When the patriarch Jacob realized that he was going to die soon, he gathered his sons together and blessed them — or more accurately, he foretold what each tribe of Israel would become. Judah was favored, but there is an unfamiliar phrase in the middle of his blessing:

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” –Genesis 49:10

What is this Shiloh? At the time, Jacob’s descendants had not even left Egypt, much less established the tabernacle at the city of Shiloh in the country of Ephraim. There are more complicated explanations, but simply stated the phrase “until Shiloh comes” means “until the one to whom it belongs will arrive.” Jacob knew that the rule of his family truly belonged to God, and that one day He would appear to fulfill Israel’s destiny. History shows that the patriarch was right.

It’s an amazing story, but what does it have to do with us? Well, just like the aged Jacob, it behooves us to examine who the ruler of our life is. Who do I belong to? Myself? Or can I acknowledge that God created me, gave me life, and still cares about the way I live it? The Messiah has already walked the earth, but He must also walk in my heart: the rule of my life belongs to Him.

Righteous Branch

“Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;”  –Isaiah 10:33-11:2

Isaiah and his successor Jeremiah were sent to a spiritually dark nation of Judah. While it had fared better than the northern nation of Israel, Judah was slipping into idolatry — or perhaps worse, insincere Judaism. For some time the prophets attempted to change the spiritual climate, to no avail. Eventually the Spirit moved them to begin speaking of the restoration: the coming of the Messiah and His effect on the world. While the corrupt institutions of Judah were being swept away, the prophets said, hope still remained in God’s mercy.

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  –Jeremiah 23:5-6

Perhaps the greatest message of hope we can see in this passage is the symbolism of a branch. Branches are a natural part of trees. Unlike Gentile Christians, who are called “grafted branches” (Romans 11:13-24), this righteous Branch is part of the family tree of David. While there may be many corrupt branches of our life, it’s comforting to know that if we stick to God’s plan, the same righteous Branch will show up in our lives, too.