shame upon their father’s name. Jo seph, their own brother, had been sold to a group of traders. God al ways moves in the affairs of men to accomplish His own purposes. God gave Joseph the ability to interpret a dream. This brought his release and elevation in Egypt. This old pa- triach, Jacob, going down into Egypt with his sons found his long-lost, , beloved son, Joseph. Again today we see the nation of \ Israel going back to their land of promise. Unfortunately, they are not returning for their Messiah, but rath er to secure the things of life for which they are searching: material wealth, security and comfort. Jacob’s sons are gathered around him. As he is about to leave this earth, he brings his sons before him that they might be blessed. In this moment he was prophesying. He looked down the centuries of time through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Some may wonder why Ju dah, who had been as guilty of sin as were his brothers, was singled out in this special manner. Again, we turn to the sovereignty of God. Ja cob believed that even though he was in Egypt at this moment, never theless one day would come when his seed would be back in the land God had promised to them. The pro phetic reference Jacob made to Ju dah concerns the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The very word Judah means praise. Certainly, the Lord Jessu Christ is the One who is de serving of all our honor and glory. The day is coming when all men will praise the Lord Jesus Christ. Judah is also referred to as a lion. In Revel ation 5:5 to 6, we have another refer ence to the person of Jesus Christ. Here He is called The Lion of the tribe of Judah. The sceptre, a sign of authority and power, was not to depart from Him. Shiloh is a refer ence to Christ. It means “Sent One” or “The Seed” or “The Peacemaker.” The kingdom was divided after the Page 14
death of Solomon. Ten of the north ern tribes later were taken into cap tivity. The genealogical records were ac curately kept until Christ was born in Bethlehem. Since the dispersion fol lowing the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D., all such records have been lost. Shiloh must have come. Jesus came through Judah’s line as Matthew and Luke plainly tell us. Chapter Four In our studies together, we have seen that “The Road to Bethlehem” begins in Genesis and continues on until we see the Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ, born of the virgin. Not only does the lineage come from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah, but Scripture pinpoints the family by showing us that it is from David that the Saviour will come forth (II Sam. 7:1-17). Of course, David fol lowed Saul as the king over Israel. David had defeated the enemies of the Lord’s people so that the nation could be at peace. He made Jerusa lem the capital of his kingdom. The Ark of God was returned to Jerusa lem where it was again in possession of the Israelites. It contained the ar ticles God had instructed Moses to put there. This included the tablets of the law, Aaron’s rod that budded, and manna. The Ark had been in the tabernacle and it represented the presence of God among His people. David purposed in his heart that he would build a place for the Ark of God that would be even more beau tiful than his own dwelling. This was shared with Nathan the prophet who approved of the project. The Lord, however, had other plans. It was not His will that a man of war should build the temple. Nevertheless, God was pleased with David because the idea was in his heart. Many of us would like to do things for the glory of the Lord but because of a lack of strength, wisdom, or wealth, we are unable to do it. Yet, as in David’s case, our God can be pleased with
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