Each tribe of Israel had its own rod or staff with the tribal staff or tribal identity. The Hebrew word “shebet” (#H7626 in Strong's) is translated as “a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or a clan.” We saw in the previous chapter that the most probable use of the word is a “clan or tribe.” The term, "matteh," prevails in the post-exilic writings. The two terms are nearly synonymous, signifying "branch", "rod", "staff", "scepter", the sign of dominion, measuring rod, staff, staves as those which enabled priests to bear the ark on their shoulders, and in the sense of "tribe" are used figuratively with probable reference to the derivation of the tribe as a branch of the family of Jacob, or perhaps signifying originally a company led by a chief with a staff or scepter. Sceptre (Heb. shebet = Gr. skeptron ), properly a staff or rod. The Hebrew “Shebheth” is usually translated “tribe.” About forty times, however, the word means “scepter” which is the rod held in the hand of a king that denotes his right to reign over his subjects. As a symbol of authority, the use of the sceptre originated in the idea that the ruler was as a shepherd of his people (Gen 49:10; Num 24:17; Psa 45:6; Isa 14:5). Arrangement by clans or tribes represents a form of social and political organization natural to Semitic nomads, as may be observed among the Bedouins of today, and the division of the Jewish people into twelve tribes is a prominent feature of the Old Testament records, while frequent allusion to the same is found in the New Testament writings.
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering (obedience) of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he has washed his garments in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes: his eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk” (Genesis 49:10-12)” (Genesis 49:10). No one shall remove Judah's sceptre from him. It was to be placed between the feet of the One who sat on the throne. Two things were to be achieved: a) Shiloh WOULD come. b) To Him would the gathering of the people be.
The word “sceptre” in this passage does not necessarily mean a king’s staff. The word translated “sceptre” means primarily a “tribal staff.” The tribal identity of Judah shall not pass away – as did that of the other ten tribes of Israel – until Shiloh come.
THE SCEPTRE IS GOD'S SCEPTRE:
Psalm 45:6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. The scepter actually belongs to God, who is a perpetual King. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and His Spirit fills the heavens and the earth.
IT IS A SCEPTRE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
haMashiach rules his kingdom with “a sceptre of righteousness.” (Psalms 11:7 Psalms 45:6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright. Hebrews 1:8; Psalms 45:6. Isaiah 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. Psalms 72:2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Psalms 99:4 The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. Jeremiah 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Acts 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His very nature is expressed in loving righteousness, and hating iniquity (Hebrews 1:9). He is absolutely fair and practices equity. "...And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of ears; but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins” (Isaiah 11:3-5) “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34-35). No longer does he make distinctions between Jew and Gentile and the Jew has no special privileges over any other people (Romans 2:28-29; Ephesians 2:11-22).
THE PURPOSE OF THE RULING SCEPTRE:
The purpose of the tribal staff or sceptre of authority is to rule or to exercise authority: (Psalm 2:9.) Thou shalt break them with a rod
(Hebrew="shevet," meaning: scepter) of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Mark 16:16-18
16) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18) They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
THE SCEPTRE OF AUTHORITY IS SENT FORTH BY GOD:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Jesus is the Word.-"...the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." (John 1:14). (Heb.10:5) " Sacrifice and offering you did not desire but a body you prepared for me. Then he said Lo, I come to do thy will O God." ISAIAH 55:10-11 As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, And returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Psalm 110:2. The LORD shall send the rod (Hebr. shevet, scepter) of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. (Psalm 107:20) Favor as a shield: Psalm 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. Esther 5:1-2 we read similarly: "Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood on the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre." "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times." (Daniel 9:25)
THE SCEPTRE OF HEALING
- I John 3:21-22 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
- Matthew 18:18-19 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
- Matthew 21:21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.
- Matthew 8:2-3 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
- Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
- Galatians 3:13-14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
- Romans 4:17-21 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
- Ephesians 6:10-17 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
- Job 34:25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child's. He shall return to the days of his youth.
- Psalm 41:3 The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.
- I Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
GOD BREAKS THE STAFF OR SCEPTRE OF HIS ENEMIES:
The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the scepter of the rulers. (Isaiah 14:5.)
And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. (Levitcus 26:26)
Zech 10:1 The sceptre of Egypt shall depart away.
Ezekiel 19:14 - She hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule.
Shiloh Hebrew "shello." Based on Shiljah, taken to mean "Son." The Pentateuch contains 6 "image" titles for Messiah. Four are mentioned in this ch. Christ is here described as "scepter", "Shiloh", "shepherd" (verse 24), and "stone" (verse 24 again). And elsewhere he is described as "the seed." Or shîl —shalil which in New Hebrew means "embryo." (Gen 3:15; 22:17) and "the star" (Num 24:17). The ruler's staff: The Lawgiver-the Hebrew word “chaqaq - (khaw-kak')” (#H2710 in Strong's) is translated as “lawgiver.” Originally, “chaqaq” referred to God as having brought His Law into existence in the beginning by engraviging the law in stone on Mount Sinai. In addition, Scripture also refers to men as scribes—who only simply engrave God's Law, not invent it. A “lawgiver” therefore is a scribe. It can mean also, a prescriber of laws or a commander. (Deut 33:21; Judges 5:14; Isa 33:22) Therefore, “The Lawgiver” is God, Who composed and transcribed His laws in stone to give to Moses, whereas “a lawgiver” is simply a human scribe who transcribes God's Laws after they have been given.
"Judah is my lawgiver" (Psa 60:7; 108:8). "The Lord is my lawgiver" (Isa 33:22). Judges 5:14, out of Machir came down governors, or lawgivers. The greatest leaders of Israel were from other tribes—Moses and Samuel from Levi, Joshua from Ephraim, Gideon from Manesseh, Samson from Dan, and Saul from Benjamin. Finally, David became king, and “the sceptre” was then held by Judah for a thousand years until Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. Jesus’ parents were both of Judah, both of the line of David, with both the legal and spiritual right to David’s throne.
The word lawgiver indicates the maintenance of the dominion. The root of the Hebrew word translated "lawgiver" in Gen. 49:10 (as well as Psa. 60:7 & Psa. 108:8) is chaqaq. It literally means "to engrave"; by extension, it means "to be a scribe." Judah was the one who was given the authority to document, record and transmit the oracles of God.
Between his feet...The expression between his feet does not mean that the rod will lie calmly between the feet of Judah; but it indicates, in connection with Deuteronomy 28:57, the descent in a straight line.
UNTIL HE COMES TO WHOM IT BELONGS:
Hebrew term loosely translated "He comes whose right it is" are the words "asher-loh."The main difference lies in the fact that the Genesis 49:10 text is an abbreviation for the same two Hebrew words, asher-loh. Shiloh is made up of the syllable "sh" which is an abbreviation of asher. Asher is the relative pronoun "who." The second syllable, "loh," is the preposition "lamed," meaning "to, at, in, in reference to, of, by, etc,"1 combined with the third person masculine singular pronoun "him." Together these two syllables form the word "Shiloh." Shiloh is an abbreviation that means "to him who it belongs." Ezekiel 21:27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: this also shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.
When Shiloh would appear the tribal dominance would expand into world dominion
"Until Shiloh comes." The name “Shiloh=“This name is etymologically related to the Hebrew root Shala which means to be secure, to rest. As a proper name Shiloh then would mean Peaceful One, or Rest Bringer.”
Isaiah 11:10: "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign to the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious."
"Shiloh" related to "Salem"/peace: Peace signifies unity, security, oneness with God. Reference to Messiah, the "prince of peace" (Isa 9:6). Other possible meanings: (1) "the one sent" (John 9:7); (2) "He for whom it is laid up" (or promised) (quotations in Ezekiel 21:27; Galatians 3:19). To the only wise God our Saviour... Jude 1:12 - God our Saviour. Titus 2:10 Christ, the "Lion of Judah" (verse 9; Revelation 5:5), will inherit "throne of father David" (Luke 1:32,33). Note also Num 23:2; 24:9,17; Psalm 89:20-37; Psalm 72; Isaiah 8:6,7; Isaiah 9; 11; Zechariah 9:9.
For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, 12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing...” (Isaiah 28:11)
HEAR O ISRAEL-SHILOH: THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD
AND UNTO HIM SHALL THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE BE:
The Septuagint translation is instructive; it runs thus: ewv an eluh ta apoceimena autw —"until the things laid up in store come into his possession." Behind this lies a Hebrew shello, i. e. shel for ‘asher —"which" and lô —"to him." "The gathering of the peoples" (’ammîm). Eph 1:10, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.
Born in Bethlehem. Micah. 5:2-Lk. 2:4; 5:7
Triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the King riding on a donkey. Zech. 9:9-Mt. 21:1-11
He would be crucified and experience extreme suffering
Psalm. 22-Mt. 27:34-50
He would be buried with the rich
Isa. 53:9-Mt. 27:57-60
He would die and be raised from the dead (resurrected)
Psalm. 16:10,11;49:15-Mt. 28:5-9; Acts 1:3
He would ascend to Heaven.
Psalm. 68:18-Mk. 16:19
THE SHEPHERD OF ISRAEL
"Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth." (Psalm 80:1)
Matthew 2:6 'You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come forth a governor, who shall shepherd my people, Israel."
Micah 5:4 He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God: and they will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.
Zechariah 11:7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
Ezekiel 34:23 I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
Isaiah 40:11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those who have their young.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
YESHUA haMASHIACH AS THE STAR OF JACOB
"I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth." (Numbers 24:17)
Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ as a star
The day star (1 Peter 2:19)
The bright and morning star (Revelation 22:16)
The dayspring (Job 38:12-15; Luke 1:57-80)
The sun’s (a star) connection to the coming of Christ (Malachi 4:1-3)
The sign of the Son of man
“The sign of the Son of man in heaven” immediately precedes His coming in power and great glory (Matthew 24:30).
The identity of the Son of man (Revelation 1:13, 16)
The literal sun at the coming slaughter (Isaiah 30:25-33)
“The day of the great slaughter” (Isaiah 30:25). This matches “the supper of the great God” (Revelation 19:17).
At this time, there is a sign in the heaven (Isaiah 30:26).
The sun is given power to scorch men (Revelation 16:8-9).
Messiah will come out of Jacob (Numbers 24:17 - fulfilled in Luke 1:32-33; Revelation 22:16). "A Star shall rise out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel," so proclaimed Balaam. The star would represent Jesus' glory, and the sceptre His authority and power. The angel told the virgin Mary, "The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Jesus said of Himself in John's great vision, "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."
