There is not nearly enough space in this blog to dissect all the prophecies that Jacob gives to Judah. They’re remarkable – primarily because they all point so perfectly towards Jesus. He is the Lion, He is the ruler, He is the Shiloh.
Speaking of Shiloh, that word itself deserves a mention. There’s a heated debate as to what exactly this means, but reading back into it, it seems to be talking about the Messiah (even if they didn’t know it). The whole prophecy is considered to be a testament to Judah’s rule over the people, which ended, rightfully, with Jesus.
But notice also how that rule is typified in Genesis 49:8-12. It’s one of prosperity. The symbolism is easy to miss, but Genesis 49:11-12 talk about how the descendants of Judah will tie their donkey to a vine, instead of a tree. Why? Because vineyards are so plentiful! He also does his laundry in wine and his teeth are stained from all the milk he drinks.
This lines up perfectly with the passages later on that talk about the prosperity in the Kingdom of God (Joel 3:18; Micah 4:4). This isn’t a physical prosperity popularized by televangelists today, but a spiritual prosperity that is seen in the abundance of grace, mercy, hope, love, and faith.
That’s what “Shiloh” really means – it’s a place of rest. That’s what we all experience as Christians. We are blessed far more abundantly than others because of what we have in God.
Judah’s prophecy is shocking when you consider his past. Up to this point, what we’ve seen from him isn’t really remarkable. He’s the one that loses his older two sons because of their immorality, then impregnates his daughter-in-law by mistaking her for a prostitute (Genesis 38). Hardly a good look for the progenitor of the tribe of both David and the Messiah.
There is one minor story about Judah that’s worth talking about, though. In Genesis 46:28, when Jacob’s family moves to Egypt, Jacob sends Judah ahead to “point the way before him.” Evidently, by this point, Judah was deemed trustworthy enough to handle this type of task.
For 2000 years, the tribe of Judah would point the way to Jesus. The lineage of Jesus is rife with stories of redemption (Rahab), acceptance (Ruth), wisdom (Solomon), and leadership (David). All of those stories from people inside the lineage of Judah help us to understand Jesus better. Like Judah did with Jacob, his tribe points our way to Jesus.
