The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. – Genesis 49:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 18, 2012): Genesis 49

The book that solidified my love for Science Fiction was Frank Herbert’s “Dune.” I loved the tale that was both grounded in the things of the future but also with strong elements from the past. Dune tells the story of the battle over the planet of Arrakis – a desert planet that is the only known source of the spice “melange” without which space travel is impossible. And the key character is the son of Leto Atreides, Paul, who is the heir apparent of the House Atreides, the House that is in control of Arrakis and therefore in control of the spice that is found there. But the possession is contested and as the pages of the book open there is an attack and Paul and his mother find themselves on the run. The escape takes them into the realm of the mysterious Fremen, the desert people. And the Fremen are a people waiting for the prophesied one to come who would rule over them and restore to them the planetary rule. Paul is eventually believed to be the one of mystery on whom the desert world waits.

It is an ancient idea. We wait. We sing songs about it, is the hope with every child that is born into the world, it is the essential element of the Christmas story – we are waiting. It is the traditional hope that went along with the coronation of every king and queen and it is the political hope in every election – that the one who comes will be the one who will set the world straight.

As Jacob begins to talk to his sons about what is going to happen, he begins to talk about the one that will come. The word that he uses here is actually Shiloh – until Shiloh comes – and Shiloh adds to the mystery of his words because it is a word of unknown definition. The only thing that we know is that when Shiloh comes, the scepter of rule will belong to him.

Jacob’s words to Judah, spoken in a strange land where the tribe of Jacob existed as foreigners, spoke to a future that would feature a line of kings that would come from Judah. And the royalty would not depart from the line of Judah until the one came to whom the scepter belonged. Jacob tells Judah that his sons would be kings, but the power that they will yield will be borrowed from someone else. And one day, he, the one to whom the power belonged, would come and take scepter back, and he will reign and all of the nations will worship him.

For the Christian, we know that Shiloh has come – and his name is Jesus.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 50