3/20 Through the Bible in Devotions

Genesis 49 The Scepter

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

I cannot help but expound on this prophetic verse. Jacob said that he was going to tell his children what would “befall them in the last days.” Here we see a very important prophecy, for these last days, and that is that “Shiloh” would come, which is Jesus. He was to come through the tribe of Judah, which David did also, and, of course, the lineage led to Jesus. The real impact of this verse though, is that kings would reign from the tribe of Judah, throughout eternity. If one traces the tribe of Judah through the Bible, they will see that it was a sort of “special” tribe, with many privileged places in the chronicles of Israel. Yes, the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” is mentioned of both David, and Jesus, (see Rev. 5:5 also) “And unto Him shall the gathering of the people be” (text verse). Unto Whom? Unto Jesus. He will draw “all men” unto Himself (Jn. 12:32). This prophesy, spoken thousands of years ago, spoke of Calvary, as well as the gathering of the people of God through the tribe of Judah.

The scepter speaks of a king, and is his symbol of authority. It is by this symbol that he rules, so it is important that it not depart from out of Judah until Christ comes. There is no need of it after Christ, for He is the True King of kings, the “scepter of righteousness.” A scepter is also a priestly vestment, showing that Jesus is not only King, but our High Priest also. This two-fold ministry belongs only to Him, and no other. We see here the prophecy of the coming Messiah, as the Deliverer; the redeemer; the High Priest; and the King, all of which are pictured in Christ. Jesus is all this, and more to us, and the prophecy remains today.

Keep in mind that “Shiloh” also was a place, which became the thrown of Israel’s hope; it became the first resting place for the tabernacle in the wilderness (Josh. 18: 1), and later the “house of God” was there, (Jud. 18: 31). Shiloh became a sacred place to the children of Israel; further study will reveal that the ark of the covenant was there, and it was also the place where God first revealed Himself to Samuel. You can easily see that Shiloh had become a special place, a place of worship and hope for Israel. Again we see all these things in Jesus.

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