The Promise of the Lion of Judah
Genesis 49:8-10 Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
The promise of the Jewish Messiah coming from the line of Judah has its foundation in Genesis 49. Israel or Jacob is on his death bed. His sons have been called and prophetic blessing is being announced. The focus is on the line of Judah.
Judah means “praised” in the Hebrew.
Judah’s family line was chosen by God because of His grace. Judah was far from perfect. He was greedy in dealing his brother Joseph (Genesis 37:26). Judah committed adultery with a prostitute. The result was a child. (Genesis 38:18).
Genesis 49:8a Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. Judah was granted the birthright leadership position in the family as if he was the first born. Future leadership was to descend from the line of Judah. He was promised to be successful in matters of war and conflict.
Genesis 49:9a Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey… This is how the line of Judah started in King David. He was the little runt who challenged the giant Goliath. Like a lion’s “cub” or “whelp”, David was a kid when he approached battle. David was portrayed as overmatched “prey” against the giant Philistine. All he had was a sling and rocks.
Genesis 49:9b …he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? At some point, a future Messiah from the line of David will be stretched out, relaxed, comfortable, and in absolute control. He will be firmly established. Nobody will dare challenge Him.
Genesis 49:10a The scepter shall not depart from Judah… This was not fulfilled until King David 1,000 years before Jesus Christ. From the time of King David until the time of Christ, a king from the line of Judah ruled. There has been a gap of almost 2,000 years since the Jewish people were scattered from Israel in 70 AD. There will be another.
Genesis 49:10b …nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet… Some scholars take this phrase to be idiomatic language in reference to the genitals. Descendants are to come from “between his feet” is the idea. And these descendants are to be rulers.
Genesis 49:10c …until Shiloh comes… The definitive meaning of Shiloh is not clear. Strong’s Concordance defines the term as: he whose it is; that which belongs to him; tranquility. Ancient Jews took the term “Shiloh” to mean the Messiah.
Genesis 49:10d …and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. The idea in the Hebrew is the nations will be cleansed and purged. The Messiah is going to clean house.
Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
John identifies the Lion of the tribe of Judah as Jesus Christ.
The Lamb of God is currently at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. And when He returns to Earth, He will rule and reign with a rod of iron as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
There is time now. Identify with the sinless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Please…
Please…
Please…
Leave a Reply