God's Choice of Judah vs. Joseph

Sometimes the most memorable thing a person will say are his last words.  I can imagine that the final blessing of Jacob to his sons were etched into their minds.  One of the surprising things about his final blessing is some were short, and most were not the most positive of words.   

 

Of his oldest son, Reuben, he said: 

"Reuben, you are my firstborn,
    my might, and the firstfruits of my strength,
    preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence,
    because you went up to your father's bed;
    then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!" (Gen 49:3-4).

Of Simeon and Levi he said:

"Simeon and Levi are brothers;
    weapons of violence are their swords.
Let my soul come not into their council;
    O my glory, be not joined to their company.
For in their anger they killed men,
    and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.
Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,
    and their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
    and scatter them in Israel" (Gen 49:5-7).

Of his youngest son, Benjamin, he said:

"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,
    in the morning devouring the prey
    and at evening dividing the spoil"  (Gen 49:27).

Due to the dysfunctional activities in the family over the years, most of Jacob’s final words are either short or negative, or both.

However, this is not true of Joseph’s blessing.  Joseph seemed to be a shining star out of all the sons of Jacob.  He exemplified so many of the characteristics a godly man should have.  Even in the face of extreme difficulties, he lived well and died well in the end.  Here are the final words Jacob passed on for Joseph.

 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
    a fruitful bough by a spring;
    his branches run over the wall.
 The archers bitterly attacked him,
    shot at him, and harassed him severely,
yet his bow remained unmoved;
    his arms were made agile
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
    (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
by the God of your father who will help you,
    by the Almighty who will bless you
    with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that crouches beneath,
    blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father
    are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents,
    up to the bounties of the everlasting hills.
May they be on the head of Joseph,
    and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers” (Gen 49:22-26).

Based on this, one would think that God’s seed promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would be fulfilled through Joseph.  However, this is not the case.  The seed promise would be fulfilled through the tribe of Judah, which later produced Jesus, the Messiah.

This is rather interesting.  Not only does Judah not occupy a lot of space in the stories of Genesis, but his portrayal is less than flattering.  In Genesis 37:26-27, it was Judah that concocted the plan to sell Joseph into slavery to get rid of him.  In Genesis 38, Judah’s first two sons were evil enough that God took both of their lives.  This left him with a daughter-in-law that was a widow.  To take care of her, he promised his third son as a husband when he was old enough to marry.  However, he told her to go back home to her father until he grew up!  It became evident that Judah had no intention of keeping his promise to Tamar.  Later, it was Judah that went to what he thought was a prostitute.  It was Judah that had to be backed into a corner by Tamar to keep his word.  Judah was indeed a very different man than his brother, Joseph. 

However, Judah appears to have become a changed man later in his life.  In Genesis 43:8-10, Judah offered himself up personally as a guarantee for Jacob’s favorite son, Benjamin.  In Genesis 44:14-34, Judah had every intention of keeping his word.  When Benjamin was going to be held captive in Egypt, Judah offered to stay in Benjamin’s place.  That Judah did this for his father’s favorite son shows Judah to be a changed man.  He acted in a completely different way concerning Benjamin, Jacob’s favorite son at that time.

Perhaps this is why the only other long and positive blessing Jacob gives is to Judah.  Of Judah, Jacob offered this blessing:

“Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
    your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
    your father's sons shall bow down before you.
Judah is a lion's cub;
    from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He stooped down; he crouched as a lion
    and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
    nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him;
    and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Binding his foal to the vine
    and his donkey's colt to the choice vine,
he has washed his garments in wine
    and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
His eyes are darker than wine,
    and his teeth whiter than milk” (Gen 49:8-12).  

In this blessing, Jacob referred to Judah as a brave lion’s whelp.  He also declared that the ruler’s staff would not depart from Judah, indicating that a ruler would come from him.  This ruler would be none other than Jesus, the Messiah (Mt 1:3,16), the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev 5:5).

God’s choice of Judah did not exclude the others from receiving the blessing.  However, only one could have the honor of being the vehicle for fulfilling the seed promise.  Why Judah?  Despite the change in his life, he does not stand out in exemplary character the way Joseph did.  This appears to have changed in Judah’s later life, which is a reminder that a man can choose what kind of man he is going to be.

However, God’s choice is not based on our actions, but his grace and favor.  Romans chapter 9 discusses how God’s choice is based on his grace and mercy, not on how much someone has done right or wrong.  It clearly states, “… it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Rom 9:16).  Whether it is choosing the younger, choosing the least, or even choosing the one who has less than exemplary characteristics, it is always according to God’s grace. 

We are God’s chosen because of his mercy.  Spending time in meditation on this will help to displace the pride that God is so opposed to.  Prayerful reflection on this should cause our pride to deflate and our humble thanksgiving to inflate.  This should increase our patience, compassion, grace and mercy for others. 

From Awkward and Embarrassing to Peace and Comfort

Can you imagine the stares?  Could there not have been a more awkward moment?  No one would expect this sort of thing when you have been invited as a guest to dinner.  In Luke 7, Jesus went to Simon's house for a meal.  As he reclined on his elbow and enjoyed the food, he felt something behind him at his feet.  He looked back and saw her.  A woman had come into the house and was kneeling at his feet.  How did she get in here?  I can imagine a hush came over the room as this woman knelt at Jesus' feet.  There were probably looks of disapproval.  Jesus said nothing, so neither did anyone else.  She anointed his feet and the aroma filled the room.  The sounds of her sobs pierced the silence as her tears fell on Jesus' feet.  With nothing else to wipe them off, all she could do was use her hair to dry his feet.  Did she not have any self-respect?  How dare she intrude into the home of decent people during a meal to honor a prophet like Jesus!  The more this went on, the more awkward this became.  There were those in the room who knew who this woman was.  She was not a respectable woman by any means.  She was likely the town tramp.  Simon, the host, was probably embarrassed and disgusted.  I am sure he wondered about Jesus' reaction.  I can imagine the look on his face as he muttered, "If this man were really a prophet, he would know what kind of woman he is allowing to touch him.  She is a.. sinner."  I can imagine Simon was wondering what Jesus would do next about this poor excuse of a human being.

 

Jesus finally spoke up.  "Simon, I have something to say to you."  I wonder if Simon thought, "Finally!  I was wondering how long he was going to allow this embarrassing situation to continue.  Simon replied, "Say it teacher."  Jesus then tells a story.  “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”  Simon correctly answered that it was the one who had the larger debt.  Then Jesus does something unexpected.  He contrasts the woman at his feet with Simon at the head of the table, but not in the way he expected.  Simon did not offer water for Jesus' feet, nor give him the customary kiss on the cheek, nor did he anoint him with fragrant oil.  All of this would have been the customary way to honor a guest.   In contrast, the woman wet his feet with her tears, did not stop kissing his feet, and she anointed his feet with ointment.  What a stark contrast!  She showed more honor to Jesus at his feet than Simon did at his head.  She came into the house seeking Jesus in complete humiliation and emptiness.  Jesus acknowledged that she had many sins, but then he forgave all her sins.  The last thing he said to her was, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." 

 

Everyone in that room was in need of forgiveness.  It is likely that Simon did not recognize his need.  However, this woman had no defense.  She knew her condition and she knew she needed to get to Jesus.  She intruded into the dining room because she had to get to Jesus.  There was no pride, no hiding behind a veneer of respectability, only the overpowering need to get to Jesus.

 

I am struck by Jesus' actions. He took an extremely awkward and humiliating situation for the woman and turned it completely around.  He did not shame her the way Simon did.  Instead, he took away her shame. The woman left that day in peace, not humiliation.  Jesus' words shamed Simon.  She treated Jesus better than Simon did.  She humbled herself before Jesus, and he lifted her up.  This was a kind and beautiful thing Jesus did.  One of the things to reflect on is this: How can I be like Jesus in similar situations?

God's Gifts to the Church

For years I missed it when reading the passage from Ephesian chapter 4.  It says that grace was given to each of us according to measure of Christ's gift.  This is not the grace God extended to us that led to salvation, but the grace that God extends to his people for ministry.  It is the same type of grace Paul speaks of in Ephesians 3:8, where he declares, "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ..."  It is the grace Peter speaks of in 1 Peter 4:10 where he writes, "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's grace in its various forms."  This reminds me that grace moves from salvation to service in the name of Christ.

What I missed for a long time in Ephesian 4 was the nature of the gifts God gave to the church.  After declaring that Jesus "gave gifts to men," the text goes on to say in verse 11 that, "He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints..."  God's gifts to the church are people who equip the church for her calling!  I had to ask myself if I give thanks for God's gifts, or do I, like Israel in the wilderness, complain about God's gifts?

I have been focusing on the gift of apostleship because this may refer to more than the twelve.  After all, the Ephesian church was likely never equipped by the twelve.  Apostolos is an untranslated Greek word, which might lead to confusion on its meaning.  Greeks used this word to refer to an envoy sent by an authoritative figure.  It was not an inherently religious word.  In Luke 6, Jesus chose 12 of his disciples and designated them his "Apostles."  As his apostles, he conferred authority on them, which is why they were able to do many of the same miracles he did, and why their teaching carried the authority of the master.  Paul became an apostle of Christ directly from him.  This is why Paul introduces himself in Galatians 1 as, "Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father..."  Paul differentiates himself from others who are also designated as "apostles," such as Barnabas in Acts 14:14; Epaphroditus in Phil 2:25, or the brothers who traveled with him in 2 Corinthians 8:23.  In the latter two references, "apostle" is usually translated as "messengers," which obscures the fact that the text uses the word, "apostle."  Epaphroditus is not an apostle of Christ such as The Twelve or Paul.  Like Barnabas who was sent by the church in Antioch, Epaphroditus was an apostle of the Philippian church.  "Apostle of whom?" is a significant question.  The twelve and Paul are in a different class of apostleship and authority because they are apostles of Christ.  Everyone else is an apostle of the church.  Our word today for this is usually something like "missionary."  Tent-maker and Church-Planter fall in the same category.  I used to think that "missionary" is not a biblical word, but perhaps "apostle" in the generic sense could translate legitimately to "missionary."   Therefore, "apostle" in Ephesians 4:11 could refer to more than The Twelve and Paul.

How does a "missionary" equip the church?  It involves equipping the church for fulfillment of Jesus' commission in Mark 16:15 to "proclaim the Gospel to all creation."  In this sense, the entire church has received apostleship.  Romans 1:5 says that "we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith..."  The church is not just the called-out, but the sent-to.  Hebrews 3:1 says that Jesus is the apostle and high priest of our confession.  Jesus was sent by God into the world.  Jesus then sent the Spirit to the church when he left.  The church in turn, is sent by our Lord and empowered by the Spirit to continue his mission in the world.