Judah
God created all things and as the pinnacle of His creation fashioned mankind. Man in his sin rebelled against God, and was separated from the relationship that God had created mankind for. However, God promised redemption despite the sinful actions of man. The first glimpse of this promise was that the Seed of Woman would crush the source of sin and separation—the Serpent (Satan). Man continued to multiply on the earth, and so did sin. In fact, sin spiraled out of control until God finally judged it by ridding the world of all things except for 8 people and animals that fit on the ark that God had Noah build. Evil still permeated these 8 people and continued through the spread of this family until God penetrated history and chose a man to start a new family through the son of Noah named Shem. Ten generations after Shem was born, the Lord called Abraham, and it was through his family that God continued His promise of redemption for all of humanity. As Abraham’s family grew, he had a great grandson born who was given the promise that through his line the King (and ultimately the Seed of Woman) would come.
It was in Genesis 49:8-10 that Judah was promised that the scepter would not depart from his family. In other words, the rule of God’s kingdom—and defeat of the rule of the serpent’s kingdom—would come through the tribe of Judah. God had previously promised to Abraham land, seed, and blessing to the nations, and as the book of Genesis closes these promises had only just begun. As the next book in the Bible—Exodus—opens, approximately 430 years have passed and God’s people—the people of Abraham—have grown from 70 to now in the millions. God’s promise to redeem a rebellious humanity—through the Seed of Woman, through Abraham, and now through Judah—is now more clearly seen through another son within Abraham’s family—the tribe of Levi. Levi was a great grandson of Abraham, and it will be through his tribe that God will establish the Law to govern His people until the fullness of time passes and the Seed of Woman arrives on the earth. Until then, the message of the Bible unfolds through Judah–the line of the Royal King and Seed of Woman. Man’s flesh is still sinful, his heart broken, but there is hope. Hope for ultimate restoration and redemption. Faith. Faith in God’s promises!
— May 12, 2017