“All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father (Jacob) said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, everyone with the blessing appropriate to him.” (Gen 49:28)

When Jacob blessed his twelve sons, he did so with divine authority behind those blessings. It is interesting to read through the list of blessings given by Jacob to his sons in Genesis 49.
Though I confess, I don’t understand the significance of all the things he said, it is clear that some of those sons received blessings that look an awful lot like curses.

Dan is described as a “horned snake in the path”, Levi and Simeon are told God would “scatter them in Israel” because of their cruelty, and Reuben is guaranteed he will never have any “preeminence” because of choices he had made with a woman named Bilhah in Genesis 35.

On the other hand, Naphtali is told he will give “beautiful words” and that sounds nice. So does Asher’s blessing of being one who would have rich food and “yield royal dainties”. I’d happily take those blessings.

But God gave each boy a blessing appropriate to him. A blessing to their legacy that matched the people they were. Their future, and the future of each of the tribes that would come from them, matched the lives they led.

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)

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BibleBites are small, bite-sized snacks of wisdom from God’s Word.
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“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”
(2Timothy 3:16)