“You are a lion’s cub, O Judah,” Jacob said of his son in Genesis 49:9. He saw in Judah the power and potential of a young lion. And he was right too, because Judah became a powerful leader.
It was Judah in Judges 1 who took the lead in attacking the Canaanites and Perizzites “and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek” (4). And in verse 8, “The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and took it,” and in verse 9, they defeated the Canaanites “in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills,” and in “Hebron” too (10). Nowhere, it seems, was safe from the mighty growing lion cub of Judah, but understandably so, for “The Lord was with the men of Judah” (19).
Jacob then continues in Genesis 49:9, “from the prey, my son, you are gone up,” picturing a lion now in its prime easily overcoming its prey, returning to its lair “up” in the mountains, confident in its formidable strength, and fearless of any enemies trying to steal its prey. And such was the tribe of Judah, gaining in confidence and strength with each victory, so that “Like a lion” (9) in its full grown majesty it calmly “crouches” over its prey, unafraid while it eats and “lies down” to rest afterwards.
And “like a lioness (9), who dares to rouse him?” – a lioness being known for its ferociousness when defending its cubs. So Jacob foresaw all this in his son, that one day the nation of Judah would arise and become so powerful that “During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree” (1 Kings 4:25), as calm and at peace as a lion that has no challengers.
Jacob then tells his son Judah in Genesis 49:10, “The sceptre will not depart from Judah.” A “sceptre” was a rod or long staff symbolizing royal authority, like the gold sceptre king Xerxes held out to Queen Esther to approve her approaching him (Esther 5:2). Royal authority, therefore, was predicted by Jacob to never leave Judah, for God not only “chose Judah to be the ruler” (1 Chronicles 28:4), he also had Nathan the prophet tell king David from the tribe of Judah in 2 Samuel 7:16, that “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever,” exactly as Jacob predicted.
Judah the lion cub would grow to be a mighty lion, picturing a fearless and formidable ruler whose royal authority and dynasty would never end. So “Who was this mighty lion of Judah?”….(next blog)
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