# 445 The Lion of Judah

The Book of Genesis

Day 445

Ge 49:8 "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you.  9 Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?  10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.  11 Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.

Judah, the ancestor of Jesus. Jesus of course often being referred to as “The Lion of Judah.” In Re 5:5, we read, “But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."

 Alexander Cruden’s writes in his Concordance of the Bible, “Christ Jesus, the great, mighty, and invincible Lion of the tribe of Judah, who conquers and leads captive His own and His people’s enemies.”

Surely, this Lion is One to be praised.

The immediate prophecy of Jacob was that the tribe of Judah would literally become the leader among all the tribes, and it  was the tribe of Judah that was commissioned to lead in the conquest of the Promised Land after Joshua died.

Then some 640 years later, David ascended to the throne, and his hand was definitely “on the neck of his enemies.” In Ps 18:40 David writes: “You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me.”

Later, it was Judah that would remain loyal to the house of David when Sheba, the son of Bichri, led a rebellion against David.

And it was Judah and Benjamin who remained loyal to the house of David at the time of the revolt which split Israel into two kingdoms. In fact the Southern Kingdom became known simply as Judah.

Yes, the scepter would not pass from the house of David of the tribe of Judah! His throne would be established forever. (2 Sam 7:16) and of course we know who is on that throne now, and the ultimate fulfillment of Jacob’s prophecy!  It is Jesus Christ! The Lion of Judah!

This fiercely loyal lion is fiercely loyal to you too! So loyal, too you that in spite of being a Lion, He took on the character of a Lamb, and willingly gave His life for you! "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3:16) He is worthy of our praise!