.

Don't be fearful as if it is up to you. Look on your past. Who brought you through? In the future, He'll do the same.