One Mother - Two Sons - Part One
Today I want to tell you the story of two brothers, both of whom were born to the same mother. It is the story of the legacy of Leah’s third and fourth sons. If you have read the post called “Women Behaving Badly – Part One and Part Two”, you will hear more of the back story behind this one (Click Here for Part One), (Click Here for Part Two).
Levi’s Story:
The third son of Jacob and Leah was named Levi. The birth of this son gave Leah a feeling of entitlement. She reasoned that bearing three sons for her husband would earn his respect. She was the unwanted wife of Jacob and she felt neglected. We read, ‘“Now this time my husband will be attached to me because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore, his name was called Levi.’ (Genesis 29:34 ESV) We later learn the legacy of this young man’s life when his father provides his final blessing in Genesis chapter 49,” Simeon (2nd son) and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company for in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness, they hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it, is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:5-7 ESV)
In Genesis 34 we learn the back story behind Levi (and Simeon’s) curse. Jacob received instructions from God to move his entire family back to his native land, the home of his mother and father. In this move, he was not only fleeing an abusive relationship of father-in-law, Laban but also consumed with fear over encountering his brother Esau whom he had cheated out of both his birthright and his blessing. Jacob had left home shortly after these deceitful events, excusing his absence with the intention of obtaining a wife, but truthfully seeking safe harbor from his brother’s murderous-wrath. Jacob probably had not conceived that he would stay with his in-laws for nearly twenty years, and more likely had not considered that he would return with not just one wife, but two. In his caravan, we see that he had become fruitful and multiplied through four women (two wives and two concubines), and had fathered at least thirteen children, if not more. A daughter, named Dinah was with them. On this journey, they encountered the Shechemites, the clan belonging to Shechem, the son of Hamor. Hamor was a Hivite who was ruler over the region Jacob’s family was passing through. Shechem defiled Dinah without the consensual agreement from her family for marriage; however, Shechem wished to marry her after his shameful behavior.
A covenant made between Jacob’s clan and the Shechemites and Hivites required that all men outside of Jacob’s family must be circumcised for intermarriage to occur. Violating this agreement, both Simeon and Levi avenged their sister and slaughtered every defenseless man, woman, and child belonging to these two clans, plundered (looted) their village, and freed their sister. Jacob was greatly distressed over their actions. Now, not only was he fearful of his brother Esau retaliation, but he was also afraid of the enemies they may have acquired due to his sons’ uncivilized behavior.
Moving forward in history we see the Levites, descendants of Levi, take responsibility for both the tabernacle and later the temple of God. During the time of Moses, God appointed Aaron as a high priest and his descendants as priests. Both Moses and his older brother Aaron were Levites. Once the Law was handed down on Mt. Sinai (Mt. Horeb), these responsibilities were formalized which we can read about in the book of Leviticus. We learn that not all Levites were priests, but all priests from this time forward were Levites. We discover that once Joshua takes the Israelite’s out of the Wilderness into The Promised Land, the Levites acquire no land, but are dispersed among all tribes performing their cleansing and sacrificial system that was to be carried out until the time of Jesus. We will continue this Levitical story in part two.
Judah’s Story:
The fourth son of Jacob and Leah was named Judah. By the time of his birth, Leah had experienced a change of heart. We see her exclaimed, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore, she called his name Judah.” (Genesis 29:35 ESV). Can you take just a moment to consider how much one’s countenance must change to move from entitlement to praise? Nothing shy of a miracle? To this son, the legacy created by his father’s blessing reads much differently, “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. (Genesis 49:8-12 ESV) As we consider this legacy, it is far greater than creating offspring with excellent dental hygiene.
The Judean blessing reads much differently than that of Levi; however, even Judah himself was not a blameless man. Judah married the daughter of Shuah. Shuah was the sixth son of Abraham conceived through Keturah, Abraham’s second wife after Sarah’s death. We do not hear much about these six sons, but upon more review, we can see some connections to the Midianites and even Bildad, the friend of Job who mercilessly badgered him to confess his sins before God. (Not to get sidetracked, but Eliphaz, another friend of Job, was a descendant of Esau.) Judah had three sons with Bath-Shuah (although not her formal name it is a reference which means daughter of Shuah). The story of Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law is fascinating. Her story is not part of the reason behind the blessing, but part of the legacy resulting from it.
Judah’s blessing came as a result of his righteous action taken on behalf of his younger, half-brother Benjamin (Jacob’s new favorite son) after the disappearance of Joseph. This story begins in Genesis 37 where Joseph tells his brothers of his dream of greatness. As an immature youth, his brothers didn’t appreciate his boastful nature. Even Jacob rebuked him. Joseph’s brothers feeling jealous of the attention he received from their father wished to kill him. At Judah’s suggestion, they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelite’s instead (descendants of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s servant). We learn that distant cousins, the Midianites eventually sold Joseph to an Egyptian official, Potiphar. Some twenty years later, after Judah and his brothers had hidden the dark secret of Joseph’s disappearance and allowed their father to deeply grieve, Judah was able to redeem himself by offering to become a sacrificial substitute for his brother Benjamin when Joseph wished to detain him in Egypt rather than return him to his father, Jacob. You can read this story of Judah’s promise to his father that he would keep Benjamin safe on their second journey to Egypt for food during the famine in Genesis 43, and the fulfillment of his promise to his father in Genesis 44. Please continue reading the Judean legacy in One Mother – Two Sons (Part Two).
QUESTIONS:
(1) With the Biblical knowledge that you possess, can you detail the fulfillment of any of the prophetical elements found in Jacob’s blessing?
· Levi (Genesis 49:5-7),
· Judah (Genesis 49:8-12)
(2) With this story we can begin to see the interplay between clans:
· Descendants of Abraham/Hagar (Ishmael),
· Descendants of Abraham/ Keturah (Midian, and Shuah);
· Descendants of Isaac/Rebekah (Jacob, and Esau);
· Descendants of Jacob/Leah (Simeon, Levi, and Judah);
· Descendants of Jacob/Rachel (Joseph, and Benjamin)
Can you uncover the mystery of who the Shechemites or Hivites descendants are?
Your insights, comments or conclusions are welcome below.
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