3. Remember it all
began with
ABRAHAM
GENESIS 18:
16 Then the men rose from there and
looked toward Sodom, and
Abraham went with them to send
them on the way.
17 And the LORD said, "Shall I hide
from Abraham what I am doing,
18 "since Abraham shall surely become
a great and mighty nation, and all
the nations of the earth shall be
blessed in him?
19 "For I have known him, in order
that he may command his
children and his household after
him, that they keep the way of
the LORD, to do righteousness
and justice, that the LORD may
bring to Abraham what He has
spoken to him."
4.
5. MEANING OF THE NAME
• Judah
• Basic meaning: praise, the fourth son of Jacob
by Leah. The name originated in Leah's words
of praise to the Lord on account of his birth:
"Now will I praise [Heb. odeh] Jehovah, and
she called his name Yehudah"
• ( Genesis 29:35 ).
6. THE WORD OF JACOB FOR JUDAH
GENESIS 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.
• 12 His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter
than milk.”
7. THE ELEMENTS OF
THIS INCREDIBLE
PROPHETIC WORD:
1. You are he whom your brothers shall praise – NATIONAL ADULATION
2. Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies – MILITARY VICTORY
3. Your father’s children shall bow down to you – LEADERSHIP AND
ROYALTY THROUGHOUT ALL TIME
4. You are a lion’s whelp – KINGLY LEADERSHIP (Lion king of the jungle)
5. The scepter shall not depart from Judah – ROYAL DYNASTY
6. The lawgiver shall come from your loins – PROPHECY OF JESUS AS KING,
MILLENIAL REIGN
7. Donkey to the vine - MESSIASHIP
8. He washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes –
COMING AS JUDGE NO LONGER AS SAVIOR
9. His eyes more red than wine, teeth white – EMPHASIZES THE
JUDGMENT NATURE OF CHRIST’S SECOND COMING
8. BUT THIS GOOD PROPHETIC
WORD, GOD’S WONDERFUL PLAN
FOR JUDAH, IS MET BY
A HUMONGOUS,
GIGANTIC PROBLEM:
WHAT IS THIS PROBLEM?
10. 1. Judah’s first problem:
DISOBEDIENCE IN MARRIAGE!!
• Judah’s Family
(38:1-11)
And it came about at that time, that Judah departed from his
brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was
Hirah. And Judah SAW there a daughter of a certain
CANAANITE whose name was Shua; and he took her and
went in to her. So she conceived and bore a son and he
named him Er. Then she conceived again and bore a son
and named him Onan. And she bore still another son and
named him Shelah; and it was at Chezib that she bore him.
Now Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name
was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s first-born, was evil in the sight
of the LORD, so the LORD took his life.
FIRST RECORD OF AN EVIL SON THAT THE LORD KILLS FOR
BEING EVIL!!
11. ANALYSE:
1. THE LORD DOES NOT ABRAHAM’S SEED TO MARRY
OUTSIDE OF “THE FAMILY” (remember Isaac, Ezekiel and
Rebekah)
2. But Judah “DEPARTED FROM HIS BROTHERS
(BRETHREN)” (Gen. 38:1)
3. She went to the CANAANITES – canaan means “low
lands” from the root word to go down or low
4. Came to know SHUA (this word means “PROSPERITY”)
5. AND SAW one of his daughters
6. AND HE JUST “TOOK HER AND CAME IN ONTO HER”.
12. WHY DOES THE LORD NOT WANT AN INTER-
MARRIAGE WITH TRIBES IN CANAAN?
THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF THE LAND OF CANAAN
1. H I T T I T E S, signifying the spirits of Fear and Discouragement:
2. A M O R I T E S, signifying the bitter fierce-talking and judging
spirits;
3. C A N A A N I T E S, the spirt of the “lower instincts” – making us
low, that Traffick in our Minds, Wills, Thoughts, Senses,
Imaginations, and Affections;
4. P E R R I Z I T E S, the Careless, secure spirits,
5. H I V I T E S, the spirits of vanity (fantasizing spirits, delusional
spirts) e.g. empty Romances and Scenes;
6. J E B U S I T E S, figuring the spirits of Pride and Elevation. The
Name signifies to trample upon and despise; they would ever be
trampling under Foot the Blood and Merits of Jesus, in the Pride
and Might of the Fire; they slight and despise the Meek and
Humble way of the Cross of Christ
7. G I R G A S H I T E S. These are the unclean, dirty spirits, spirits of
perversion
13. PROBLEMATIC FAMILY!!
• “Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife,
and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and
raise up offspring for your brother.” And Onan knew that
the offspring would not be his; so it came about that
when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted his seed
on the ground, in order not to give offspring to his
brother. BUT WHAT HE DID WAS DISPLEASING IN THE
SIGHT OF THE LORD; SO HE TOOK HIS LIFE ALSO. “
(Gen. 38:1-11)
SECOND SON KILLED BY THE LORD HIMSELF,
IN JUDAH’S FAMILY ALSO!!
WHAT A FAMILY!
(Onan was selfish: he did not want his inheritance reduced)
14. JUDAH’S SOLUTION:
• Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar,
“Remain a widow in your father’s house until
my son Shelah grows up”; for he thought, “I
am afraid that he too may die like his
brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her
father’s house (Genesis 38:1-11).
15. BUT JUDAH NEVER DELIVERS SHELAH
TO TAMAR
• Once Onan was dead, Judah became very
reluctant to give his youngest (and last) son to
Tamar. It never seemed to occur to him that it
was his sons who were the problem, not Tamar.
Probably Shelah was too young at first to assume
the role of husband and father, but more than
enough time elapsed to solve this problem.
Finally Tamar was convinced that Judah had no
intention of giving Shelah to her. If she were to
bear children to carry on the name of her first
husband, she must force the issue, she
concluded.
16. 2. Judah’s Second
Problem: No Word of
Honor (Gen. 38:12-16)
• “Now after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of
Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended,
Judah went up to his sheep-shearers at Timnah, he and his
friend Hirah the Adullamite. And it was told to Tamar,
“Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear
his sheep.” So she removed her widow’s garments and
covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in
the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; FOR
SHE SAW THAT SHELAH HAD GROWN UP, AND SHE HAD
NOT BEEN GIVEN TO HIM AS A WIFE.”
• JUDAH KNEW THE LAW, AND WHAT HE SAID: SHELAH
MUST BE GIVEN TO TAMAR TO PERPETUATE THE LINE OF
ER, BUT JUDAH DOES NOT DO IT, DESPITE HIS PROMISE
17. 3. Judah’s Third Problem:
Fornication (38:12-19)
• When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she
had covered her face. So he turned aside to her by the
road, and said, “Here now, let me come in to you”; for he
did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she
said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
He said, therefore, “I will send you a kid from the flock.”
She said, moreover, “Will you give a pledge until you send
it?” And he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she
said, “Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your
hand.” So he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she
conceived by him. Then she arose and departed, and
removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments
(Genesis 38:12-19).
18. THE PLEDGE
The seal, cord, and staff were not items purchased from
mass-produced stock. Each had distinctive characteristics
which were peculiar to the owner. The seal was the
ancient cylinder seal used in the making of contracts. It
was the counterpart of our Master Charge card today.
The seal was a cylinder with the unique design of its
owner carved in it. When a contract was made, hot wax
was put on the document and the seal was rolled over it,
leaving the impression of the owner of the seal. Judah’s
seal was one of a kind, as were those of others.40 He
would therefore immediately recognize it as his own.
The same was true of the staff. Possession of these gave
Tamar proof of the identity of the father of her child
when he was born.
19. 4. Judah’s Fourth Problem:
IDOLATRY!! (Gen. 38)
• When Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adullomite, to
receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find
her. And he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is
the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?”
• (NOTICE: IT WAS OKAY FOR JUDAH WITH A PROSTITUTE
OF A FOREIGN GOD!!) 1Cor 6:16 Or do you not know that
he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the
two," He says, "shall become one flesh.” (NKJV)
• But they said, “There has been no temple prostitute here.”
So he returned to Judah, and said, “I did not find her; and
furthermore, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no
temple prostitute here.’” Then Judah said, “Let her keep
them, lest we become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this
kid, but you did not find her.” Now it was about three
months later that Judah was informed, “Your daughter-in-
law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also
with child by harlotry.”
20. 5. Judah’s FIFTH
PROBLEM:
technical
ADULTERY!!
WHY?
By law, TAMAR WAS ALREADY
PLEDGED TO BE MARRIED TO
SHELAH, Judah’s son.
IN EFFECT, SHELAH WAS ALREADY
MARRIED TO TAMAR.
JUDAH’S SLEEPING WITH HER WAS
TECHNICAL ADULTERY, INCEST
AT THAT!!!
21. 6. Judah’s Sixth Problem:
HYPOCRITICAL BRUTALITY!
• Then Judah said, “Bring her out and let
her be BURNED!” (Gen. 38:24)
• The usual punishment prescribed by the
Law of Moses was STONING
(Deuteronomy 22:20-24). In cases of
unusual wickedness, there was
punishment by burning (Leviticus 20:14;
21:9). JUDAH WANTED BURNING!
• How about the child?
• Often we attempt to cover up our own
sinfulness by a severity in our response to
the sins of others.
(Man in picture is thinking: “Oh what kind
of a saint is this?”)
22. JUDAH EXPOSED!!
• It was while she was being brought
out that she sent to her father-in-
law, saying, “I am with child by the
man to whom these things belong.”
And she said, “Please examine and
see, whose signet ring and cords and
staff are these?” And Judah
recognized them, and said, “She is
more righteous than I, inasmuch as
I did not give her to my son
Shelah.” And he did not have
relations with her again (Genesis
38:20-26).
23. ANALYZE JUDAH’S PROBLEM:
1. He married a CANAANITE WOMAN against the will of
God
2. He was apparently okay living with PROSTITUTES
3. He regarded TEMPLE PROSTITUTES as no big deal,
when this was IDOLATRY
4. He kept Tamar from the one who had a LAWFUL
RIGHT to her
5. He was hypocritically brutal (BURNING, NOT
STONING)
6. He committed technical adultery (incest)
CAN A PERSON LIKE THIS EVER BE
REDEEMED???
24. SIDE QUESTION:
We already know that Jesus is of the line of Judah.
QUESTION: WHY NOT JOSEPH? WHY JUDAH?
Joseph seem to have all the qualities to be Jesus’ grandfather:
1. He was the BELOVED SON of the wife that was loved
(Rachel)
2. He was his FATHER’S FAVORITE
3. He was REJECTED BY HIS OWN BROTHERS
4. He was SOLD AS A SLAVE AND CONSIDERED DEAD
5. He “ROSE FROM THE DEAD”
6. Became a RULER
7. AND SAVED HIS FAMILY AND NATION?
WHY WAS JESUS NOT DESCENDED FROM JOSEPH???
WHY JUDAH???
We will answer that last
25. SO CAN JUDAH BE REDEEMED?
CAN HE EVER BE USED BY GOD?
What about all his terrible
issues?
26. HIS REDEMPTION
“And Judah recognized them (the cord, the staff, the
signet ring), and said, “She is more righteous than I,
inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.”
And he did not have relations with her again
(Genesis 38:20-26).”
1. HE WAS QUICK TO ADMIT HIS FAULT
2. He DID NOT CONTINUE WITH HIS SIN
THIS WAS THE FIRST RECORDED
ADMISSION OF FAULT AND SIN IN
THE BIBLE!!!
27. THE REDEMPTION WAS IN HIS NAME!!
• the verb le-hodot from which it is derived
means “to thank” (Leah called her fourth son
Judah saying ““This time I will thank the Lord,”
Gen. 29: 35), is also related to the verb le-
hitvadot, which means “to admit, to confess,”
• So YE-HUDAH (JUDAH), from the noun odeh,
and verb le-hodot and/or le-hitvadot MEANS
NOT ONLY TO PRAISE,
BUT ALSO TO CONFESS, TO ADMIT
28. COMPARE SAUL AND DAVID
• As Rabbi Rav Soloveitchik pointed out, both
Saul and David, Israel’s first two kings, sinned.
Both were reprimanded by a prophet. Both
said chatati, “I have sinned.” But their fates
were radically different. Saul lost his throne,
David did not. The reason, said the Rav, was
that David confessed immediately. Saul
prevaricated and made excuses before
admitting his sin.
29. DON’T MISS THE LESSON!!!:
THE FIRST TO CONFESS AND REPENT,
IS THE FIRST TO BE BLESSED!
JUDAH WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY
SON OF JACOB RECORDED TO HAVE
CONFESSED AND REPENTED, AND
CHANGED HIS WAYS!!!
30. THE TREMENDOUS POWER OF GOD’S
FORGIVENESS UPON HIM WHO
REPENTS!!• 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us
our sins and purify us from ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.
• Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may BE
WIPED OUT, that TIMES OF REFRESHING may come from
the Lord,
• Daniel 9:9
The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we
have rebelled against him;
• Ephesians 1:7
In him we have REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, the
forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's
grace
31. • Hebrews 10:17
Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I WILL REMEMBER NO
MORE."
• Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins
are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red
as crimson, they shall be like wool.
• Isaiah 43:25
"I, even I, am he who BLOTS OUT YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS, for my
own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
• Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but
delight to show mercy. YOU WILL AGAIN HAVE COMPASSION ON
US; YOU WILL TREAD OUR SINS UNDERFOOT AND HURL ALL OUR
INIQUITIES INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA.
32. MEANING:
THE LORD HAS ABSOLUTELY NO
REMEMBRANCE ANY MORE
OF THE SINS OF JUDAH!!!
YEHEY!!!!!!!
YES!!!!!!
HALLELUUUJAH!!
33. A DOUBLE TWIST
IN THE STORY
(Genesis 38:27-30)
• “And it came about at the time she (TAMAR) was giving
birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.
Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one
put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a
scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out
first.” But it came about as he drew back his hand,
that behold his brother came out. Then she said,
“What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he
was named Perez. And afterward his brother came
out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he
was named Zerah.”
34. WHO WAS THE
FIRSTBORN?
• Since the twin that was first to emerge from the womb
traditionally possessed the rights of the firstborn, some kind
of identifying mark was placed on the first to issue from the
womb. When one of the boys thrust out a hand, a scarlet
thread was tied about it, assuming that he would shortly
come forth. The hand was withdrawn, however, and the
firstborn was the other boy. This firstborn was named Perez,
while the next son, the one with the scarlet thread, was
named Zerah. As later genealogies will prove, this firstborn
son, PEREZ, WAS TO BE THE SON OF JUDAH WHO WOULD
CARRY ON THE MESSIANIC LINE UNTIL THE TIME OF DAVID,
AND ULTIMATELY, OF JESUS (cf. Ruth 4:12; Matthew 1:3).
35. WHAT??? JESUS WAS OF AN ADULTEROUS,
TECHNICALLY INCESTUOUS LINE?????
36. YES SIR!! YES MA’AM!!!
• REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION
IS ALWAYS REDEMPTIVE!!!
• THERE IS NO SIN THAT CANNOT
BE FORGIVEN and FORGOTTEN!!!
• THERE IS NO FAULT OR WEAKNESS IN US
THAT CANNOT BE WIPED OUT BY GOD!!!
• WHN JUDAH REPENTED, HIS INCESTOUS AND
ADULTEROUS LINE WAS ERASED!!!
38. WHAT HAPPENED TO ZARAH’S LINE?
• On the Trail of Zarah
• Parts of the clan of Zarah undoubtedly came to Spain and
Ireland (vide names such as Zaragossa, incorporating the
family name) and the migrations from Greece brought royal
families of that clan.
• Said to be descended from Zarah:
1. Greek dynasties
2. Vikings
3. Trojans
4. Saxons
5. Irish
6. British
7. Scottish royalties
40. WITH CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE,
THERE IS NOW ROOM TO RETRIEVE
JUDAH’S REDEEMABLE TRAITS
1. His LEADERSHIP
2. His CAPACITY FOR PERSONAL SACRIFICE
3. His CAPACITY FOR MENTAL HONESTY
4. His CAPACITY FOR LOVE AND
ACCOMODATION
41. Redemption story 1:
The selling of Joseph as a slave:
Judah’s action (Genesis 37)
• Ge 37:19 Then they said to one another, "Look, this
dreamer is coming!
• 20 "Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into
some pit; and we shall say, 'Some wild beast has devoured
him.' We shall see what will become of his dreams!"
• 21 But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their
hands, and said, "Let us not kill him."
• 22 And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood, but cast him
into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a
hand on him" -that he might deliver him out of their
hands, and bring him back to his father.
• 23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his
brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of
many colors that was on him.
42. Judah’s action:
• 24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the
pit was empty; there was no water in it.
• 25 And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted
their eyes and looked, and there was a company of
Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels,
bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry
them down to Egypt.
• 26 So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there
if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
• 27 "Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and
let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother
and our flesh." And his brothers listened.
43. Redemption 2:
The warranty for Benjamin’s return –
Judah’s role (Genesis 43)
• 1 Now the famine was severe in the land.
• 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which
they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go
back, buy us a little food."
• 3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man solemnly warned us,
saying, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.'"
• 4 "If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you
food.
• 5 "But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man
said to us, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with
you.'"
• 6 And Israel said, "Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to
tell the man whether you had still another brother?"
44. • 7 But they said, "The man asked us pointedly about
ourselves and our family, saying, 'Is your father still
alive? Have you another brother?' And we told him
according to these words. Could we possibly have
known that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"
• 8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the lad
with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and
not die, both we and you and also our little ones.
• 9 "I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you
shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you
and set him before you, then let me bear the blame
forever.
• (NKJV)
45. Redemptive Story 3: The amazing display
of Judah’s turn around love for Benjieboy
and his father Jacob (Gen. 44)
• 1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill
the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and
put each man's money in the mouth of his sack.
• 2 "Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack
of the youngest, and his grain money." So he did according
to the word that Joseph had spoken.
• 3 As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent
away, they and their donkeys.
• 4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far
off, Joseph said to his steward, "Get up, follow the men;
and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you
repaid evil for good?
46. • 5 'Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with
which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so
doing.'"
• 6 So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same
words.
• 8 "Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the
money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then
could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?
• 9 "With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die,
and we also will be my lord's slaves."
• 10 And he said, "Now also let it be according to your words;
he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be
blameless."
• 11 Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground,
and each opened his sack.
• 12 So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off
with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's
sack.
• 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his
donkey and returned to the city.
47. • 14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was
still there; and they fell before him on the ground.
• 15 And Joseph said to them, "What deed is this you have done? Did
you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice
divination?"
• 16 Then Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we
speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the
iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord's slaves, both we and
he also with whom the cup was found."
• 17 But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in
whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for
you, go up in peace to your father."
• 18 Then Judah came near to him and said: "O my lord, please let
your servant speak a word in my lord's hearing, and do not let your
anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh.
• 19 "My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father or a
brother?'
48. • 20 "And we said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old
man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his
brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's
children, and his father loves him.'
• 21 "Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to
me, that I may set my eyes on him.'
• 22 "And we said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his
father, for if he should leave his father, his father would
die.'
• 23 "But you said to your servants, 'Unless your
youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see
my face no more.'
• 24 "So it was, when we went up to your servant my
father, that we told him the words of my lord.
• 25 "And our father said, 'Go back and buy us a little
food.'
49. • 25 "And our father said, 'Go back and buy us a
little food.'
• 26 "But we said, 'We cannot go down; if our
youngest brother is with us, then we will go
down; for we may not see the man's face unless
our youngest brother is with us.'
• 27 "Then your servant my father said to us, 'You
know that my wife bore me two sons;
• 28 'and the one went out from me, and I said,
"Surely he is torn to pieces"; and I have not seen
him since.
• 29 'But if you take this one also from me, and
calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my
gray hair with sorrow to the grave.'
50. • 30 "Now therefore, when I come to your servant my
father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound
up in the lad's life,
• 31 "it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not
with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring
down the gray hair of your servant our father with
sorrow to the grave.
• 32 "For your servant became surety for the lad to my
father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I
shall bear the blame before my father forever.'
• 33 "Now therefore, please let your servant remain
instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad
go up with his brothers.
• 34 "For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not
with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come
upon my father?“ (“Do not let me see the misery that
would come upon my father.” NIV)
51. ANALYZE JUDAH’S HEART:
1. Despite his anger for Joseph, HE AFFIRMED
THAT JOSEPH IS OF HIS FLESH AND BLOOD
2. He RECOGNIZED THAT HIS FATHER JACOB LOVED
HIS BROTHER BENJAMIN VERY MUCH (with a
love that he and his brothers did not receive
from their father)
3. HE GAVE HIS LIFE AS A WARRANTY TO JACOB
FOR BENJAMIN’S LIFE
4. AND HE GAVE HIS LIFE AGAIN TO JOSEPH AS A
WARRANTY FOR BENJAMIN’S LIFE
52. JUDAH’S ACTIONS:
1. Reunited JACOB’S family
2. Paved the way for their re-grouping as a
complete family
3. Helped Joseph reintroduce the Lord back into
the family – His perfect wisdom and ways
53. MOSES BLESSING OF JUDAH:
• Moses said of Judah in Deut. 33:7 (KJV)
• "And this is the blessing of 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 an help to him from his
enemies“
• He also assigned the territories to the tribes
54. THE TERRITORY OF JUDAH
In Judah’s territory:
1. Hebron – first capital
of Israel
2. Jerusalem –
governmental and
spiritual capital of
Israel
3. The TEMPLE
4. CALVARY
55.
56. JUDAH’S FOUR-FOLD BLESSING
FROM MOSES:
1. Let THE VOICE OF JUDAH BE HEARD BY THE
LORD
2. BRING HIM TO HIS OWN PEOPLE
3. LET HIS HANDS BE SUFFICIENT FOR HIM
4. BE THOU (LORD) BE A HELP TO HIM FROM
HIS ENEMIES
57. 1. Let the Lord hear Judah’s voice:
This is a blessing of:
a. Open heaven
b. Authority and Ledership
c. Favor
d. Worship anointing
e. Intercession
58. 2. Bring him to his people
• A prayer for:
a. Ability to lead and handle people well
b. Acceptance by other tribes
c. Bonding and strength with brethren
59. 3. "Let his hands be sufficient for him."
• The Hebrew word for 'sufficient' is the word 'reb'
which means abundant, enough, great, many,
mighty, plenteous, etc. and is the root of such
words as: captain, chief, archer, lord, and master.
Thus, Judah's hands are not simply sufficient for
him , but they are great and mighty, the hands of
archers, captains, chiefs and masters. Hands
speak of labor, strength and dexterity and all of
this is true of Judahites.
60. AN INTERESTING COMMENT
IN THE BIBLE:
• The postexilic writer of 1 Chronicles, probably
Ezra, wrote, “Yet Judah prevailed over his
brothers, and from him came a ruler, although
the birthright was Joseph’s” (1 Chronicles 5:2).
• How did Judah prevail?
• During the time of Moses, the tribe of Judah
became the stronger tribe and “prevailed over his
brothers.” The census in Numbers 1 shows that
Judah was the leading tribe in population and in
men who could go to war (Numbers 1:2-3, 27).
61. WHY JUDAH, AND NOT JOSEPH?
• The sages (Berakhot 34b) articulated a principle:
“WHERE PENITENTS STAND EVEN THE PERFECTLY
RIGHTEOUS CANNOT STAND.” The Talmud brings a
prooftext from Isaiah: “Peace, peace, to those far and
near” (Is. 57: 19) placing the far (the penitent sinner)
before the near (the perfectly righteous). However,
almost certainly the real source is here in the story of
Joseph and Judah. Joseph is known to tradition as ha-
tzaddik, the righteous.
• Judah, as we will see, is a penitent. Joseph became
“second to the king.” Judah, however, became the
ancestor of kings. Hence, where penitents stand even
the perfectly righteous cannot stand.
62. JUDAH’S PERFECT REPENTANCE
• Judah is the first person in the Torah to achieve perfect repentance
(teshuvah gemurah), defined by the sages as one who finds himself
in a situation to repeat an earlier sin but who does not do so
because he is now a changed person.
• Many years before Judah was responsible for Joseph being sold as a
slave:
• Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother
and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and
not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh
and blood.” His brothers agreed. (Gen. 37: 26-27)
• Now, faced with the prospect of leaving Benjamin as a slave, he
says, “LET ME STAY AS A SLAVE AND
LET MY BROTHER GO FREE.” That is perfect
repentance, and it is what allows Joseph to reveal his identity and
forgive his brothers.
63. “LET ME DIE AS A SLAVE AND LET MY
BROTHER GO FREE!!!”
64. JUDAH BEFORE GEN. 49: JUDAH AFTER GEN. 49
“Let me warrant the life of my
brother”
• “You will rule over your
brothers”
65. NOW REMEMBER JACOB’S WORD
FOR JUDAH!!:
• GENESIS 49:10 “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.”
• SHILOH – means “the one to whom it belongs”
• THE SCEPTER WILL BE TAKEN BY “SHILOH” –
THE ONE TO WHOM IT BELONGS.
• WHO IS THIS SHILOH?
66. SHILOH – “THE ONE TO WHOM IT
BELONGS”, is JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!!!
67. JUDAH BECOMES THE LEADER!
• After the death of Joshua, God chose the tribe
of Judah to take the lead in conquering the
nations who were living in the land promised
to the 12 tribes (Judges 1:2). The first chapter
of Judges shows that the tribe of Judah was
aggressive and strong in driving out the
Canaanites in the southern half of the land of
Canaan.
68. JUDAH BECOMES FIRST!!
• Here are some interesting notes on the Tribe of
Judah. The Tribe of Judah is always first. It is the
first stone on the breastplate. In the Book of
Judges, the first judge, OTHNIEL, was from
Judah’s tribe. Also in the Book of Judges, it was
the first tribe to go to war. In the Tabernacle of
Moses, Judah was the first tribe to move out or
to lead. Judah was camped by the door of the
Tabernacle. Jacob's sons, by order of birth, were
Reuben, Simeon, Levi then Judah. Yet Judah
moved from fourth place to first place.
69. The tribal
positions:
• Notice:
THE TRIBAL
EMBLEM OF
JUDAH (Lion) is
what is displayed
first in the
marching order.
Significance of the
position.
70. JOSEPH, JUDAH – AND THE TEMPLE
• An even more important way that Judah
prevailed over his brothers took place during the
time of King David. The tabernacle of God had
long been in Shiloh in the territory of Joseph.
But David set the stage for the temple to be
built on Mount Zion, “which He [God] loved,” in
the tribe of Judah (Psalm 78:67-70). God chose
David to be His shepherd and Jerusalem (Mount
Zion) for His place to dwell. God also chose David
to hold the “scepter,” a symbol of kingship that
would always remain in the tribe of Judah
(Genesis 49:10; Psalm 89:34-37).
71. In the tribulation period:
• Jesus in His Olivet Prophecy said, “For then
there will be great tribulation, such as has not
been since the beginning of the world until
this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew
24:21). The tribe of Judah and the State of
Israel will not be spared from this traumatic
time. In Luke’s account of the same prophecy,
Jesus said, “But when you see Jerusalem
surrounded by armies, then know that its
desolation is near” (Luke 21:20).
72. BUT THE LORD WILL HONOR THE
WORD OF MOSES!
• The prophet Zechariah also spoke of this same time,
“For I will gather all the nations to battle against
Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled,
and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into
captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be
cut off from the city” (Zechariah 14:2). Invasion and
war will come to Jerusalem and to the tribe of Judah.
• Following the prophecy of the invasion of Israel and
Jerusalem, Zechariah announced the good news of the
coming of Christ: “And in that day His feet will stand on
the Mount of Olives. … And the LORD shall be King over
all the earth” (Zechariah 14:4, 9).
73. JEREMIAH, JOHN, AND PAUL
• Jeremiah spoke of this same time when he said,
“In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will
dwell safely; now this is His name by which He
will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”
(Jeremiah 23:6).
• The good news for the tribe of Judah and this
world is that the “Lion of the tribe of Judah,”
Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:5), will return to
establish the Kingdom of God, and the tribe of
Judah will finally accept its Redeemer (Romans
11:26).
74. EVEN IN THE DIVIDED KINGDOM,
JUDAH STILL PREVAILED
SOUTHERN KINGDOM OF
JUDAH
CATEGORY NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL
19 Kings, 1 Queen Kings 19 Kings
Jerusalem Capital Samaria
1 Dynasty - the line of David Dynasties 5 Dynasties and several
independent kings.
Judah & Benjamin Tribes 10 Northern Tribes.
Most were unstable; some were
good & some were bad.
Character of
the Kings
All were bad, but only Ahab and
Ahaziah were Baal worshipers.
By Babylon in 586 B.C. Conquered By Assyria in 721 B.C.
Returned to the land. Afterward No return.
75. CONCLUSION:
1. Judah was a man of VERY GREAT FAULTS AND
WEAKNESSES – VERY GREAT
2. But HE DISPLAYED THE GREATEST HUMILITY,
REPENTANCE AND CHANGE
3. On this humility, repentance, THE LORD
ACTIVATED HIS REDEEMABLE TRAITS AND USED
THEM FOR THE LORD’S GREATEST GLORY AND
HONOR
4. And the LORD WAS WILLING TO BECOME MAN
THROUGH THE FAMILY TREE OF JUDAH’S
TRIBE!!
