Praise Our King from Judah!
Judah was one of the sons of Jacob and brothers of Joseph. In Genesis 49:8-12, we hear Jacob's final farewell to his sons. In particular, the bonus offered to us in these words of Jacob blessing Judah is that we hear a blessing also for us to "Praise Our King from Judah". November 25, 2007.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Based on that truth today’s Bible section from the book of Genesis helps us appreciate the greatness of Christ our King by presenting him within the context of his family, the tribe of Judah. The Bible notes two special characteristics of the tribe of Judah and its royal Son painted for us in word pictures of a fierce lion and a wealthy ruler. This makes us even more eager to Praise Our King from Judah!
A fierce lion
Judah was one of the sons of Jacob and brothers of Joseph best known for stepping in and suggesting that instead of the brothers killing Joseph they sell him as a slave, which they did. Years later Judah stepped up as a spokesman for the brothers when they appeared before Joseph, who had become a ruler in Egypt. Judah showed strength and courage as a leader among the brothers, and this trait captured the attention of his dying father, Jacob, when Jacob gathered his sons together for his final farewell. These poetic words of Jacob for each of his sons are to a great extent predictions – prophecies – the data of which is supplied to Jacob by the personality of his sons, their past behavior, and also by the gracious promises of God intended to bless the entire world through the twelve tribes of Israel. The bonus offered to us in the words of Jacob blessing Judah is that we hear a blessing also for us! From Judah will be born the Messiah, Christ our King!
Jacob begins, “Judah, your hand will be on the neck of your enemies … you are … like a lion.” Years later, the dominance of this tribe over their enemies would become a dynasty under King David. With fierce strength the tribe of Judah would hold its enemies in a headlock, controlled and unable to cause the people of Judah any harm. The territory of Judah would be so strong that Jacob refers to this tribe as a lion three times in this blessing: as a young lion in the vigor of agility and zeal, as a mature male lion king ruling the pride with majestic strength, and as a vigilant lioness prepared to fiercely pounce on any threat to her cubs.
The tribe of Judah, like Jacob’s son Judah, would prove to be as strong as a fierce lion. But that trait isn’t easy to possess. One of the hot new series on TV, “Heroes,” portrays this truth when ordinary people like a high school cheerleader and computer programmer and police detective find themselves supernaturally gifted with extraordinary abilities. Keeping these abilities in check and using them only when appropriate is one of their biggest challenges. Judah himself discovered this when he used his strong opinions and influence to disobey God and marry a Canaanite woman, and worse yet have children with a woman he thought was a prostitute but was really his daughter-in-law. When we realize how our strength can be used, the devil comes right along to help that strength be abused. Abusing strength means irresponsibly using a position of power or special skill to sin against someone else and God. How about a few examples? You’re the older brother or sister. You’re the project leader. You’re the husband. You got there first. You have an office door with your name on it. You make more money, drive a better car, and wear more fashionable clothing. Nobody else in the office was asked for their opinion but you. Nobody else in the classroom speaks as persuasively and loudly as you. Nobody else in the family gets good grades like you. Your gift of wit and sarcasm allows you to always have the last word in an argument. These are all gifts from God that are not sinful in themselves, but we’ve lorded them over others not in submissive love but in sinful lust for power, as greedy as the most evil villain in any superhero series. Jesus once said to whom much is given much will be expected. Then why doesn’t he just take such abused privileges away from us instantly. Why give such blessing to people who abuse it?
The answer is provided here in this section from the first book of the Bible, Genesis, and in the rest of Scripture all the way to the last book of the Bible, Revelation, where the apostle John shares with us his vision of heaven and writes, “Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed … Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne” (5:5,6). Christ our King, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, has triumphed over our sins. John sees the victorious King standing in the center of a throne, not robed in glistening jewels as we’d expect but dripping with blood, injured like a sacrificial lamb offered for our sins. The strong Lion is the sacrificial Lamb. His strength is not abused for greedy power but used for the generous payment that redeemed us from our guilt forever. Praise Our King from Judah! The Lion from the tribe of Judah is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, ferocious in his desire to save us from our sins and slay the devil’s curse over us. Your sins are forgiven. “You will be with me in paradise,” your King reassures you (Luke 23:43). “Go,” your King bids you (Matthew 28:19). It’s safe to use your strength, your courage, your power, and your gifts in humble service. Now, risen from the dead, the Lamb is the Lion who rules with majesty and strength and vigor administering his kingdom with generous love as a wealthy ruler.
A wealthy ruler
Jacob speaks of this second word picture in his blessing of his son, Judah, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, even after he comes to whom it belongs.” Like a king sitting on a throne places one end of his ruling staff on the floor between his feet while the other end rests on his shoulder extending authoritatively into the air, Christ our King sits on the throne of heaven and earth and rules everything. The scepter of Judah belongs to him, and as he came once in humility to rule in grace he will come again in power to begin his rule of eternal glory. At that time the nations will obey him, either to their delight when he invites believers from all nations to enter his kingdom, or to their detriment when he commands unbelievers from all nations to spend eternity in hell for rejecting his Word and refusing his promises. Christ our King has the supremacy for all time.
This blessing of Judah concludes with some strange imagery that mentions tethering a donkey to a vine, washing garments in wine, and eyes being dark from wine and teeth white from milk. Each of those phrases indicates the prosperity and wealth that would characterize the tribe of Judah. While other nations wouldn’t dare to tether a donkey to a grape vine fearing that the donkey would stubbornly rip the vine out of the ground, the grape vines in Judah would be so numerous that they wouldn’t have such a concern. Wine, a drink much less alcoholic and much more consumed at that time than today, was a staple of the diet in those days and Judah had the best and most wine in all the land. They produced so much that they could figuratively wash their clothes in it if they wanted and not be lacking. It was of such a high quality that their eyes would be filled with healthy color from it just like their teeth would be white from the vitamins and minerals of abundant dairy products.
What is true of Judah is also true of the King from Judah. His storehouses lack nothing. And what is true of the King from Judah is true of his people. We lack nothing. We might want many things, but we lack nothing we need. Our wealthy ruler makes sure of it. His rich supply begins with spiritual blessings and continues with our daily bread. It costs us nothing to receive it because it is a gift of his grace. But it costs us everything to use it because our King wants our all. Can you give everything to the One who gives you everything? Praise Our King from Judah!
Yadah is a Hebrew word that means praise, and Yudah is the Hebrew name for Judah, the son of Jacob, who receives the praise of his brothers. How fitting that Christ is our King from Judah, the praiseworthy one whom we honor now and forever. He is a fierce lion who makes you strong and courageous. He is a wealthy ruler who makes you rich with spiritual and physical blessings. Trust him with all your heart. Serve him with all your love. Praise him with all you have. Amen.
Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (http://www.gracedowntown.org/) on November 25, 2007
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