Week 4 Genesis 49
Not long before he died Jacob called his sons together: gather around me, and I will tell you what is going to happen to you in the days to come. (The writer said that each of the boys received a blessing that was appropriate to him.)
Some of the things Jacob said were pretty clear but others were fuzzy and I wondered how accurately I could dope them out.
Reuben & Simeon & Levi all had their bad actions come back to haunt them (and their blessings almost seem like curses).
Some of the language Jacob used about Judah is unclear but overall the message is very affirmative. So is Joseph’s – he’ll be a prince among his brothers. Out of 26-verses of promises Judah & Joseph account for 10 of them.
The other oracles are a bit murky…
Zebulun’s future geographic location is predicted.
Issachar will be strong (but he’ll end working like-a-dog in enforced labour).
Dan will have a judicial / governing function.
Gad is headed for armed conflict.
Asher will produce high-quality food.
Naphtali (a deer let loose) sounds affirmative but it could mean a lot of things.
Benjamin is like a wolf. Aggression is in his future.
I wish the forecasts were more unequivocal and explicit. I think about tracking the brothers forward to see what actually happens to them – how the forecasts came true. But it would be pretty time-consuming.
Note: quotes from Genesis 49:1 28 26 21 (NLT)