Genesis 49:1

Genesis 49:1 says, And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.  Jacob called his sons together to tell them what was going to happen to them in the last days, or future.  This was not based on what Jacob thought, but on what God had revealed to him.  The last days did not mean the end of the world, but the days to come, which at some point would be their last days,  We know what the Bible tells us will happen in the last days, before Christ returns, but everyday becomes the time of the last days for the life of many people,  Verse two  states, Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. The sons are called on to gather together and Jacob refers to them as the sons of Jacob with Israel being their father.  This was the same person.  We are called on to gather together as followers of Christ, the children of God.  This is not two Gods, but One.  Verse three says, Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:  Jacob first speaks to Reuben, his first born.  What Jacob says about Reuben at first seems pretty good.  Then verse four adds, Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.  Reuben was called unstable as water and had forfeited his birthright because of his sin with Jacob's wife.  Matthew Henry says Reuben had been forgiven, but his sin still bore consequences in this world.  Though our sins are forgiven when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we may still have to face the consequences of them in this life.   Verse five says, Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.  Jacob didn't have much good to say about Simeon and Levi, but they were still a part of God's plan  to make a great nation of the descendants of Abraham.  Verse six adds, O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.  Jacob was referring to their killing Shechem and the Shechmites in an act of revenge and hatred.  Some might say that they were justified in their actions, but God never expects His people to act out of anger and revenge.  Verse seven continues, Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.  Jacob said they would be divided, or separated from one another, and then scattered in Israel.  The Levites were scattered among the other tribes and the Simeonites were forced to disperse to find enough substance to stay alive.  Still, they were also a part of God's chosen people.  Fortunately, we do not have to be perfect to be a part of God's family, nor to remain a part of it once we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse eight declares, Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.  Judah was praised by his father as being the one who would be above all his brothers.  Matthew Henry says that Judah's name signified praise, and that God was praised for him, by him and in him, just as God should be praised in our lives.  Verse nine adds, Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?  Jacob said that Judah was like a powerful lion.  Verse ten continues, The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Then verse eleven states, Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:  Then verse twelve concludes, His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.  Though the  scepter would not  depart from the tribe of Judah, the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, would come from the tribe.  Jesus would bring peace between people and God, and some day all knees will bow to him, fulfilling the prophesy that Jacob gave to Judah.