The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 583

Joshua, Samuel, David, Simeon, Stepli,en, Paul, Petei·, nud the apocal,yptic vision. s of John. Compare especially the song of .Alases, nnd the proplteC'IJ of Balaam. It seems possible that the beautiful exclamation, ver. 18, "I lwve waitedfo1· thy salva• tum, _O L?rd," was intended to form a kind o! middle point, separating the groups of hlessmgs mto ono of sevi:n, and anothc~ of hvc. Tlio first group has a Messianic character, the second a wider, C0811UJpolitan. In the _first, Jitdah, the royal tribe, re- presents the theocrncy. In the second, Joseph, the lmk of connection between Israel and Egrpt, represents the kingdom of Christ becoming· _the uni~ersal kingdom, from thence 1s the shepherd, the stone of Israel. The whole 1s a typ1eal representation of " Israel " in the higher sense. 1. It conies out of sinful human nature. 2. It is devdoped by the grace of God in liuman /ii,sto1-y. 3. It stands itpon the Divine o-rder of tho tweh·e tribes, the revealed truth, and the Divinely sanctioned religio«s life and institutions. 4. The essential element in the history, is the Messiah coming 01d of Judah, the shepherd of Israel, the stone of help out of Joseph, the N azarite, the tried man, the blessed one. 5. Tlie kingdom of Chrnt is tlie universal blessedness of the world. When Jacob has handed on his blessing to his heirs, he gathers up his feet into the bed, yields np the ghost, and is gathered to his people. When the carnal Israel is done with, the spiritual Israel remains. When the promises of God shall be fulfilled, then there shall be no more concern with the earthly pilgrimage. "The blessings prevail unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. "-R. Vcrs. 8-12.-Judah's portion. "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise," &c. This dying vision and the utterances of the dying patriarch seem in harmony with all the surroundings in this part of the sacred record. The aged Jacob is dying. He bas passed through such changes, such trials and successes, has had such seasons of depression and of exultation, but now his soul is filled with rapture at what will be the future of his children. He saw how he would live in his children. A man should not be indilferent to his name dying out. Some are, but only such as are not of intense nature. As a man nearing the close of life, great importance was attached, by his son, to his utterances. On a farewell festive occasion, Isaac partook of venison before giving his blessing to Jacob and Esau. Jacob called all his sons together, as he wns dying, and seems to have had supernatural strength given to utter so many and distinct prophecies. He knew the individual character of his sons, and so could better foretell, almost apart from Divine inspiration, what would be their future. The words uttered on the borders of the other land seemed necessarily inspired. Such a man as Jacob would no more pass away, if possible, without such utterances, than would a millionnaire think of dying without u will. No mere offspring of a disordered brain, or over-excited imagination, were these words. They were actual prophecies. Jacob was not only a patriarch, but n prophet. He speaks under the influence of the God of his fathers (eh. xlviii. 15), and the future bore out what he had foretold. ,vo wish to consider chiefly tho utterances concerning one tribe, Judah. I. A rnoPHECY OF' POWER. Ilis enemies were "to flee beforo him," &c. As victor he lays Lis hands on their necks, that they may be subject and yet live. His brethren were to acknowledge his power. Ho is to be us a young lion in agility, and 11s nn old lion with the strength of years remaining, whom none will dare to anger. All this seems to ho the glorification of ruere physical power. Spiritual power is to be de~ired above the physical. And this we hnve in Christ. II. A PROPHECY OF PRECEDRNCY. Jacob seems to have come at last upon the one for whom he was seekino-. He speaks of Judah as one whom his brethren shall praise. Thi6 is said to be II a play upon the name, Judah, as meaning one who is colobrnted." And the name of Judah was accepted afterwards by the whole nation. We should liave thouo-ht that if the firstborn, Reuben, had not been placed first, Joseph would have been~ Judali's character, however, was more noble in some things even than that of Joseph. He did not delight in the wrong-doing of the brethren. Jn?ob may in Lis mind have blamed Joseph, in that he had not sought to know whether !us father wa6 alive before circumstances of death drove him to know of his still being alive. Judah was always ever ready to sacrifiee himself, to be bound for his brother. '!'hem 11eewe to hc1ve been much that was noble in him. Hence, we C(lll under&tnnd, in ·J CU, XLIX. 1-33.] 'l'HE BOOK OF GENESIS. 5.'33