Judah was not the firstborn and thus should not have participated in the birthright. However, because of his love for his brothers, he received the kingship (Gen. 49:10) as a portion of the birthright; that is, he had the authority to bring God to people. Jacob prophesied in the way of blessing concerning his sons, saying, “Judah...thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies....Judah is a young lion...he couches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lioness....The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be” (Gen. 49:8-10, lit.). This is a picture depicting Judah’s fighting and gaining the victory and his resting in victory as a king. The scepter and the staff represent kingship, or dominion. The words between his feet are a poetic term denoting seed, or posterity. This indicates that Judah has the kingship and that rulers come out of his posterity. Christ, as Judah’s seed, became the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). As such, He has overcome and has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). When Christ, as Shiloh, the One who brings peace, comes again, the whole earth will be filled with peace, and all nations will obey Him. They will come to Him to receive God’s instruction (Isa. 2:1-3; 11:10). At that time, the kingdoms of the world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15).
Joseph was special among the sons of Jacob and was separate from his brothers (Gen. 49:26). He continued the way of life that chooses God, the way taken by his forefathers. He lived as a sheaf of life, was full of the riches of life, and was like a bright star shining in the darkness (Gen. 37:7, 9). Although he passed through various trials and sufferings, he was prosperous in all things because he had the presence of God (Gen. 39:2-5, 21-23). Eventually, he became the representative of all those who are mature in God’s life and who reign for God and enter into glory.
Joseph was his father’s favorite, and he brought back to his father evil reports about his brothers. Therefore, his brothers hated him and could not speak peaceably to him (Gen. 37:2-4). Joseph had two dreams in which he dreamed that his brothers, signified by sheaves and stars, were bowing down to him. Because of his dreams, his brothers were jealous of Joseph and hated him even more (Gen. 37:5-11). Later, when Joseph, in obedience to his father’s command, went to visit his brothers, they conspired against him and almost slew him. Fortunately, his oldest brother, Reuben, rescued him by proposing that they cast him into a pit that was in the wilderness (Gen. 37:21-22), and Judah suggested that they sell him to the Ishmaelites (Gen. 37:25-27). Thus he was spared from death and was brought to Egypt and sold to an officer of Pharaoh (Gen. 37:36). In this way, Joseph suffered all the ill-treatment from his brothers.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob signify the three parts of the experience and life of a complete, spiritually mature person. These three parts of such an experience and life eventually produced a mature Israel, one who could reign for God. Joseph represents the reigning aspect of the mature Israel. Thus, he symbolizes one who is mature in the spiritual life and who reigns for God.
Genesis 37:2 says, “These are the generations of Jacob.” Then it goes on to tell us of the life of Joseph. This proves that Joseph’s life was a part of Jacob’s generation. Because of this, the last fourteen chapters of Genesis combine the record of Joseph’s life with the record of Jacob’s, considering them as the biography of one person. Joseph was an aspect, a part, of Jacob. He was Jacob’s expression. When Joseph was in power, it was actually Jacob who was reigning through Joseph. Joseph’s reigning and ruling over Egypt signifies that all who are spiritually mature will reign for God and rule over the earth. At the conclusion of the age of grace, Christ will come back to take the whole earth and set up the millennial kingdom on the earth. At that time, all those throughout the ages who have been perfected unto the maturity of life will be co-kings with Christ (Rev. 20:6), ruling over the nations on earth in the millennial kingdom.