Twelve Stones in the Breastplate of the High Priest: JUDAH Verse 10 of the 49th chapter of the Book of Genesis opens up a matter of interest to us—it is that “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law giver from between his feet, until Shi loh come; and unto him shall the gath ering of the people be.” We feel that this verse requires a peculiar and separate word. The He brew word “shebet” is also used and translated “tribe” in Genesis 49, verses 16 and 28. It is interesting to see, ac cording to its usage in Scripture, that it also means “tribal rod or the staff of office” which belonged to any tribe and was the ensign of authority. This part of Jacob’s statement gave promise that the tribal rod would not leave Judah ■ until a certain prominent person would make His appearance. In other words, the Tribe of Judah would retain its tribal distinctiveness and separate au thority until Shiloh, or the Messiah — the Lord Jesus Christ, would come. Christ was born and His birth most remarkably fulfilled this prophecy. Now the separate kingdom of Israel — the ten tribes — was lost at an early (continued on next page) 7
The High Priest at the Altar of Incense. (Picture from the Biola Films, “Christ in the Tabernacle.”) I t was Dr. Charles W. Stemming who said, “In dealing with the destinies of tribe of Judah, under the figure of a lion, it is to be observed that this tribe’s history is contemplated under three distinct stages according to the growth or the age of a lion in the jungle.” Now we feel, first of all, that there is need to remind ourselves that we have a great lion’s whelp, which means a little cub. The lion must have this beginning just as every other animal of human being is launched forth. Then he is considered to be a lion when he comes to his middle age, and lastly, he comes to old age. The gradual growth in power of the Tribe of Judah is set forth in Genesis 49:4. And here, we would suggest that this passage looks at the Tribe of Ju dah, first: from the days of Joshua to the days of King Saul. The full grown lion in his middle age, follows in the days of the first warrior David, the King of Israel. And lastly, from Solo mon’s reign until the Kingdom is dis solved, we have Judah represented as an old lion. This serves as a working outline for us.
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