The Lion of Judah

Have you ever been baffled by something you read in scripture?

It actually happens to me frequently, but I always find myself wondering why God chose to bring Jesus through the lineage of Judah.

Jesus is known as the Lion of Judah.

Why not the Lion of Joseph? After all, Israel (Jacob) had eleven other sons, and many of them were far nobler than Judah!

Let’s review Judah’s life.

Judah was the fourth born son of Jacob and Leah, Jacob’s unloved and less attractive wife. The Israelite custom was to pass the blessing on the firstborn. That means Judah had three older brothers in line before him.

Simeon and Levi were passed over because they took revenge on Shechem for raping their sister. I certainly understand their anger even if they didn’t handle it appropriately!

Reuben was passed over because he slept with his father’s concubine. However, he wasn’t all bad. When the brother’s sold Joseph into slavery, Reuben was the brother who saved Joseph’s life and had planned to rescue him.

Joseph was the favorite child, the oldest of Rachel, the much favored wife. Scripture has nothing bad to say about him. But, God did not choose him to be in the lineage of Christ despite his obvious favor with God and his earthly father (perhaps because Joseph married a foreigner while he was in Egypt).

But Judah.

I understand why God passed up his three older brothers. But he landed on Judah? Why not one of his eight younger brothers? Let’s review Judah’s life.

Judah was involved in the plot to murder his brother Joseph. He was the one who suggested selling him into slavery (Genesis 37:26-27).

Judah’s sons were wicked (Genesis 38:6-9). Makes me wonder where they learned it.

Judah was not faithful to his word and did not give his youngest son to his daughter-in-law (Genesis 38:12). I know it sounds strange, but it was the custom of the culture.

While we talk about Judah and his sons, we have to remember that Judah didn’t trust God. If he had, he would have followed through on his word and given his youngest son to his daughter-in-law.

Judah slept with a prostitute, or at least he thought it was a prostitute (Genesis 38:16). It was actually his daughter-in-law, the one he had deceived out of a husband. She became pregnant  by Judah and gave birth to twins (one of whom is in the lineage of Jesus!!).

Judah repeatedly messed up, sinned grossly, disobeyed God. Yet he was the one chosen to become the ancestor of the Lion of Judah.

Why? I don’t know how many times I have asked myself this question. Why Judah? None of the brothers were without fault, but Judah seems to have a whole series of character flaws.

As I read through Genesis this last week, I think I finally found the answer. It’s one little verse:

Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again. Genesis 38:26

You see, when Judah was confronted with his sin, he recognized it as sin. He saw his depravity, how far he had fallen from what the God of Israel had created him to be. He was broken, repentant. He found himself in a position where he needed God–and I suspect he finally cried out to God.

Not only was he broken, but he was repentant. The final line of Genesis 38:26 tells us clearly that he did not sleep with her again. In other words, he changed his actions. He stopped sinning.

Why is it important to understand why God chose Judah out of all of Israel’s sons?

Because God is the God of new beginnings, the God who gives us all far more chances than we deserve.

The fact God chose Judah (and his son born from this crazy union) to be in the lineage of Jesus tells us so many things about God.

His forgiveness is complete. Scripture tells us He throws our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) and he remembers those sins no more. He is the God of fresh starts. When we turn from our sins, He no longer holds them against us.

God looks on the heart. It’s so easy for us to get hung up on the externals, but God always looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). We have to remember that we don’t know what was in the hearts of Israel’s sons, but God does. There was evidently something very pure within Judah.

God uses us in spite of our failures. I once thought I was disqualified from being used by God, from being a minister of the gospel. All because of my failures. I am so thankful God uses us in spite of our humanity, our sin nature. Sometimes, He can actually use us more–albeit in a different way–because of our failures.

No one is too far gone for God. Let me rephrase that. YOU are not too far gone for God to use you. He has plans for you! Your pain and brokenness just might be the doorway to a greater ministry. Your failures and pain just might bring you to a deeper intimacy with the God of the universe. Your failures might be the very thing God uses to break you, to bring you to repentance, so He can fulfill His purpose in you.

The world would tell you that you’ve messed up too much, that there’s no hope. But that is not God’s opinion. He’s looking for a heart that recognizes its mistakes and failures and chooses to turn back to Him.

And you never know how God might use that one moment of repentance and surrender to change you so He can change the world through you!