Moses closes the story of the blessings on Jacob’s sons with an interesting few words.
“All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.” (Genesis 49 v 28)
They didn’t have the same blessing, but they had the appropriate one for them.
The blessing was shaped for the person receiving it. Each one speaks to you and me, thousands of years later, living in the blessing of Christ.
Reuben — You are not cast aside and forgotten; under the blood of Jesus, you are at the table as a full son and daughter, not a diminished version of one.
Simeon and Levi — Your past does not have the last word; the cross does, for the blood shed in anger was answered by blood shed in love.
Judah — The sceptre belongs to the one who offers himself, and from this line came the King who earned the obedience of nations not by power but by sacrifice.
Zebulun — Purpose is not necessarily ahead of you but here, where you are right now, as you become the safe harbour others aim for in the storm.
Issachar — The Holy Spirit comes so you can carry something you could never carry in your own strength, so bend your shoulder.
Dan — Snakes don’t need to be seen to be effective, and God speaks justice over you before the world has seen a single thing.
Gad — The raiders don’t get the final word; you will attack at their heels, and you will live to fight another day.
Asher — What you carry is exactly what someone else needs at the table, and what you bring generously is fit for a king.
Naphtali — You were not meant to live constrained; when grace sets a life free, it releases the power of multiplication, so run.
Joseph — The wall, whatever it has been throughout your life, could never stop the vine, for the grace of God means fruitfulness beyond every barrier.
Benjamin — The same intensity that once tore things apart becomes, in surrendered hands, the energy that builds, advances, and refuses to quit.
God works the same way. He knows your name, everything about you, all that has happened in your life, the wounds and the graces. You are unique to Him. You are not just part of a crowd. Which of these words speaks to you today? Jacob spoke the appropriate blessing. So does your Father. Receive it today.
Missions Paul 