Genesis 49:19
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
When an old man is on his deathbed, especially a patriarch like Jacob, his words carry a particular weight. They are not the ramblings of a fading mind but are often distilled wisdom, final judgments, and, in this case, Spirit-breathed prophecy. As Jacob gathers his twelve sons, he is not just giving them sentimental farewells. He is looking down the corridor of time, under the inspiration of God, and describing the essential character and destiny of the tribes that will descend from them. They describe the battles, the blessings, and the burdens that will mark each tribe as they participate in the grand story of redemption that God is writing. We modern Christians often read these passages with a detached historical interest, as if they were quaint tribal histories with little to say to us. The battles of the twelve tribes are typological pictures of the battles of the Church.