I want us to turn to verses that
we find in Genesis 49. Genesis 49, I'll read from verse
8 through to verse 12. Jacob, dying Jacob, pronouncing
blessings upon his sons, Genesis 49.8 Judah, thou art
he whom thy brethren shall praise, thy hand shall be in the neck
of thine enemies, thy father's children shall bow down before
thee. Judah is a lion's whelp. From
the prey, my son, thou art gone up. He stooped down, he couched
as a lion, and as an old lion, who shall rouse him up? The scepter
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, binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's
colt unto the choice vine. He washed his garments in wine,
and his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes shall be
red with wine, and his teeth white with milk." On the Lord's
Day we did consider those words at the beginning of John 15 concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ when he says I am the true vine and my
father is the husband man every branch in me that beareth not
fruit he taketh away every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth
it that it might bring forth more fruit those were the words
that we took for our text as we considered the Lord Jesus
the vine and the branches And I did make some reference to
the portion that I've just read concerning Judah. And the reference here in verse
11 to the vine binding his foal unto the vine and as his colt
unto the choice vine he washed his garments in wine and his
clothes in the blood of grapes. We may mention then of the vine
of Judah and the words have really continued with me through the
week and so tonight I want us before we turn again to the Lord
in prayer just to consider for a while in particular the words
that we have here in verses 10 and 11. As I said the passage
is part of that chapter that records
how Jacob called together his sons as he was a dying man. And he says to them, there at
verse 1, gather yourselves together that I may tell you that which
shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together
and hear ye sons of Jacob and hearken unto Israel your father. And chapter is really taken up
with the address that he makes to his various sons. Verse 28,
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is it, that
their father spake unto them, and blessed them. Every one according
to his blessing he blessed them. And so, verses 8 through to 12,
the blessing that he pronounces upon Judah. But we're looking
in particular, we're going to look at verses 10 and 11 and the subject that I want to
address is how the blessing of Judah is a prophecy of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The blessing of Judah is a prophecy
of the Lord Jesus Christ. What does Jacob say there in
verse 1? Gather yourselves together that
I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. He is speaking then of the last
days. What are the last days? That
is the gospel day. That is the day of grace. the
last days. Remember the language of the
Apostle in 2nd Corinthians 6, he hath said, I have heard thee
in a time accepted in the day of salvation, have I succored
thee? Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day
of salvation. That day that has been brought
in with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, his great gospel
dispensation. and doesn't the same apostle
Paul remind us, and I often refer to those words in 1 Corinthians
10, how all these things, he's speaking in particular there
of Moses and events associated with Moses and the deliverance
of the children of Israel out of Egypt, but it has a wider
application when Paul writes there that all these things happened
unto them for ensamples, or examples, literally types. And they are
written, he says, for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world
are come. Well, the ends of the world,
that is equivalent to the last days. And Here then we have not
just Jacob blessing his sons, but making certain statements
which are really prophetic. And what we have here concerning
Judah has to do in particular with the Lord Jesus Christ himself. What does he say of Judah in
verse 9? Judah is a lion's whelp. from
the prime my son thou art gone up he stooped down he couched
as a lion and as an old lion who shall rouse him up." Now
Paul says it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah. The Lord Jesus was born of that
tribe, the tribe of Judah. And he is referred to, as you
know, I'm sure you'll remember this, he is referred to as the
Lion of the tribe of Judah. In Revelation 5, in verse 5,
Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David. David, of course, of the tribe
of Judah, the kingly tribe. and the Lord Jesus, a descendant,
he is the seed of David, but he is also the root of David.
That's the wonder of it, is it not? Christ is both the root
of David and the seed of David. He is David's root when we think
in terms of his deity. He is the eternal son of God.
He is David's Lord. He is David's God. And yet with
regards to his human nature, he is descended from David. And it's interesting how those
words in Revelation chapter 5 take us right back to these words
that we have in Genesis 49. The Lord Jesus is the Lion of
the tribe of Judah, and here we read of Judah as a lion's
whelp, as a lion, as an old lion. who shall rouse him up, it says. The very last book of Holy Scripture,
the Revelation, takes us right back to the first book here in
Genesis. And of course, we have to remember
that the Bible is a whole, although it's divided into two Testaments,
the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is all really of
one piece in its totality. It is at full, that final revelation,
that special revelation that God has given of himself. And there the Bible really interprets
itself. That's how we should approach
it. The Bible will interpret itself. And we have the key when
we recognize that all of it from Genesis right through to Revelation,
the whole of it, centers in the person and work of the Lord Jesus. Is this the Word of God that
we have in Holy Scripture? Well, Christ himself is the incarnate
Word of God. In the beginning was the Word.
And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him.
Without Him was not anything made that was made. You're familiar
with the language of John chapter 1. The Word made flesh, says
John, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father. We often sing the hymn
by Joseph Hart, the Scriptures and the Lord bear one tremendous
name, the written and incarnate word in all things are the same. So, the key to the Bible from
Genesis to Revelation is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ.
He tells the Jews so plainly, search the scriptures, in them
ye think that ye have eternal life and these are they that
tell of me. And so we have to recognize that
in order to properly understand the Old Testament we need to
come to that fullness of the revelation that we have with
the coming of Christ in these last days God has spoken unto
us by His Son He is the image of the invisible God and it is
that light of the New Testament that helps us with so much of
the Old Testament Romans 12.6 Paul says let us prophesize,
speaking of preaching, let us prophesy according, he says,
to the proportion of faith or to the analogy of faith. He's speaking of the basic principle
of interpretation, the analogy of faith. What it means is that
when we come to any part of God's Word. We're not to see it in
isolation, we're to see it in its immediate context, but we're
to see it in the context of all the Word of God. That's what
I mean when I say the Bible interprets itself. We're to compare spiritual
things with spiritual. If we have a verse that is rather
difficult to understand, to interpret, we find it's rather a dark passage.
How can we understand it? Well, we sometimes find it useful
to see some of the references that might appear in the margins
of our Bibles, where we can see what other scriptures have to
say on the particular theme that is being dealt with in that verse. Well, we're going to look, I
say, for a while now at these words, particularly what we have
in verses 10 and 11. The scepter 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. Binding
his foal unto the vine, and his asses caught unto the choice
vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the
blood of grapes." And three particular truths concerning the Lord Jesus
Christ. First of all, here we see that
Christ is the one who is the Prince of Peace. He is the one
who makes peace. There's a specific reference
to him in that expression, until Shiloh come. The word Shiloh
is from the same root as the word Shalom, which of course
is still the customary word of greeting amongst the Jews. When
they meet each other, they will say Shalom. which literally means
peace, the Hebrew word for peace. And it's the same root as what
we have in the word Shiloh, until Shiloh come. In Zechariah, Zechariah
6.13, we read the Council of Peace. shall be between them
both." That reminds us that there is behind all things the eternal
purpose of God. Now that purpose centers in the
Lord Jesus Christ, that's made so clear in Ephesians chapter
1. The Council of Peace then is
to be understood in terms of that eternal purpose, the eternal
Council of God, the Covenant the covenant of redemption, the
covenant of grace, that that was entered into by the persons
in the Godhead. There was a council of peace
between the Father and the Son, that covenant in which the Eternal
Son, who is equal to the Father, willingly agrees to become the
servant of God. As we read in Isaiah, Behold
my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth,
I have put my spirit upon him. He is the anointed one, he is
the promised Messiah. And this is the one who is being
spoken of here by Jacob as he addresses his son Judah concerning
Shiloh, who is peace, and that council of peace, that eternal
covenant That great purpose of salvation when the Father committed
into the hands of the Son a people whom He would redeem in the fullness
of the time. He would come and He would answer
for them with regards to all the demands of that holy and
righteous law of God. And so what do we read again?
The language of the prophet in Micah 5.5, it says, This man
shall be the peace. Who is the man? Oh, it's the
man Christ Jesus, and it's the person of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ is Shiloh,
He is peace when we think in terms of His very person, Job. says neither is there any days
man betwixt us who may put his hand upon us both. He's addressing
God and he feels the need of one to be the mediator, to be
the umpire, to stand between God who has been offended, God's
law has been broken, and man is the transgressor. And Job,
in the agonies of his soul, cries out, Neither is there any daysman
betwixt us, Someone who can put his hand upon us both. But is
he not looking for the appearing of the Lord Jesus in his person?
He can put his hand upon us both because he is God. He is God
and yet he is also man. Oh, that is the great mystery
of godliness, the God. was manifest in the flesh. God became a man and a real man. And in his very person then,
when we think of those two natures, those distinct natures, the fact
that he is truly God, and yet at the same time he is really
man, he can stand between God and men. He is the only mediator
between God and men. But then, also here, we are directed
to the work of the Lord Jesus when we read those words in verse
11, "...binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt
unto the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his
clothes in the blood of grapes." As I said on the Lord's Day,
here surely there is some reference to the blood of the grape. There's
some reference here then to that sacrificial death that the Lord
Jesus Christ has died when he died the just for the unjust
we was obedient unto death even the death of the cross and also
Is there not some reference to this in that portion that we
were reading concerning the one who comes from Edom with dyed
garments from Basra? This, that he is glorious in
his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength, I
that speak in righteousness mighty to say, Wherefore art thou red
in thine apparel? and thy garments like him that
treadeth in the winecraft." How the Lord Jesus Christ is that
one who has come and endured that awful death, that bloody
death, that cruel death of the cross. And what was the point
and purpose of it all? Well, He is making peace. The Apostle says in Colossians
chapter 2, having made peace through the blood of his cross,
to reconcile all things unto himself. Man in that state of
alienation from God. We are born dead in trespasses
and sins. We are those who in our very
nature are enemies of God. And yet the Lord Jesus Christ
has come and He is reconciled. the sinner unto God, and done
it by the shedding of his precious blood." But more than that, John
tells us twice in that first general epistle, he is the propitiation
for our sins. And then again, here in his love,
not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins. All that words, that technical,
that theological term, propitiation, what does it remind us of? It
reminds us that God is a holy God, and a righteous God, and
a just God. That God can by no means clear
the guilty. That a just God cannot turn a
blind eye to sin. Sin must be punished. God's justice
must be satisfied. It's that Godhood aspect of the
work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the propitiation. He is that
one who makes peace. He makes peace with God for sinners. He reconciles the sinner unto
God. And so when the Lord Jesus comes
to the end of his life, as he speaks to his disciples there
in John 14. Now his final discourses, remember,
and he'll go on to make that great high priestly prayer in
John 17. And then in chapter 18 following, we see him. Not
only is he a praying priest, he is a sacrificing priest and
sacrifices himself. But previous to that, John 14,
27, he speaks of that blessed legacy that he is going to leave
to his disciples. Peace I leave with you. My peace
I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let
not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. All
the gracious words of the Lord Jesus. He is Shiloh. He is that
one who is spoken of here until Shiloh come. He leaves that blessed
legacy. What does Jacob say concerning
this one blessing his son Jacob? He speaks of a lawgiver. The
scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between
his feet until Shiloh come. Christ is that one who is the
lawgiver. Christ is that one of whom it is said in the prophecy
of Isaiah that the isles shall wait for his law. All that law,
that truth of the gospel is to be proclaimed to the ends of
the earth. that great legacy that he has
left for poor and needy sinners. Peace I leave with you, he says.
My peace I give unto you, the blessings that come by Shiloh. Oh, the Lord Jesus Christ is
that one who has made peace. He is the Prince of Peace. And then I said three things. Secondly, with regards to the
Lord Jesus Christ, is he not also that one who delivers his
people? He delivers them from the prey. Verse 9, from the prey. My son,
thou art gone up. Now, the lives of the people
of God are very much preyed on in this fallen world, on every
side. That life of God in the soul
of the sinner is being preyed on. It's vulnerable. There's
the worlds, there's the old nature, sinful flesh, there's the constant
activity of Satan. Now the believer feels it at
times. Look whichever way he might,
there is so much that disturbs and troubles the people of God.
They feel that their lives are surrounded with so many snares. And though Satan is such a cunning
foe, he sets his traps, he ensnares their feet. And believers then
know what it is to feel that there are nothing but troubles
without, and so often there are trials within, there's that old
nature that still dwells within the believer, that wretched man,
how poor cries out, O wretched man that I am who shall deliver
me from the body of this death. The believer then is one who
is constantly being preyed upon when he is living his life in
a fallen world with an old nature. with a wily foe, a wicked foe
in Satan. But here is the believer's comfort
that in all of these things God is still sovereign. Oh friends,
that's our comfort, the sovereignty of God. And what a comfort it
is to the believer. The heavens really do rain. God is doing according to his
will in the armies of heaven and amongst the inhabitants of
the earth. We have that assurance. And look at how God speaks to
Baruch, that man who seems to have been a sort of secretary
to the prophet Jeremiah. He served Jeremiah well, but
there in Jeremiah 45, 5, God says, Behold, speaking to Barak
through his prophet, Behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh,
saith the Lord, but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey
in all places whither thou goest. God's going to bring evil, and
what evil it was in those days because Jeremiah, of course,
was prophesying at the time when the Babylonians came and Jerusalem
fell and the people were being transported, taken away into
exile. God is going to bring evil. And
yet he says to Barak, But thy life will I give unto thee for
a prey in all places whither thou goest. And so we see that though that
life is prayed upon. Christ is the one who delivers
his people. He is the deliverer of his people.
He is so many things, our Lord Jesus. He is all things and everything
to the people of God. He is Shiloh, but he is also
the deliverer, who delivered us. Who delivered us from so
great a death, says Paul, and doth deliver, whom we trust will
yet deliver us. or the past deliverances assure
us of present deliverances and even future deliverances. He
is that one who truly does deliver. In the world, he says, you shall
have tribulation but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. He has overcome. He has overcome. He has vanquished Satan. He has
delivered His people out of the snare of the devil who were taken
captive by Him at His will. He is stronger than that strong
man armed. This is the language that we
find throughout Holy Scripture. He delivered them who through
fear of death, it says, were all their lifetime subject to
bondage. He is the Deliverer. Because
He has overcome, He has vanquished the devil. The language again
of The Apostle at the end of 1 Corinthians 15, where he speaks
of the victories, the conquest of the Lord Jesus Christ. O death,
where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law. But
thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. The life is given for a prey,
But the prey is taken from the mighty, and the lawful captive
is delivered. Look at Isaiah 49.24. The prey is taken from the mighty,
and the lawful captive is delivered. From the prey, my son, thou art
gone up. Judas, who is being addressed,
is truly a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Judah was a great warrior
tribe. David, the great warrior king,
was of the tribe of Judah. But Christ is that one who is
the great warrior, the captain of salvation, who has delivered
his people and who, as save them out of all the devices
of their great adversary, Satan. The prey taken from the mighty,
the lawful captive delivered. We see then something of the
Lord Jesus. He is that one who is peace. He has accomplished peace with
God. He has reconciled sinners to
God by his death upon the cross. He delivers his people from all
their enemies. They constantly pray upon them.
And then thirdly and finally, the Lord Jesus Christ is that
One who is to be praised. He is that One who is to be praised.
Go back to verse 8. Judah, thou art He whom thy brethren
shall praise. What does the name Judah mean?
Judah means praise. That was the name that was given
to the son by Leah. In chapter 29.35 she says, Now
will I praise the Lord. Therefore she called his name
Judah and left off bearing. She had no more sons. She leaves off bearing and she
calls his son Praise. And the Lord Jesus is that one
who is to be praised. What do we read concerning Shiloh?
Unto him shall the gathering of the people burn. The gathering
of the people. Oh, we believe it. We believe
in that principle of the gathered church. The word that's used
in the New Testament, Ecclesia. I know it's translated church
in the authorized version. But you know in Tyndale's version
it was translated congregation. And again it's one of those words,
it's really a combination of words. And literally Ecclesia
means the called out. God's people are those who are
called out of the world and they're gathered together in local congregations. And what do they gather together
for? They gather together to worship their God. Well, this
is the point and purpose of our gathering, surely. We gather
together on the Lord's Day for divine worship. We come together
to ascribe unto God all that is due to His great name. We
call upon that name, not only in our prayers, but in our praises.
We want to magnify him with our voices, we want to magnify him
in our hearts. Each local church should be a
worshipping congregation then of the Lord's people. We know
how the angels gathered together to praise the Lord Jesus Christ
at his birth. Luke 2.13, we read of a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God and saying glory to God in
the highest on earth peace, goodwill toward men. All the very angels
who had no personal interest in that work that Christ had
come to accomplish in the fullness of the time God had sent him, to save sinful men. He was made
of a woman. He was made under the law to
redeem them that they were under the law. He didn't come for angels.
And yet, there we have it at the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ,
a great miracle of His incarnation, the angels. the multitude of
the heavenly host praising God, worshipping God. And then again
we're told how there is joy in the presence of the angels of
God over one sinner that repenteth. Or they rejoice in the birth
of the Lord Jesus, but they also worship God at the conversion
of every elect sinful soul. Joy in the presence of the angels.
It's not just the angels, it's those who are in the presence
of the angels. It's the redeemed in heaven. What is that blessed
company in heaven? Angels and redeemed men and women. It is a great praising people,
a great praising congregation there in heaven. rejoicing in
all the accomplishments of the Lord Jesus Christ, how they rejoice
as he sees the fruits of all his sorrows and all his griefs,
how he sees there, how they see there the fruit of all his awful
sufferings in the salvation of sinners. The Lord Jesus Christ
then is that one who is to be praised and let us in all our
Gatherings together, desire to be found that people who are
truly a praising people, glorying in the Lord Jesus Christ, all
that he is and all that he has done. Oh, we have this word then,
this ancient scripture, the first book of Holy Scripture, and it's
pointing us to that one who was truly the Lion of the tribe of
Judah. The scepter 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. Binding
his foal unto the vine, and he hath his colt unto the choice
vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the
blood of grapes." May the Lord bless his word to us. We're going to sing the hymn 145 for the Tune
University College 515. Christ exalted is our song, hymn
by all the blood-bought throng, to his throne our shouts shall
rise, God with us by sacred ties. 145