The Loving Blessing of Israel

January 20, 2009, 8:04 am by dc-agape.

Genesis 49:1 – 28

Here is the “Blessings of Jacob Israel” to his 12 sons.  If you remember he “adopted” Joseph’s first two sons, but they are not blesses with their “brothers”.  I guess that on his death bed, Israel forgot about that!  He remembers everything that his sons (Ruben, Simeon, and Levi) did in the past, yet leaves out the exploits of Judah.  His blessings on his slave wives sons are by far the shortest and the most vague.  But for Joseph, his blessing is long and full of good things.  I guess when you’re the favorite, it does not matter that you are just like your brothers, or worse.

Reuben

Israel starts off saying wonderful things about Reuben.  He says how great Ruben’s honor and power was.  But then he remembers that Reuben slept with Bilhah, Israel’s slave wife.  He ends the blessing with a curse.  He tells his first born son that Ruben’s will be a failure and will no longer excel.  But this is not just of Reuben; no this is a curse on all of Reuben’s offspring as well.  What a loving dad!  Can I have a dad like this?  Is this the Biblical Role model of a loving father?  Reuben makes one stinking bad move, and all the descendants of Reuben are cursed.

Simeon & Levi

Israel’s blessing on these two brothers is the same.  Because of their great anger over Dinah and the men they killed (but Jacob accepted the pillage, and possibly even bragged about the event to Joseph), he guarantees that these two brothers’ offspring will be scattered.  He also warns anyone of entering council with these two offspring.

Judah

Israel blesses Judah with the power of the lion, the praise of his brothers, and the scepter of the ruler.  But he does say that Judah will rule until one who the leadership belongs (David and then Jesus).  He continues the blessing telling of how the offspring of Judah will have excess of wine.  Israel obviously forgot that it was Judah’s idea to sell Joseph off into slavery.  He also must have ignored the fact that it was Judah also lied to Israel about the event.  Israel also forgot about the incident with Tamar.  But Judah is special and Israel forgives all these “sins”. Unlike his older brothers, Israel blesses Judah and all of Judah’s descendants.

Zebulun

Israel blesses Zebulun with living by the seashore.  Unfortunately, we find that this blessing was a false blessing.  We know that his offspring were given land in the “promised land” that was landlocked.

Issachar

He blesses his son Issachar with a pleasant resting place.  But Israel ends it with a curse of forced labor, as in slavery.  How anyone, in their right mind, could call this chapter of Genesis the “Blessings of Jacob” is completely beyond my comprehension!  Most of these are not “blessings”.  

Dan

Israel starts off by saying that Dan’s descendants are going to be justice for all of Israel.  But then he calls Dan a serpent!  Isn’t the serpent a representative of Satan?  How is calling all of Dan’s descendants Satanic a blessing?  Israel ends the “blessing” with how Dan will attack his enemies from cover, like guerrilla warriors or even terrorists.

Gad

Israel blesses all of Gad’s descendants with attacks by raiders.  What a great blessing!  Can someone bless me with this?  I really want to be attacked by raiders for all my relatives.  At least Israel ends this “blessing” with Gad returning the attack on the raiders.

Asher

Israel does bless Asher.  He simply puts it that Asher will have “delicacies fit for a king”.  Finally, a “blessing” that really is a blessing.  And since no tales of Asher’s are recorded in Genesis maybe this blessing is fitting.

Naphtali

Israel also blesses Naphtali.  The blessing is that all of Naphtali’s descendants will be “beautiful fawns”.  That’s not the best of blessings the term fawn usually refers to being fresh, new, and weak.  But at least his offspring will be beautiful!

Joseph

Israel blesses Joseph with a great number of offspring.  He also blesses Joseph with a strong arm in battle.  The blessing continues with great things from heaven, from the depth of the waters, and from the animals in the pastures.  He claims these blessing are greater than the mountains and the hills.  Wow, now this is a blessing!  It’s a shame that all of Joseph’s brothers get the shaft from Israel.

Ben-Oni

Israel “blesses” Ben-Oni (I will continue to use Rachel’s dying request to refer to Israel’s youngest son) with the fierceness of a ravenous wolf.  He continues the blessing with how Ben-Oni’s offspring will have battles in the morning and will divide the plunder at night.  Sounds like a peaceful life for all the descendants of Ben-Oni.  This is another one of those “blessings” that sounds more like a curse.

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