I want to begin this message
by quoting two passages from the New Testament with regard
to the Old Testament scriptures. In Luke chapter 24, this is after
the resurrection of Christ. We read in verse 27 and beginning
at Moses and all the prophets. He expanded unto them in all
the scriptures the things concerning himself. Whatever is in the Old Testament
scripture is concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. John chapter five,
verse 39, He says, you search the scriptures, for in them, in the Old Testament
scriptures, the book of Moses, the Psalms, the prophets, you
think you have eternal life and they are they which testify of
me. Now, from those scriptures, we
know ahead of time. that whatever the Old Testament
is saying, its first application is to be the gospel of Jesus
Christ. And if I preach from a passage
of scripture and do not preach the gospel from that passage
of scripture, I have misunderstood that scripture and failed in
my responsibility as a preacher. all scriptures testify of him. And really, this is our rule
of interpretation with regard to every passage of scripture
in the Old Testament, including the one I just read, with regard
to these prophecies regarding the sons of Jacob. It's the gospel
of Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I'm not talking about forcing
something on it that's not there, but I mean preaching the gospel
from that passage of scripture. And so we know ahead of time,
even if we don't know what the scripture means, we know what
it means, don't we? It means the gospel, and may
the Lord give us wisdom to deal with the gospel from this. Now
back in Genesis 49, The first three of Jacob's sons
that were mentioned were Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. And if you'll
remember, nothing good was said about any of them. Nothing good. And then we have Judah. We considered
that a couple of weeks ago, the prophecy concerning Judah. And
it's really a prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And after
that, we have the eight sons after Judah, and nothing but
good is spoken concerning them. Now we learn the gospel right
there, don't we? Verse 13, Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the
sea. And he shall be for an haven
of ships, and his border shall be undesigned." Now, like I said,
if all I get out of that is he represents a haven, a port where
there were safety from the storms. Ships would arrive and be safe. This is speaking of Christ, my
haven. Christ, my hiding place. Christ, my safe place. We're called upon to abide in
Christ. That's abiding in a place. And
in that place, there's nothing but safety and security. That's why Paul said, oh, that
I may win Christ and be found in him. I don't want to be found
anywhere else. That's the only place of safety.
I've said this a dozen times before, probably more than that,
but I'll say it again. I'd rather just simply be in Christ than
to be found reading the Bible or praying or witnessing or preaching
or doing good works. Just let me be found in Christ.
That's the only place I want to be found. He is the haven.
He is the place of safety and rest. Don't look for rest and
safety anywhere, but simply being found in Christ. Being in the
house with the blood over the door. Being in the ark. That's the safe place, the haven.
Christ Jesus. Now let's go on reading. And
Issachar, is a strong ass couching, being stretched is the word,
couching down between two burdens. And he saw that rest was good
and the land that it was pleasant. And he bowed his shoulder to
bear and become a servant unto tribute. He became a debtor.
Now, let's think of Issachar. He's a strong ass couching between
two burdens. And that word burden is taken
out of the root word, which means entwined. Entwined. Now, I don't have any question. I think this is what this scripture
is alluding to. You can't teach directly from
this. This is more of an example or
an illustration. But every believer is couched
between two burdens, two weights. And you know what those burdens
are. The flesh and the spirit. Somebody
may think, well, how could you consider the spirit a burden?
Well, you wouldn't even know it's a burden without the spirit.
The spirit lets us know that he's couched between these two
burdens. That's the believer's experience.
Number one is what the scripture teaches. Romans 7, that's so
clear. Paul said the flesh lusts against
the spirit, the spirit lusts against the flesh. These two
are contrary one to the other. Every believer is two separate
men coming through one consciousness, and that's what makes this so
difficult. I mean, it is, you can't say, well, this was spirit
and that was flesh. You have one consciousness, you
have one man, and every believer has these two burdens within
this one man. I mean, even in the Song of Solomon,
the Shulamite said, I'm a company of two armies, two armies. Recognize that in Romans chapter
seven, the story of the flesh and the story of the spirit,
that's my experience. It's what the scripture teaches, but as
much as that's what's number one important, but what's number
two important is that is my experience. I find that a law that when I
would do good, evil is present with me. Now he was intertwined
with these two burdens and it's only this man that can see that
rest is good. Verse 15. There's no understanding
this apart from knowing the burden of sin. That man sees that rest
is good. Now when you rest, you rest in
response to the finished work of Jesus Christ. There's nothing
for you to do. He did it all. And rest is good. There remaineth
a rest for the people of God, a Sabbath of rest for the people
of God. For he that's entered into his
rest hath ceased from his own works. What a blessed thing to cease
from your own works and enter into his glorious work. Verse 15, he saw that rest was
good and that, and the land of rest was, I'm putting rest in
there, it says the land that it was pleasant. Oh, it's, it's
so pleasant to be in that place of rest. It's a joyous thing,
the joy and peace of believing and He bowed his shoulder to
bear and became a servant unto tribute. Now somebody says, how
can that be a good thing? To become a servant to tribute?
I'm a debtor. I'm a debtor. A debtor to his
grace. A debtor to his gospel. A debtor
to his love. When I stand before thy throne
dressed in beauty not my own, when I see thee as thou art,
love thee with unsinning heart. Then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe. Now this is the one debt I love,
being a debtor to grace. I don't owe anything else, but
I tell you this, I'm a debtor to his grace. And he sees that,
and really it's only the man who's couched between these two
burdens that sees the sweetness of rest and is a debtor to his
grace. Verse 16. shall judge his people as one
of the tribes of Israel." Dan means judgment. Dan shall judge
his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent
by the way, an adder in the path that biteth the horse heel so
that the rider shall fall backwards. Dan shall judge his people I
love to think about the judgment of the cross. It was a thing,
yes, of grace, yes, of love, but it was a thing of absolute
judgment and justice. And because of what Christ bore
on the cross when he bore my sin and he bore the wrath of
God, God's sentence against sin, judgment is accomplished. There's
no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. I am completely
free of any kind of judgment. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? God justified them. Cleared of all guilt. The state
of justification is a state of sinlessness. And that is what
the Lord brings to his people. Absolute judgment and justice. And the scripture I thought of
when I thought of this is Romans, I mean, 1 John 1 says, if we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just. Not merciful and gracious,
although he is, but he's faithful and just to forgive us of our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Yes, he's merciful
and gracious in doing that, but he's faithful in that he determined
to do it before time began, and he's living up to his faithfulness,
and it's done in a way that glorifies his justice. Dan, judgment. Oh, the justice of the gospel.
I love it. Justice and judgment are the
habitation of thy throne. Oh, the righteousness and justice
of the gospel. There's nothing unclean about
this. I think of, Romans 5, 20 and 21, where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound, that as sin had reigned unto death, even
so my grace reigned through righteousness. It's righteous, just grace. There's nothing unclean about
it. It is all measures up to a perfect balance and a perfect
weight. Dan, judgment. Look what it says
about Dan. Dan shall be a serpent by the
way, an adder in the path that bideth the horse heel so that
the rider shall fall backward. Dan shall be a serpent by the
way. Now, do you remember when the Lord Jesus Christ was the
serpent hanging on the pole? He took upon Himself us we were
that we were bit by the serpents. He became the serpent hanging
on the pole and I think of the prophecy regarding the Lord Jesus
Christ Remember what said to the serpent? You shall bruise
his heel, but he'll crush your head. And this one, the Lord
Jesus Christ, causes everyone that he arrests by his grace
to fall backwards, to fall off their high horse, to fall off
their position of pride and look to Christ only. They got nowhere
else to look. And when you're knocked off your
horse and are made to see what you really are, You won't have
anywhere to look but to Christ. Then what a blessing that is
when the Lord brings somebody to that position. Verse 19. Verse 18, we considered last
week. I've waited for thy salvation, O Lord. I think it's interesting.
It's like as Jacob is giving this prophecy, he takes a breather.
He takes a breather. I have waited for thy salvation,
O Lord. Now he picks up in verse 19,
Gad. Troop shall overcome him, but
he shall overcome at last. Gad's name means troop, and here
is the experience of every believer. A troop shall overcome him. Now that's my experience every
day. Every day, I get overcome. Every time I sin, I've been overcome. A troop overcomes me. And that is the experience of
every believer, every day, all the time. As a matter of fact,
Proverbs 24, 16 says, for just man falleth seven times. What's
seven represent? All the time. All the time. In my experience, I can't say
I've even kept one commandment one time. Not once. Not once. I love God's law. And when I'm saying this, I'm
not talking about some poor, defeated attitude. I'm a victor
in Christ Jesus because notice what it says. It says, Dad, a
troop shall overcome him, but he shall overcome at the last.
That's true of every believer. What I'm saying is I'm not rolling
in pity and self, no, I'm just talking about the reality of
every, I can't say I've ever gone a second without sin because
I haven't kept one of God's commandments one time. I'm always in the state
of not loving God with all my heart and all my soul and all
my strength and all my might, and I'm always in the state of
not, loving my neighbor as myself, in and of myself is nonstop.
And so I'm overcome every time I sin. But this is not a defeatist
attitude. I'm more than a conqueror through
him that loved me. And Christ has won my victory. I'm not saying
this, giving in and just saying, what's the use? No, I'm going
to overcome at last because Christ has won my victory for me. Second Corinthians 2 14 says,
thanks be unto God. which always causes us to triumph
in Christ. And even in my defeats, God is
using them for my good and his glory. That's what Romans 8,
28 says. We know that all things work
together for good. To them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose. Verse 20, out of Asher, His bread shall
be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. Now, Asher's name means
blessed, happy, blessed. Oh, if I'm a believer. I've been
blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus. Every spiritual blessing, not
most of them, all of them. That is the possession of every
believer. And you wanna talk about blessed. Now, I don't much like, please
understand me, I hate it when somebody says I'm not happy.
So don't say that around me. I just, it just aggravates me.
I'm not happy. Well, and I'm not being, I'm
not being, somebody said, boy, he's hard hearted and callous.
No, I'm not. No, I'm not. Happiness is based on circumstances.
If my circumstances are good, I'm happy. If I'm not happy and
I say, I'm not happy, watch out, heads are getting ready to roll
because I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make myself happy. And
in that sense, I just, I'm happy. Somebody says, I'm not happy.
Well, do what's right. Don't do what you think is gonna
make you happy, do what's right. You'll be fine. But this is much
better, being blessed. being blessed by God. And listen
to how our Lord, Asher means blessed. He's the one who has
these royal dainties. Blessed, blessed by God are the
poor in spirit. That's God's blessing. To have
nothing to recommend you to God, absolutely nothing. You're blessed
of God. Blessed are they that mourn.
This is so contrary to what the flesh thinks. This mourning is
mourning over what? Sin. Sin. You're always mourning over sin. My sin is ever before me, David
said. And I am mourning over sin. And
I think this is interesting. Here's a little grammar lesson. Blessed are they that mourn.
That's in the present tense, active voice. It's a participle.
That means it's what you are, present tense, and it's what
you do. You're one who mourns, and you
mourn all the time. And that's blessed. Remember,
it's only the one who mourns that's gonna be comforted. They
shall be comforted with the comforts of the gospel. Blessed are the
meek. This is who Christ calls blessed.
Blessed are the meek, those who count whatever God does as right,
holy, just, and good. Meek before God. This is an attitude
before God. This is not really an attitude
toward men, although it comes out, but it's an attitude toward
God where you believe everything he does is right. Blessed are
they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. You know the only
reason you hunger and thirst is because you know in and of
yourself you don't have any, and you have to have him give it
to you. Blessed are the pure in heart. That's the new heart
he gives. Blessed are the merciful for
they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are they who are persecuted
for righteousness sake. Happy, blessed. That's true happiness, being
blessed by God. Happiness isn't having a lot
of money in the bank and health. I'm thankful for any money the
Lord gives me I can buy my food and so on, and I'm thankful for
health. I know what it is to be sick, but that's not blessing. Spiritual blessings are the blessings
that come from God. And Asher, or out of Asher, his
bread shall be fat and he shall yield royal dainties. Oh, the royal dainties of the
gospel being justified, being preserved. Being loved by God,
being given faith, being given repentance when you're continually
in a state of a change of mind before God. What a blessing,
every blessing of the gospel. Naphtali is a hind let loose. He giveth goodly words. Now, a deer set free. This is talking about freedom,
liberty. He's a dear set free. Now what is liberty? What is
it to be set free? It's two things. It's number
one, to not owe anything. To not owe anything. And number two, it's to do what
you want to do. I don't owe anything to God's
law. I stand perfect before God's law. And when I say you get to
do what you want to do, the first person I actually,
Janine was in here, but the first person I ever heard say that
was her dad, Bill Clark. He says, here's the gospel. Trust
Christ and do what you want to do. Now, I've heard people say,
well, that'll lead to sin. No, it won't. No, a believer
wants to follow Him. A believer, I wanted to die myself.
I want to take up my cross. I want to follow the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's what I want to do. I want
to be like Him. I want to be gracious. I want
to be merciful. I want to be non-judgmental.
I want to be a true friend. I want to love my neighbor as
my... Trust Christ and do what you
want to do. Well, that's good. Trust Christ, and you're set
free. Now, he's a hind let loose, and
to me, The best illustration of what liberty really is, is
the year of Jubilee. Now I want you to think about,
you lose everything, and you have to become a slave. Talking
about changing lifestyle. What if all of a sudden you,
tomorrow, had to become somebody's slave? Because you couldn't pay
your debts, and you were a slave, and you had to do what that person
told you to do, and you'd had it. Now, in the scripture, There's
something called the year of jubilee. It took place every
50 years. But on that year of jubilee,
and I think this is very significant, we don't have one example of
it ever being observed. Not once. You were supposed to,
but there's not one time of it ever being observed because you
think about it. If somebody owed you $10,000 and that silver trumpet
would blow and all of a sudden they didn't owe you any more.
I mean, the people that had the money were the people who had
the supposed power is what they think. And they're going to do
everything they can to keep Jubilee from being observed. And if somebody
owed me a lot of money, I wouldn't like the year of Jubilee. You
wouldn't either. You know who liked it? The slaves,
they loved it. The people who were in debt and
couldn't take care of their debts, they loved it. Now on the year
of Jubilee, you were set free. You were no
longer a slave. All your debts were canceled. You're set free. Everything you
lost was restored. You can read about this in Leviticus
chapter 25. Everything you lost was given
back to you. And you were given a year's vacation. It'd be pretty sweet after you've
been a slave for who knows how many years. The ground was given
rest, no crops, no work, a year's vacation. Naphtali is a hind
let loose. He giveth goodly words, the words
of the gospel. How goodly are the words of the
gospel? Now he talks about Joseph. More
time is devoted to Joseph. Joseph, well, I think of the
fruit of the spirit. He's fruitful. even a fruitful bough by a well
whose branches run over the wall. The archers have sorely grieved
him and shot at him and hated him." That's talking about his
brothers, the things that he's experienced. But his bow abode
in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the
hands of the mighty God of Jacob. From thence is the shepherd,
the stone of Israel. What a name for our Redeemer.
even by the God of thy father who shall help thee, and by the
Almighty who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts
and of the womb, the blessings of thy father hath prevailed
above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the
everlasting hills unto eternity. These are eternal blessings. Fruitfulness. Do you know every
believer has this fruit he's speaking of? The fruit of God
the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love. I love God. I love his salvation. I love his people. The fruit
of the Spirit is joy. Doesn't it make you rejoice to
know that everything God requires of you, you have in Christ? Do
you rejoice in that? And the peace that comes from
that. Now the next three are our attitude
towards others. The fruit of the spirit is long-suffering,
gentleness, and goodness. That's the way we are to be toward
everybody else. Long-suffering, gentleness, goodness. Branch of the fruit has to do
with ourselves. The fruit of the Spirit is faith,
meekness, temperance, control from within. Every believer has
the fruit of the Spirit. And the fruit of the Spirit is
so beautiful. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance. The fruit of God, the Holy Spirit.
He's fruitful. They shall be on the head of
Joseph, last part of verse 26, and on the crown of the head
of him that was separate from his brethren. Joseph was so separate
from that other bunch, wasn't he? And he represents Christ
Jesus the Lord. On his head were many crowns. And then we have Benjamin, verse
27. Benjamin shall raven as a wolf. In the
morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide
the spoil. Now this is talking about the
appetite of Benjamin. Now what's the fourth beatitude?
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. Now, here's one of the mysteries
of the gospel. I'm satisfied. I'm not looking
for anything else. I'm not looking for something
better. There isn't anything better. I'm complete in Christ
and I'm satisfied with that. God's satisfied with Jesus Christ
and I'm satisfied with Him too. And I'm satisfied to be saved
by the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm satisfied, I'm not hungering
for anything else. Yet I'm called upon to hunger
and thirst after righteousness. I don't ever want to be one of
those complacent people that are not hungry anymore. Like
the Laodiceans who were rich and increased in goods and had
need of nothing. I want to continually hunger
and thirst after the Lord Jesus Christ. I think of the line in Oh, Sacred
Head Now Wounded. The writer says, Oh, make me
thine forever, but should I fainting be, oh, let me never, never outlive
my love to thee. I want to be like Benjamin, like
a wolf eating his prey, feeding on the Lord Jesus Christ, always
hungering, always thirsting after him. Oh, may the Lord deliver
me from anything but this, hungering and thirsting after Jesus Christ
the Lord. Now he says regarding these boys,
verse 28, all of these are the 12 tribes of Israel. This is the church. This is the
church. The first three, well, we know
about them. Judah, we know about him. And what these boys now are through
the work of Judah, every one of these boys represent some
aspect of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, like I said,
this is, this is a prophecy, a genealogy. And if I can't preach
the gospel of Jesus Christ from it, I've not understood it. Let's pray. Lord, we ask that we might enter
in to the haven. Lord, how we thank you for the
burdens that make us see that rest is good. How we thank you for the blessedness
of your gospel. Lord, we ask that we might exemplify
all these things. And Lord, please, for Christ's
sake, give us that continual hunger and thirst after your
righteousness. Bless this message for your glory
and our good. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.