JUDAH IN CHARGE OF SCEPTER
The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from beneath his feet until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Genesis 49: 10 KJV. 1649 BC.
Since the overall theme of this article is about Jesus , in order to not miss too much,
we will start with Abraham as the beginning and end at the second coming of Jesus.
Depending on how you accept the history and scriptures we will either be opening a treasure chest of glory or a can of worms.
QUALIFYING TO WRITE ABOUT HISTORY AND SCRIPTURE.
The authority to write these articles and books comes from God through the Bible. Please be assured there is a group of revered and highly qualified persons who review our articles and books before they are published. I would like to add that since some of the scriptures are given to us in parables and allegory we do receive varied opinions. Specifically, there are two basic interpretation methods. The first is that you must take Old Testament prophecies literally.
The second way is that prophecies must be considered in their context. Using the second (contextual) means, It is my opinion, that Shiloh refers to Jesus as it is capitalized, it is a sanctuary, and the house of the Lord.
THE SCEPTER IS TO BE GIVEN TO JESUS.
So Judah and/or his progeny have the assignment to deliver the ruler’s staff to whom it belongs. This will be when Shiloh comes. (Chapter 49: 10 LB.
(Living Bible) translates the subject scripture “until Shiloh comes, whom all people shall obey”.
In any event in circa 1689 BC., Jacob is informing us that Jesus is going to receive the scepter of honor as King of The Eternal Kingdom when he comes.
THE SCEPTER’S ROUTE OF TRAVEL
We will follow the circuitous route of the scepter as it starts out on its journey.
Judah marries a Canaanite named Shua. They have three sons. The first two died.
The third son would not marry his brother’s wife thus disobeying the law.
Tamar was the wife of one of the sons who had died. They didn’t have any children.
Tamara knew Judah was returning home from sheep shearing. Tamara changed her widow’s clothes to that of a prostitute, put on a veil and waited for Judah to come by.
Judah saw her and propositioned her. He didn’t know it was Tamara his daughter in law.
Judah told Tamara he would send her a young goat if she would sleep with him.
Tamara said yes if he would guarantee to give her the kid.
As surety Jacob left her his walking staff and identifying seal. The next day Judah had a friend take a kid to the prostitute and retrieve his staff and seal. The friend returned and said he could not find the prostitute. Jacob decided to forget the staff and seal and leave the kid for her to claim.
THE SCEPTER PASSES FROM JACOB TO THE TWINS
About three months later word reached Judah that his daughter in law Tamara was pregnant. Judah gave orders to burn her. But Tamara displayed the seal and walking staff and said whoever these belong to is the father of my child. When time for delivery came Tamara had twin sons. As they were being born the midwife tied a scarlet thread on the wrist of the child that appeared first. But he drew back his hand and the other baby was born first. The first born
baby was called Perez. The one with the scarlet thread was born next. His name was Zerah.
RESOLVING UNCERTAINTIES
Before continuing It is important to state that when we come across some history or scripture that is not abundantly clear we must stop and make certain of the meaning before we proceed.
WHO IS THE LAWGIVER?
According to Genesis Chapter 49: 10 KJV. we are told about a lawgiver. How can this be since the original lawgiver was God through Moses with the ten commandments? According to the Letter to the Hebrews the law is over since it was fulfilled at the cross.
WE ARE TO GET A NEW HEART
Ezekiel 36:26 + KJV. prophesizes that “a new heart will I give you and take away the stony heart. You shall keep my judgments”. Genesis 38 + KJV. again reminds us “the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from beneath his feet until Shiloh comes. Who are these lawgivers beneath the feet of Shiloh? It becomes clear when we turn to Revelation and read how the apostle John addresses the believers of the early church in chapter 1:6 KJV. as “and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be the glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen”. So the believers (church) are Kings and Priests in the Eternal Kingdom and
are lawgivers at the feet of Jesus. Not only that but they have the Holy Spirit to guide and direct them.
JACOB’S BLESSINGS TO HIS SON
In Genesis 49: KJV., circa 1649 BC, before he dies, Jacob gathered all of his sons together to prophesize and bless them. While Reuben was the first born, Jacob specifically stated that he would not have preeminence and went on to say to Judah “your father’s sons shall bow down before you and the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from beneath his feet until Shiloh come”. So Jacob died and was buried in Canaan.
THE NAME CHANGE AT PENIEL
There is a short detour in the journey of the scepter which is described in Genesis 32: 28 KJV., circa 1739 BC. Jacob was leaving Harran with his family and all his possessions.
He had reached the Jordan River and changed his one group into two smaller groups and crossed over the Jordan at the Brook Jabbok.
After escorting everything across the Jordan Jacob rested the night on the east side .
There Jacob wrestled with God’s divine messenger Gen.32, FF. (Ferrar Fenton) until daybreak. The messenger found that he couldn’t win and asked Jacob to let him go. Jacob said “not until you bless me”. The messenger asked Jacob for his name. The response was “Jacob”. The messenger said ”Not any more. your name is now Israel, one who has power with God”. Jacob, consequently, named the place “ Peniel” that is “God’s Face” “for I have seen divinities face
to face and preserved my life. Genesis continues and describes how Jacob wrestles with the “divine messenger of God”. Jacob accepts his name change to Israel and memorializes the acceptance by building an altar to the God of Israel.
Have you ever wrestled, or are you now wrestling with God? Will you accept your name change to Israel and build a (spiritual) altar to memorialize God’s face to face encounter and that you are one that has power with God? Jacob’s favorite son was Joseph as he was the son of Jacob’s old age.
ISAAC DIES AND IS BURIED AT MAMBRE
Genesis 36: LB tells us about Isaac’s death and that Esau and Jacob buried him. Isaac was one hundred eighty years old. Genesis 36 also lists the descendants of Esau (AKA Edom). Listed as a grand child was Zerah. Since we are concerned with the route of the scepter we must note that the name Perez is not listed. Jacob’s son was Joseph the son of his old age.
After Jacob’s name change to Israel at Peniel (AKA Peneul), Jacob moved the whole family into Palestine. On his way he met his brother Esau, whom he had previously alienated, and now lived in Edom.
THE COAT OF MANY COLORS.
Genesis 37: LB Tells us that Joseph was the son of Jacob’s old age and was favored by Jacob. One day Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors. Hisbrothers resented the favoritism their father expressed to Joseph. The brothers threw Joseph into a dry well, took his coat of many colors, covered it with goat’s blood and sold Joseph to some traders going to Egypt.
They showed Jacob the bloody coat and told him some wild animal must have taken Joseph. The rest of the story is well known about Joseph rising to power in Egypt.
We have already followed the staff from Jacob to Judah. Then to the twins Zerah and Perez. Next we take a quantum leap to Matthew 1: I + LB.
Therein is listed the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham and King David.
Appended to the genealogy is the comment in Matthew 1-17 “ There are fourteen generations from Abraham to King David and fourteen generations from King David’s time to the exile: and fourteen generations from the exile to Christ.” We must note that Perez, one of the twins, is not listed in the genealogy provided in Matthew chapter one. However, Zerah is listed. Accordingly, we must assume that since Zerah was the only one available to make delivery of the scepter to King Jesus was Zerah, Judah’s progeny.
As prophesied in Genesis 49: 10, KJV:
The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from beneath his feet until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
THE SEPTER SHALL REMAIN WITH JUDAH
UNTIL SHILOH COMES.
1 Cor: 15: 22 KJV. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order. Christ the first fruits; afterward those that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God the Father; when he has put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign as King in the Eternal Kingdom till he hath put all enemies under his feet. So if Jesus is going to reign as King in the Eternal Kingdom then he is to receive his scepter.
MEANING OF THE NAME CHANGE
But what does the name change from Jacob to Israel mean? It means one who prevails through God and it became the surname of Jacob’s family and descendants. I Peter 2: 10 KJV. It became the name of the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom which split from the Southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin. In the New Testament Israel, as prophesied, was the faithful remnant
of the Old Testament, Romans 9: 23 KJV. The house of Jacob was the flesh and the house of Israel is the spiritual. Both share the name of Israel.
So those who believe and obey today are in the house of Israel which is the same lineage from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It’s like changing your surname when you get married. Your name is now Israel.
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