Genesis 49:13

Genesis 49:13 says, Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.  Jacob continues to speak of the future of his sons and the groups they will become.  Zebulun and his family would live at the haven of the sea and become a safe port for ships.  As followers of Christ, we all have different purposes in life, but we all have a purpose in life.  Verse fourteen states, Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:  Then verse fifteen continues, And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.  Issachar and his descendants were to be strong, industrious and patient people.  We might not think this to be something to be desired, especially in today's world, but we could certainly us more people like this today.  Too often, if we are strong, we think that gives us the right to impose our will on others instead of helping them to bear their burdens.  Verse sixteen says, Dan shall judge his people,  As one of the tribes of Israel. Dan's descendants would be judges over the people of Israel.  Dan was the son of one of the handmaidens, but his descendants would judge all Israelites.  Matthew Henry points out that this shows that God makes no distinction between bond and free in earthly terms.  It does not matter how we are born in this world, but how we relate to God through our relationship with Christ.  Verse seventeen continues,Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.  Dan's descendants would judge with the subtilty of a serpent, which Matthew Henry said could refer to Samson's fooling the Philistines.  Verse eighteen concludes, I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.  However good the descendants of Dan might be as judges, the still could not bring salvation to the people of Israel, nor can we today bring salvation to the world.  We must wait for the salvation of Christ and can  only point people to that salvation.  Salvation can only come from God.  Verse nineteen says, Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.  Gad and his descendants would be temporarily defeated, but would ultimately overcome their enemies.  We, as followers of Christ, may be temporarily overcome by the world, but through Christ the victory is ultimately ours.  Verse twenty states, Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.  Asher's descendants would be a tribe rich in the things of the world, but that is not necessarily what we should be looking for.  This does not say that they would not follow God, but often those who are rich in the things of this world do not follow God's teachings.  Verse twenty-one says, Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.  The descendants of Nephtali were to be well spoken people, though Matthew Henry states that we really don't have many examples of how this came to pass in the Bible.  Sometimes, we can see where God's prophesies, and these really were God's prophesies for His people, come to pass more easily than with others, but we simply need to realize that theywill all come to pass.