Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion. – Psalm 114:2

Today's Scripture Reading (October 12, 2025): Psalm 113 & 114

As Jacob approached the end of his life, he prophesied over all of his sons. Not all of the prophecies were positive. Reuben, the oldest of the sons of Jacob, learned that he would "no longer excel" (Genesis 49:4). Simeon and Levi were cursed. Jacob prophesied that because of the violence of the brothers, "Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel" (Genesis 49:7). It would be generations before the meaning of this prophecy could be realized. But the prophecy is fulfilled in very different ways. The tribe of Simeon would eventually disappear, being absorbed into the other tribes of Israel. The descendants of Levi would become the priests for the nation, scattered among their brothers and sisters, and yet the tribe would remain unique and their identity would be preserved throughout the generations of Israel.

The prophecy that Jacob spoke over Judah is critical here. Jacob said,

Judah, your brothers will praise you;
    your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
    your father's sons will bow down to you.
You are a lion's cub, Judah;
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
    like a lioness—who dares 

    you return from the prey, my son.to rouse him?
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
    nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come
    and the obedience of the nations shall be his (Genesis 49:8-10).

The prophecy of Jacob is reflected in this Psalm. Rule over Israel would always be by God, but he would rule from the territory of Judah. The wording is interesting here. The translation "he to whom it belongs shall come" is actually the word "Shiloh." As Christians, we recognize Jesus as the Shiloh of Jacob's prophecy. But Israel had a city they called Shiloh. And it was in Shiloh that the Tabernacle, the seat of God, was placed. Was it an attempt to circumvent the prophecy of Jacob? Maybe. While Jacob said the scepter or rule of Judah over the tribes of Israel would not depart until Shiloh came, the first King of Israel was from the tribe of Benjamin, and the city of Shiloh was placed within the borders of the tribe of Ephraim. But during David's rule, both returned once again to Judah. David was born of the tribe of Judah, and the Tabernacle would be replaced by the Temple of Jerusalem, again within the borders of Jerusalem. Judah truly became God's sanctuary, and from there, God continued to rule over Israel until the day that Shiloh came and the Temple was finally destroyed.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 115

Personal Note: Happy 86^th birthday, Mom.