Genesis

THE dying words of Jacob to his twelve sons mark the close of the patriarchal dispensation. The family was already commencing its development into the nation, and it is in every way appropriate that the aged patriarch should foresee and foretell the general course of events which was to happen to his sons in the far-off future. The fact that he called his sons unto him in order to tell them what should befall them in the latter days shows the importance of the occasion, and its real bearing on the subsequent history of the twelve tribes in the light of God’s great purpose for the patriarchs and their seed.

The chapter is usually described as the Blessing of Jacob, but it is obviously quite inaccurate to describe it in this way, since the predictions about several of the sons are characterized by the very reverse of blessing. The chapter is rather to be understood as a prediction of the results of character. It consists at once of a review of the past and a foresight of the future in the light of that past.

The opening verses of the chapter clearly imply and assume the prophetic character of Jacob’s words. Solemnly he called together his sons in order that they might hear Israel their father (Gen 48:1-2). The words of the patriarch fitly come at this point, and mark a stage in the development of the Divine promise, which was first given in Eden concerning the seed of the woman, and then repeated and developed in the blessings to Abraham and Isaac. Looking back over the record in Genesis, and looking forward to the time of Moses, these words of Jacob come midway between the earlier and later stages of the development of the Divine purpose.

It is impossible to overlook the great problem raised by modern writers in regard to this chapter. Are we to understand it as a genuine prediction of Jacob? Or is it to be interpreted as the utterance of a later writer some ages after the time of Jacob, who used this form for the purpose of conveying the lessons he wished to teach Israel?

On the one hand we have the very definite words of Dr. Driver, who says "that it is not to be supposed that the blessing was actually pronounced by Jacob…The present with which the blessings contained in Genesis 49 are connected is not the age of Jacob, but the age of the Judges, or a little later; and this accordingly is the period in which they must be supposed to have originated. . . From the terms in which Judah is eulogized it may be inferred with tolerable certainty that the author was a poet belonging to that tribe (Genesis, pp. 380, 381).

On the other hand Dr. Green is equally definite, saying that "the structure and contents of this blessing make it impossible to explain it as a vatidnium post eventum, and after arguing the matter in detail he concludes by saying that All this points to the genuineness of this blessing as really the utterance of Jacob, which it claims to be, and is declared to be (Unity of Genesis, pp. 522-524). It certainly seems difficult to understand how a later writer, in the time of the Judges or later, could have set down calmly what is here said of Levi, whose tribe at that time had the place of honour as the priestly tribe. Nor does it seem easy to understand how anyone writing as late as the Judges could have reflected so severely on the ancestors of the tribes of Reuben and Simeon. It is to be feared that most of the objections to this chapter as a genuine utterance of Jacob arise out of a too circumscribed and almost preconceived idea of what line prophecy should take, or else proceed on the assumption that prediction is impossible. Reviewing all the circumstances and the varieties of conclusions arrived at by critics of the passage (see Green in loc.), it does not seem too much to say, with the editor of Lange’s Commentary, that "There is but one part of the Scripture to which this blessing of Jacob can be assigned without making it a sheer forgery, and that, too, a most absurd and inconsistent one. It is the very place in which it appears. Here it fits perfectly. It is in harmony with all its surroundings; while its subjective truthfulness to say nothing now of its inspiration or its -veritable prophetic character gives it the strongest claim to our credence" (Lange, Genesis, p. 651). Is there really any middle course? The chapter is "either Jacob’s or it is a forgery;" and if it be the latter we naturally ask, "What is its value, whether historical or spiritual?"

Into the details of Jacob’s predictions of his sons it is impossible now to enter. It would seem as though the announcements are grouped round two of the sons, Judah (Gen 48:3-18) and Joseph (Gen 49:19-27); six sons being associated with Judah and four with Joseph. So far as the character of each individual man is known, the patriarch s words seem based upon his knowledge of what they were, and he predicts their future history in accordance with their individualities.

It would be profitable to ponder carefully what is said of each man individually under the guidance of a commentary like Driver’s or Lange’s, to discover first what is the true interpretation of each word and phrase, and then to read what is said in the light of the subsequent history of the tribes so far as it is known to us.

There can be very little doubt of the general, and in many respects exact agreement of what is here said with what actually happened in the subsequent history of the tribes. Thus Reuben is predicted as not able to excel (as he should have done being the firstborn) by reason of his instability, and this came literally to pass. "No judge, no prophet, not one of the tribe of Reuben is mentioned" (Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible, article Reuben, quoted in Dod’s Genesis, p. 428). Again, Simeon and Levi are foretold as divided and scattered, which came literally true, for Simeon was absorbed in the South of Palestine, while Levi had no part in the land owing to his being appointed as the tribe from which the Jewish priesthood was taken.

The fullness of reference to Judah is another case in point, for we have only to remember that David came out of this tribe, to see that during the period of the monarchy these words were abundantly fulfilled. Not least of all is the accuracy with which the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh realized the blessings here predicted for Joseph. Ephraim was the leading tribe for at least three centuries, and his land afterwards became the scene and centre of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

All this goes to prove the essential truthfulness of the chapter as a veritable utterance of the patriarch. Unless it is a true prediction, it is difficult to account for several features which are perfectly intelligible on the assumption of genuineness. Thus, if this chapter really dates from the time of the Judges, as is suggested by Dr. Driver, "it is difficult to understand why there is so much of Judah in Genesis, while he is not mentioned in Deborah’s song (Judges 5)." The differences of reference to Issachar as compared with Deborah’s song, and to Levi as compared with the blessing of Moses (Deut. 33) should also be observed. Surely this independence implies originality, or else a very definite attempt at forgery. As Dr. Redpath truly says, "if there is any inspiration at all, insight into the future, based on a knowledge of personal characteristics, may well be included in it" (Redpath, Modern Criticism and Genesis, p. 81). Prophecy has been defined (not quite fully perhaps) as moral prescience, and it is suggested that we have in the present chapter one of its best illustrations. This is no fancy painting. It is the power of the soul in its last efforts to see what crops will come out of this seed and of that; it is a man standing upon fields charged with seed, the quality of which he well knows, forecasting the harvest. "Moral prophecy is vindicated by moral law" (People’s Bible, Genesis, p. 350). Add to this the supernatural action of the Spirit of God, and we may well rest our faith in the accuracy, and therefore in the moral value, of this chapter.

The references to Jacob’s sons go far beyond the merely temporal history of the Jewish nation. There are in it some of those very definite Messianic elements in which that history found its spiritual culmination. Thus, we find in the allusion to "Shiloh" a very true prediction of the Messiah as the Rest-Giver (Gen 49:10). Notwithstanding all that has been written on this verse during recent years, there is still good reason to interpret Shiloh as a personal name, as in the R.V. The alternative to this rendering seems very trite and altogether inappropriate to the detailed description of future power and glory associated with Judah. Even those who do not interpret the word "Shiloh" as personal say that the verse is undoubtedly Messianic in the broader sense of the term by reason of its anticipation of an ideal future for Judah (Driver, Genesis, p. 414). Those who still maintain the personal interpretation have a great deal to say for themselves after everything else has been considered on the other side.

Another element of the spiritual interpretation is seen in the exclamation, "I have waited for Thy salvation, Lord" (Gen 49:8). This puzzles many commentators, and yet perhaps the true interpretation is not far to seek. In the preceding verse a reference had been made to an adder in the path that bites the horse’s heels and causes the rider to fall backward. Is it not at least possible, not to say likely, that this allusion to a serpent recalled to the aged patriarch the primeval promise of the seed of the serpent bruising the heel of the seed of the woman? Then at once he burst out in earnest appeal to God for that salvation which had been promised as the result of the enmity between the two seeds.

The blessing of Joseph can hardly be limited to Joseph. The subsequent history of Ephraim and Manasseh, but must include some of those spiritual elements which were evident and prominent throughout the subsequent history of Israel. It seems in every way best to regard the phrases in Gen 49:24-25, as a series of descriptions of God as "The Mighty One of Jacob," the "Shepherd," "the Stone of Israel" "the God of thy father," "the Almighty." In this full revelation of God lay the secret of Israel’s uniqueness, and a guarantee of Israel’s blessing (Maclaren, Genesis, pp. 295-304).

The chapter is so full of material that it is quite impossible to do more than suggest in the briefest way some aspects of teaching with special reference to daily, practical life. Taking the chapter as a revelation of personal character, we may regard the sons of Jacob as among those beacons of the Bible which are set before us, written for our learning. Beacons are at once guides and warnings, and the delineation of his son’s characters by the aged patriarch affords to us inspiration for imitation, and warning for avoidance.

We see this in Reuben. Of him it was true, "To one thing constant never," and what is especially sad is that the instability was due to sin. It is always so. Morality and character go together. To commit sin is to render ourselves unable to act aright because we become morally unstable.

The description of Simeon and Levi is very terrible. Their father never forgot their treachery and violence to peaceful and harmless neighbors. There is scarcely anything more awful in life than treachery, more particularly when, as in the case of Simeon and Levi, it was associated with apparently religious motives and phraseology. We dare not do evil in the name of good.

Judah had fully redeemed his character, and the future depicted for him is one of glory and blessing. From him was to come the Messiah, and thence would issue blessing to the world. The life of power when exercised rightly will always be fraught with blessing to others. To serve is to reign, and to reign is to bless.

Zebulun is described as dwelling near the sea with the opportunity of providing a haven for ships. The Jews were never particularly enamored of seafaring life, but this reference to Zebulun clearly shows the possibility of this method of living if they had been willing to seize upon it. It is worthy of notice that at the present day the only natural harbor in Palestine is that of Haifa, and the Hebrew word for "haven" (Gen 49:13) is thought to be the original from which the modern word Haifa comes. This would be interesting if true, especially as Haifa is not otherwise mentioned in the Old Testament. Opportunity ample and free comes in one way or another to us all. It is for us to seize it, and to be the means of blessing to others, or else by missing it to lose every chance of real life.

Issachar is described as occupying a very delightful position, and succumbing to the temptation of an easy life and of yielding to the slavery of others. He was content to bear burdens rather than to exert himself courageously on behalf of his own position and rights. How easy it is to let ourselves remain content with quiet life instead of exerting ourselves strenuously on behalf of what is right and good and true!

Dan is described as a serpent, biting and causing trouble. The subtilty of the serpent has become proverbial; and whilst the Apostle advises us to be wise as serpents, the wisdom does not mean cunning, but that spiritual shrewdness which is essential to all true life. There is nothing more contemptible than cunning, and when cunning and deceit are used in connection with religion men sound almost the lowest deeps of infamy.

Gad is described as being overcome by a troop, but as overcoming at the last and pressing upon the heels of his enemies. Life is often associated with pressure and hardship, but victory is promised to the faithful soldier, and "to him that overcometh there are blessings untold and everlasting."

Asher means "Blessed," and the promise to him is marked by fullness and real plenty. Blessedness is one of the marks of the true life. Blessed is the man (same root in Hebrew, Psa 1:1). So long as we always remember that every aspect and element of blessedness is intended for use and service, and not for mere luxury, we may enjoy to the full all the blessedness and wealth of grace provided for us in the Gospel. The keynote of the New Testament, as of the Old, is "Blessed be the man because God is a God of blessing," "The blessing of the Lord maketh rich."

It is a little difficult to understand what is meant precisely by the reference to Naphtali, but it seems to refer generally to activity, vigor, and movement. The active life is always the happy life, and the easy-going is always the dangerous life. Activity is necessitated not only by our personal safety, but by the interests of the Kingdom of God. "Zealous of good works."

The blessing of Joseph may be summed up in the one word "fruitfulness," than which there is nothing more glorious in life. Fruit is the natural and necessary expression of the spiritual life, and the way in which our Lord emphasizes fruit (John 15) shows the importance assigned to it in the Gospel. The man who, like Joseph, is true to God will ever bring forth fruit, and his life will abound in the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Benjamin is compared to a wolf, and in speaking of him as ready both morning and evening to go after his prey it would seem as though the idea were that he is at all times equally ready for fighting, and equally successful in the wars which he undertakes (Driver, Genesis, p. 394). Benjamin was the smallest of the tribes, and yet was one of the most martial. From this came Ehud and Saul, and in many other ways this very insignificant tribe became prominent for its courage, fierceness, and power. We may perhaps spiritualize and say that we must ever be ready with spiritual ability and agility to attack any task that may be placed before us, and carry it forward to a successful issue.

Reviewing all these various elements of power as suggested for us by these men, we may well ask ourselves, with the Apostle, "Who is sufficient for these things?" Character undoubtedly makes the greatest demands upon us. Other elements of natural power and ability may come easy to men, but moral and spiritual character requires much care and effort for its proper and full manifestation. Like the Apostle, we may, however, answer our own question, "Our sufficiency is of God." It is true that Character makes the Man; it is equally true that Christ makes the Character.