[NIV] 8 "Judah, your brothers will praise you; your handwill be on the neck of your enemies; your father‘s sonswill bow down to you. - P106
9 You are a lion‘s cub, Judah; you return from themy son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like alioness who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor theruler‘s staff from between his feet, until he to whomit belongs shall come and the obedience of the nationsshall be his. - P106
11 He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to thechoicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, hisrobes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiterthan milk. - P106
While speaking his blessings, Jacob spontaneously cries out to God fordeliverance, showing that he is in communion with God even as heutters these words to his sons. - P108
Furthermore, Jacob‘s words concerningJudah suggest that he may have had a faint glimpse of God‘s ultimateplan for the salvation of the world. - P108
Even though he cannot fathomwhat the full picture of redemption will look like, his eyes are turnedtoward God, from whom he knows deliverance will come. - P108
Today, wehave a far better vantage point. While the picture Jacob saw was dimand distant, we clearly see God‘s deliverance through the life, death, andresurrection of Judah‘s descendant, Jesus Christ. - P108
Still, we would do wellto learn from Jacob and look to the Lord in all circumstances, knowingthat Christ has delivered us from sin and condemnation and continuesto intercede on our behalf. - P108
Dear Jesus, thank you for saving us into Your kingdom. - P109
Teach us what itmeans to live as citizens of heaven. - P109
Give us the courage to tell others aboutYou, the humble King. In Your name, amen. - P109
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