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Daily Devotions

Genesis

Genesis 
Day 
Day 357

"For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation." Psalm 149:4

Text: Genesis 49:1-33

LEAH’S CHILDREN

Though the blessing of the sons of Jacob did not take any special or particular order, an interesting observation emerges. The first six prophecies all involved the sons of Leah. She had six sons altogether! All of them were mentioned together (Genesis 49:3-15). Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Naphthali – It would be incorrect to say that Jacob favoured Rachel’s children, for one of the most praised of all was Judah)!


PICTURESQUE SPEECH

Jacob used a lot of imagery to describe the future of each of his sons. An interesting analogy was used to portray Issachar.

“Issachar is a strong donkey,
Lying down between two burdens;
He saw that rest was good,
And that the land was pleasant;
He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden,
And became a band of slaves.”
GENESIS 49:14-15

“Issachar is a strong donkey”

To each his own – that is an adage that has some merit. Issachar had the same mother as his other five brothers! Three were in deep trouble (Reuben, Simeon and Levi). One was destined to produce kings (Judah). Another one was going to be deeply involved in maritime affairs. To Issachar belonged special strength. For some reason, Issachar liked to do things that involved manual work. He did not mind working like a donkey!

Would that mean that Issachar would be less blessed than the other brothers? Hardly! Issachar would also succeed, but their way of succeeding would be through heavy manual work! There are some who enjoy heavy physical work. They do not envy those who are more inclined to intellectual or cultural pursuits. They find their greatest joy and meaning through attending to hard work. They thrive in such an environment. Thus they too would succeed!

“A band of slaves”

This phrase could easily be mistaken to suggest that this tribe would be enslaved. This was not the intended meaning at all! If Issachar would become actual slaves, then it would have lost out on God’s blessings!

The imagery of “slaves” when understood properly yields rich appreciation. Slaves worked hard. They are trained to do humble menial work. They have both the strength and inclination to do hark work diligently.

Imagine a whole tribe of people working away like slaves! Any tribe that has hard-working people will succeed! They may not be great thinkers. They may not involve themselves in affairs of state, but through dint of hard work in humble areas of service, they can succeed in life!