THE TRIBE OF JUDAH

“And she (Leah) conceived again, are bare a son: and she said, ‘Now will I praise the Lord,’ therefore she called his name Judah: and left child bearing.” Genesis 29.35

Judah was Jacob’s fourth son by his wife Leah. The word Judah has a variety of interpretations. Some of them are: “to use (hold out) the hand, to throw (a stone, an arrow), to revere or worship (with extended hands); to bemoan (by wringing the hands), cast out, make confession, praise, give thanks, thankful, thanksgiving, consecrate, ministry, power, presumptuous”

The New Testament word “Judah” is only used once in Hebrews 8.8, but its Greek form, Judas is used frequently when referring to two of the Lord’s disciples, Judas Iscariot and Judas (Jude), the brother of James. There was also Judas, the Lord’s brother. When you see the word Jew(s) in the Bible it is referring to Judah which is the word for Jew(s). In German “Juden” means Jews.

Since there are so many meanings of the name Judah, it is important to understand the many meanings so that we understand the complex nature of Judah. He is full of contradictions just as the name implies. Judah does mean “praise” but it also means “to cast out” (as Judas cast out Yeshua). “He came unto his own and his own received him not.” John 1.11.

Judah means to “bemoan.” No one can travail with great weeping and groaning more than the sons of Judah. Spend and hour at the wailing wall and you will understand this truth.

Judah means “presumptuous”. We see this fault throughout the history of the tribe, and we find it in the lives of the Lord’s disciples.

Judah means “to bemoan” (by wringing of hands), and we see this in Judas Iscariot, who became so desperate after betraying Yeshua that he hung himself.

In Judah we see the consecration of ministry, the power, the praise, and the worship with extended hands. In the nation of physical Israel they are the ruling and governmental tribe. Both Levi and Benjamin stayed with Judah when the nation divided into two. The modern rabbis are the spiritual authorities in modern day Judah (Israel).

Symbol: The symbol of Judah is the lion. In Hebrew there are seven different words for lion in the Old Testament describing different ages and stages of the lion’s growth. The three words used to describe Judah in the prophecy his father Jacob gave him are:

1. Gur: “Judah is a lion’s whelp.” Genesis 49.9. This word whelp means “a cub.” It comes from the root word gur which means “to turn aside from the road, to fear, to gather for hostility, to gather together.”

2. Aryeh: “He couches as a lion.” Gen 49.9. This word portrays the young, violent lion waiting to pounce on it‘s prey.

3. Lebaowth: “As an old lion who shall rouse him up?” Gen 49.9. This is the great, old, stout lion who sits and watches.

The lion is known throughout the ages as the king of beasts. This majestic animal grows into the king of beasts first as a playful cub. It loves to play around and get into mischief, vexing its wiser and older parents. Until he reaches adulthood he is far from majestic.

In the second stage of growth, the young violent stage, he is full of self-confidence and playfulness. He has developed his roar and likes to go around terrorizing the neighborhood. His worst enemy is himself. He likes to roar and strut around making all kinds of growling sounds. He is a wild teen-ager.

In his full grown stage the mighty lion has matured into wisdom and quiet confidence. He is honored and respected in the family (know as the pride). He is a great hunter and operates with great strategy and skill. He will guard over his territory and not allow the enemy to come in and possess the inheritance God has given him. He sits regally and quietly watching over his territory.


PROPHECIES
These prophecies to Judah and to all the tribes in Genesis 48 and 49 are key to understanding the Bible and the end of the age. When we come to a full understanding of the tribes it opens up the big picture of what God is doing through the events of mankind from the beginning until the end. In order to understand the end we must go back to the beginning! These prophecies have individual, tribal, and end time meanings that very few in the body of Christ understand. This study will try to answer many of these meanings. When waiting upon the Lord it is worthy of your time to ask Him to help you understand these things.


JACOB’S PROPHECY TO JUDAH
“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s sons 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 sceptre shall not be taken from Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Binding his foal unto the vine and his ass’s colt unto the choice roots; he washed his garments in wine and his covering in the blood of grapes; His eyes red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.” Genesis 49.8-12


“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise”Jacob is speaking about the mature Judah. He is not the rebellious son who sold his brother into slavery for a profit (Gen 37.26-27). Throughout the story of Joseph in Genesis we will see Judah mature and become the leader of the tribes by his contrite actions. He will learn to praise and honor the Lord.


“thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies”The neck speaks of stubbornness, resistance, and forceful opposition against Judah (Jews, nation of Israel). Jacob says that Judah will be able to put his hand on the neck of his enemies and choke off their strength. The nations that stand up against Judah (nation of Israel) will be broken by Yehovah. America needs to stand with Israel. We as believers need to stand with and pray for modern day Israel. At the end of the age all nations will come against Judah. Ezekiel describes what God will do to the nations in that day:

“…and I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy companies and the peoples that go with thee; I have given thee unto every bird and unto everything that flies and to the beasts of the field as food.” Ezekiel 39.3-4


“thy father’s sons shall bow down before thee.”As the story in Genesis continues we see Judah’s brothers listening to him and following his lead. He will be the one who humbles himself before Joseph pleading for his brother Benjamin (Gen 44.18-45.4). His argument was so powerful that Joseph knew his brothers had changed. That was when Joseph revealed himself to Judah and his brothers.

We see a type of when Yeshua returns and reveals himself to present day Judah in this Genesis story. The nation will cry out to God and mourn as for an only son in that day (Zechariah 12.9-14). Judah is the ruling tribe from which Yeshua Ha-Mashiach comes (later in the prophecy). Judah is the modern day nation of Israel to whom Yeshua will return and reveal Himself in the fire of the last days. (Ephraim his brother (the church/gentiles) will be reunited with brother Judah sometime during those days.) This is Yehovah’s promise to us concerning that time:

“After many days thou (Judah) shalt be visited; at the end of years thou shalt come to the land broken by the sword, gathered out of many peoples (Ephraim/Gentiles), to the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste; but she is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.” Ezekiel 33.8


“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?”We see Judah’s greatness as he continues into maturity all through the Books of Samuel, Chronicles, and Kings. He becomes the royal ruling tribe through David. That is important past history that helps us see God working through human events in that day and in our day.

Listen to modern day Jews talk about the Temple Mount, understand their basic demands of recognition as a Jewish State, see their graciousness towards their enemies, see how a table is prepared before them in the presence of their enemies. You see a people who desire to live in peace in their historic land. They are not perfect, but they want to be recognized and live peacefully in the land of their forefathers. Their enemies only spew hatred and death towards them. The lion of Judah couches and quietly waits. The world rages around him and who shall rouse him up?


“The sceptre shall not be taken from Judah…”God has promised that: “David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel."(Jeremiah 33:17).

This is an eternal promise. At the end of the age Yeshua ben David from the tribe of Judah will rule in the Millennial Kingdom.


“nor the lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes”God promises that Judah will have the gift of oratory and reasoning. Do you want to win a case in court? Then hire a Jewish (Judah) lawyer. Listen to modern Jewish leaders and scholars when they talk about Israel’s place in the world. They make an eloquent case. Just as Judah pled for his brother Benjamin in Genesis so he pleads for the rights of Jews in the world and democracy in the Middle East today.

In Hebrew “Shiloh” means = “to be tranquil, an epithet of the Messiah.” It comes from the Hebrew word meaning = “secure, successful, happy, prosper, safety.”

God is promising Judah that there will always be a ruler from his tribe until Messiah comes! Messiah ben David.


“…and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”Shiloh is where God’s people first gathered together when they came into the promised land (Joshua 18.1). Shiloh was where Hannah prayed for a son (1 Samuel) and where the people gathered to worship the Lord in the early days of Israel.

When Messiah returns…every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of the hosts, and to celebrate the feast of the tabernacles (Zech 14.16).  This is Jerusalem the capital of Judah.

　

“Binding his foal unto the vine and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine…”The colt speaks of humility. Yeshua the King of Judah came into Jerusalem in the last days of his ministry, riding an ass, the symbol of humility (Matt 21.1-2). He came riding on an ass and a colt with her: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout with joy, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King shall come unto thee: just, and a saviour; humble, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass (Zechariah 9.9). When Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day he was binding his soul to the will of God. He was abiding in the vine.


…he washed his garments in wine, …and his covering in the blood of grapes
In Hebrew the word “washed” means = “to trample, hence to wash by stamping with the feet, the process of bleaching while washing.’

The nations want to trample Jesus and Judah under their stamping feet. Jesus gave his blood (wine) to wash the nations clean--but they refuse to repent: And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, who has authority over these plagues; and they did not repent to give him glory. Rev 16.9

“And he was clothed with a garment dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God.” Rev 19.13


“…His eyes red with wine…”Yeshua’s eyes were red with the blood that flowed down from his thorny crown. Jacob was prophesying far into the future. Judah will one day receive his king as the nations gather against him. Then Judah will mourn and understand his true destiny.


“…and his teeth white with milk.” This speaks of Yeshua’s purity and righteousness. He speaks with his mouth the pure word of God. Yeshua will reign and rule in purity and righteousness in Jerusalem in Judah.


THE PROPHECY OF MOSES TO JUDAH
“And this blessing is for Judah, and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people; let his hands be sufficient for him, and be thou a help to him from his enemies.”  Deut 33.7


“And this blessing is for Judah, and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah”Moses is calling on the Lord to listen to Judah when he reasons with God and makes intercession as an advocate and mediator. We see those skills in Jewish lawyers and advocates who are very skillful. This is because at the age of five many Jewish boys begin Torah/Talmud studies. They become mature beyond their age when in these study groups. We can also see Yeshua here as our advocate and mediator of the New Covenant. He is our Savior.


“…let his hands be sufficient for him…”Jacob prophesied that Judah’s hand would be upon the neck of his enemies. Hands represent work and character. We see how David had such great character and a heart for God even when he sinned greatly. He prepared all the building materials for his son Solomon to build the temple. He established the order of worship for the temple. David established God’s way of doing things. God teaches our hands to war (Ps 144.1; Ps 18.34).

Today we see some of the world’s greatest scientists, musicians, and artists come from Judah. More Jews have won Noble Peace Prizes than any other peoples. Prior to 1948 before Israel became a state the leaders of Judah had everything prepared for them to become a nation over night and to defend themselves against great odds in the war that followed. They had planned ahead--a good use of their hands!

“…and be thou a help to him from his enemies.” We will see Yeshua Ha-Mashiach coming at the end of the age to rescue Judah from the nations coming against her.

The study on the tribes will continue next week.