Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Genesis 49:8.

WE shall use Judah as a type of our Lord Jesus, who sprang out of Judah, who is the heir of the royal house of David, and the Shiloh to whom the gathering of the people shall be (verse 10). We use both the man Judah and the tribe of Judah in the parallel.

I. JUDAH'S PRAISE. "Thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise."

They who know him best, to whom he is nearest in relationship, for whom he is most concerned, praise him most.

1. He is first in intercession.

· This is his covenant blessing. "Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah" (Deut. 32:7).

· This he proved in intercession with his father, Jacob (Gen. 43:3).

· And in pleading with Joseph when he would have detained Benjamin. How touchingly he spake! how earnestly he offered himself as a substitute! (Gen. 44:14).

2. He is first in wisdom.

· To Judah belonged the man who was filled with the spirit of God, by whom the tabernacle in the wilderness was erected. "See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship'' (Exod. 31:2-3).

· To Judah came the legislative power. "Judah is my lawgiver" (Ps. 60) "The scepter shall not depart from Judah" (verse 10).

3. He takes precedence in offering.

He that offered his offering the first day was of the tribe of Judah. See Numbers 7:12.

4. He takes precedence in march.

In descent or ascent, in battle or in progress, in the first place went the standard of Judah. Read Numbers 10:14, Judges 1:2.

5. In all things he has the pre-eminince.

David was chosen of the Lord to be king. "He refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim, but he chose the tribe of Judah" (Ps. 78:67-68).

II. JUDAH'S TRIUMPHS ABROAD.

"Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies" Illustrate by life of David:

· He passed through severe conflicts. Read 1 Samuel 17:34-36.

· He gained great victories (2 Chron. 13:14).

· He founded a peaceful empire.

· He utterly crushed the forces of his foes, and broke the neck of all opposition.

· So has our Lord done by his life, death, resurrection, reigning power, and second coming.

III. JUDAH'S HONORS AT HOME. "Thy father's children shall bow down before thee."

1. He became the Head of the family.

2. He was clothed with lion-like power. "He couched as a lion, and as an old lion" See verse 9. "The lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed" (Rev. 5:5).

3. He is the center of our assembling. "To him shall the gathering of the people be" (verse 10).

4. His glory is his meekness. "Binding his foal" etc. (verse 11). "Thy King cometh, meek and sitting upon a colt the foal of an ass" (Matt. 21:5).

5. The wine bath at his first and second advent, makes him lovely in our eyes. Note verses 11 and 12; also "I have trodden the wine-press alone" (Isa. 63:1-3).

6. He is King to us for ever. Hallelujah. See Hosea 11:12. "Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God."

· Are we among the foes against whom he fights as a lion ? Let us beware how we rouse him up (verse 9).

· Are we among his friends for whom he fights? Let us praise him with all our hearts, and now bow down before him. Are we not his Father's children?