Judah and Jesus

Gen 49:10 "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people."

Israel is getting ready to die, so he gathered his sons around him for their final blessing. Some good, some bad, and some very practical. (Dan would be a judge, Asher would be a baker and Naphtali would be a word-smith.) But Judah…something special. The scepter represented kingship. And a lawgiver represented one who set out decrees. Israel was telling Judah that he would start a long line of kings. This was before the nation of Israel was even formed. This was before the people of Israel clamored for a king and God warned them about it. And who came from the line of Judah? David and Solomon, etc.

Then this…until Shiloh comes. What is Shiloh? The Hebrew word for Shiloh actually means: "he who it is". This is wild. "He who it is." Or: "He who exists". Or: Jehovah – "the existing One". Or:"I AM". The promise of the Messiah was given through Israel as he blessed his son Judah. And through the line of Judah came David and Solomon…and Jesus. Check it out. Matthew 1 lays out the geneology of Jesus.

"And to Him shall be the obedience of the people." To who? Judah? Yes, and those rulers who came from the line of Judah, but eventually, when it is all said and done, when this thing called history comes to its culmination: "To HIM shall be the obedience of the people." The only One who is able to take the scroll and open it. The Lion of the tribe of Judah. (Rev 5:5) "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil 2:9-11

The point: This blessing, this prophecy that Israel gave to his son Judah was fulfilled and is still being fulfilled. This prophecy is still being worked out in God's time…and truth is truth. Jesus is the One who rules. Jesus is the One who reigns. Jesus is the One who is in control. Jesus is the One who is the eternal Lawgiver. And Jesus is the One every single person who ever lived, in heaven, on earth and under the earth will bow before in obedience.