Christmas Advent Devotional: Day 2 "A Lion King to Come"

 I love looking for Jesus in the Old Testament.  It is somewhat like an Easter egg hunt at times, and like a child, I am filled with joy at the discovery!

This time we see Jesus, the Reason for the Season, tucked inside a blessing from a dying man.  Jacob draws his sons near to bestow a blessing upon them- a blessing that is filled with prophecy, later to unfold.  Israel is the grandson of Abraham, the one with whom God made a covenant to bless the nations. The lineage through whom Christ, the Messiah, would come.  As Israel speaks to his son, Judah, he gives him an exalted position in the family- one normally reserved for the firstborn.

Genesis 49:8-10

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.  (NKJV)

 

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In this blessing, is the revelation that the line from which Messiah would come, would be Judah's.  Jacob/Israel calls Judah a lion. A lion, both powerful and stealthy, waiting to strike until the "right time." 

Jacob goes on in verse 10 to foretell that the scepter would not depart from him.  This confirms a royal lineage coming down from Abraham through Judah (later fulfilled temporarily in David) and finally brought to fruition in Christ Jeus. 

A king who shall have the obedience of “the people” does not indicate His reign is tied only to the Jews, but to all people. This coming King will rule triumphant overall.   He will defeat every enemy. That season is yet ahead for us as well.

The first time Jesus would dwell on the Earth, He would be a lamb. He would be the perfect sacrifice for all humanity- gentle, humble and lowly.  The lion in Him would lie in wait for a future time to bring justice.  He would gently love and serve in the hopes that all would come to repentance. 

But in Judah's future- and in ours- A King for All Creation is coming! He will be powerful and majestic, like a lion.  His kingdom will never end!  He will be the fulfillment of all Messianic prophecies and will be a triumphant King.

Before you were ever born, God knew you. (Jer. 1:5) Before you ever sinned, Christ, the Lamb of God, died for you!  Before you ever knew your heart needed a King, Jesus had ascended to the right hand of the Father. There He sits enthroned until the fulness of time has come for Him to return for His children. Then, our Lion King will pounce and destroy every enemy.

This Christmas, marvel at all Jesus is.  A lamb. A lion. A king! Whichever one you need today, He is all of that to you.  Now and forevermore.

 Hail, hail, Lion of Judah!




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